Readings/Films:

Films discussed include works by Godard, Truffaut, Varda, Rohmer, and Resnais, just to name a few.

Course Description:

The goal of this seminar is to introduce students to a number of representative films of the French New Wave, perhaps the most important and emblematic moment in modern cinema.  Along the way, we will look at the theoretical and cultural factors that help explain this extraordinary flowering of filmmaking talent in the late 1950s and early 1960s; and we will also be reading selected and important short essays from the period that will help bring the films’ originality into focus. General points to be explored include:  France and American popular culture; post-war economic transformations and consumerism; masculine anxiety and new roles for women; the documentary image; the subversion and pastiche of genre; the ideology of form. All films will be subtitled and available for streaming to your devices. 

Additional Information:

Course taught in ENGLISH. Students will be able to stream subtitled versions of the films on their own schedules. No knowledge of French is expected.  Priority enrollment for Freshmen.