Readings:

Jean-Pierre Jeancolas, Histoire du cinéma français, 3e édition (Armand Colin)

Course Description:

This class explores the rich history of French cinema in terms of larger issues in French culture, society, and politics. We will examine some of the major movements in French film style from poetic realism to the Nouvelle Vague. We will also read works of French film theory, which ask how film is a distinctive medium of expression and can take up issues of gender, class, and race.

In addition to considerations of film history and theory, this class provides an introduction to the study of the moving image. We will learn how to analyze a film closely through examining how image, sound,  and editing work together to produce meaning. This course is a prerequisite for French 177 and 178, though students who have taken French 177 or 178 may take this course.

Prerequisites: 

French 102 or consent of instructor. Film Studies students should consult the instructor about French language preparation and prerequisites.

Additional information: 

Satisfies one “Culture” or one “Elective” course requirement in the French Major.  Satisfies one course in the French Minor.  Satisfies College of Letters and Science breadth in Arts and Literature or International Studies.  There will be occasional mandatory on-site film screenings Wednesdays 4-6 in some weeks, with streaming options available in other weeks.

Section times and locations in the Schedule of Classes