| Title: | Landmarks of American Cinema |
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| Course Section Number: | FRT-101-19D |
| Department: | Freshman Tutorial |
| Description: | VIRTUAL COURSE NOTE: STUDENTS IN THIS SECTION ATTEND THE CLASS VIRTUALLY. American cinema and American culture are deeply interconnected phenomena. Some of the most recognizable phrases in the English language have their origins in movies. For example, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn (Gone with the Wind, 1939), "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore (The Wizard of Oz, 1939), and "Here's looking at you, kid" (Casablanca, 1942) are phrases that have entered the American vernacular, even when people don't necessarily recognize their movie origins. As John Belton writes in American Cinema/American Culture: "American cinema plays a crucial role in the process of identity-formation. Films not only serve as texts that document who we think we are or were, but they also reflect changes in our self-image, tracing the transformation from one kind of America to another. More importantly . . . it carries [audiences] across difficult periods of cultural transformation." In our tutorial, we will watch, discuss, and write about some of the most important movies in American cultural history. And we will do so with an eye to charting changes and challenges to the complex (and never complete) process of American cultural construction. The principal text that will guide us through that history is Roger Ebert's landmark book, The Great Movies (2003). Ebert's essays not only help us understand the landscape of American cinema, they provide a model for outstanding writing. We'll study them, as we watch the films he references, not just to gain a greater understanding of the history of American film making, but as examples of how to improve your writing. |
| Credits: | 1.00 |
| Start Date: | August 12, 2020 |
| End Date: | November 24, 2020 |
| Meeting Information: |
08/13/2020-11/17/2020 Distance Tuesday, Thursday 09:45AM - 11:00AM, Room to be Announced
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| Faculty: | Rogers, Dan |
Course Status
| Section Name/Title | Status | Dept. | Capacity |
Enrolled/ Available/ Waitlist |
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