Film History I (20373)
Degree/study: Degree in Audiovisual communication
Year: 1st
Term: 1st
Number of ECTS credits: 6 credits
Hours of studi dedication: 150 hours
Teaching language or languages: catalan/spanish
Teaching Staff: Núria Bou i Sala and Maria Soliñas Barreiro
1. Presentation of the subject
Film History I is a subject aimed to cover the main movements of film history from 1895 to 1960. The itinerary will be carried out based on the study of the work of the most significant film directors of this first period of film history and will put special emphasis in the staging elements of these creators of the first half of the 20th century.
2. Competences to be attained
Skills in collecting and interpreting relevant data (both within and outside the field of study) so as to be able to form conclusions that includes reflecting on different topics of film history.
Learning skills that allow continuing studies in a self-directed or autonomous way.
Capacity and skills in handling techniques to create a speech on film history.
Skills in the processes of audiovisual production and in the analysis of audiovisual stories from the staging point of view.
Capacity to read and to analyze the writings of film directors.
Capacity detecting and understanding the different movements and trends of film history.
3. Contents
Unit 1
Movements and trends. Primitive cinema. The German expressionism. The Soviet school. The French poetic realism. The Italian neo-realism and its evolution. The Hollywood system and its evolution.
Unit 2
Language evolution through authors. The beginning of classical cinema: D. W. Griffith; Ch. Chaplin; B. Keaton; I. von Stroheim; F. W. Murnau; F. Lang. The revolution of staging: S. M. Eisenstein; V. Pudovkin. The surrealist imagination: L. Buñuel. The golden years of classicism: J. von Sternberg; F. Capra; I.(E.?) Lubitsch; K. Vidor; H. Hawks. Films in freedom: J. Renoir; R. Rossellini. The improvement of classicism: O. Welles; D. Sirk; A. Hitchcock. Crepuscular films: J. Ford.
4. Assessment
The final assessment will be an exam and a written assignment: the first, will be a test type questionnaire, based on the general contents of the subject; and the second, students will develop, in an academic way, one of the units of the program.
5. Bibliography and teaching resources
5.1. Basic bibliography
GUBERN, R. Historia del cine. Barcelona: Lumen, 1986.
SADOUL, G. Historia del cine mundial (desde los orígenes hasta nuestros días). Mexico: Siglo XXI, 1976.
BORDWELL, D.; THOMPSON, K. Film history. An introduction. Nova York: Mc Graw Hill, 1993.
BORDWELL, D.; STAIGER, T.; THOMPSON, K. El cine clásico de Hollywood. Estilo cinematográfico y modo de producción hasta 1960. Barcelona: Paidós, 1997.
BAZIN, A. ¿Qué es el cine?. Madrid: Rialp, 1990.
TALENS, J.; ZUNZUNEGUI, S. (coord.). Historia general del cine. Madrid: Cátedra, 1995. Vol. I-IX.
Basic filmography
The Birth of a Nation, D. W. Griffith, 1915
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, R. Wienne, 1919
Greed, E. von Stroheim, 1923
The crowd, K. Vidor, 1928
Sherlock Jr., B. Keaton, 1924
The Battleship Potemkin , S. M. Eisenstein, 1925
Metrópolis, F. Lang, 1927
Sunrise, F. W. Murnau, 1927
City Lights, Ch. Chaplin, 1930
La règle du jeu (The Rules of the Game), J. Renoir, 1939
Stagecoach, J. Ford, 1939
Citizen Kane, O. Welles, 1941
To be or not to be, E. Lubitsch, 1942
Roma, città aperta (Rome Open city), R. Rossellini, 1945
Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves), V. De Sica, 1948
Los olvidados (The Forgotten Ones), L. Buñuel, 1950
Viaggio in Italia ( Journey to Italy), R. Rossellini, 1953
Written on the Wind, D. Sirk, 1956
Vertigo, A. Hitchcock, 1958
Rio Bravo, H. Hawks, 1959
5.2. Complementary bibliography
Enrique Alberich. Alfred Hitchcock. El poder de la imagen. Barcelona: Fabregat, 1987.
Kenneth Anger. Hollywood babilonia. Barcelona: Tusquets, 1987.
Jordí Balló, Ramon Espelt, Joan Lorente-Costa. Conèixer el cinema. Barcelona: Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Ensenyament, Secretaria General, 1985.
André Bazin. Jean Renoir. Madrid: Artiach, 1973.
André Bazin. Orson Welles. Valencia: Fernando Torres, 1973.
Alain Bergala. Voyage en Italie de Roberto Rossellini. Brussels: Editions Yellow Now, 1990.
Alain Bergala. "Roberto Rossellini y la invención del cine moderno", El cine revelado. Barcelona: Paidós, 2000.
Luciano Berriatúa. Los proverbios chinos de F. W. Murnau. Madrid: Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes, 1990.
Núria Bou. Plano/contraplano. De la mirada clásica al universo de Michelangelo Antonioni. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva, 2002.
Núria Bou, Xavier Pérez. El temps de l'heroi. Èpica i masculinitat en el cinema de Hollywood. Barcelona: Paidós, 2000.
David Bordwell. El cine de Eisenstein. Teoría y práctica. Paidós, 1999.
David Bordwell i d'altres. El cine clásico de Hollywood. Estilo cinematográfico y modo de producción hasta 1960. Barcelona: Paidós, 1997.
Noël Burch. El tragaluz del infinito. Madrid: Cátedra, 1987.
Quim Casas. John Ford, el arte y la leyenda. Barcelona: Fabregat, 1989.
Jesús González Requena. La metáfora del espejo. El cine de Douglas Sirk. Madrid: Cátedra, 2007.
Jesús González Requena. S.M. Eisenstein, lo que solicita ser escrito. Madrid: Cátedra, 1992.
Jesús González Requena. Amor loco en el jardín. La diosa que habita el cine de Luis Buñuel. Madrid: Abada, 2008.
Pere Gimferrer. Cine y literatura. Barcelona: Seix Barral, 1999.
José Luis Guarner. Roberto Rossellini. Madrid: Fundamentos, 1974.
Siegfried Kracauer. De Caligari a Hitler. Historia psicológica del cine alemán. Barcelona-Buenos Aires-Mexico: Paidós, 1985.
Jack Lodge. Hollywood años 30. Londres: Arín, 1988.
Carlos Losilla. La invención de Hollywood o cómo olvidarse de una vez por todas del cine clásico.Barcelona: Paidós, 2003.
Ethan Mordden. Los estudios de Hollywood. El estilo de la casa en la edad de oro del cine. Barcelona: Ultramar, 1989.
Àngel Quintana. El cine italiano, 1942-1961. Del neorrealismo a la modernidad. Barcelona: Paidós, 1997.
John Russell Taylor. Hollywood años 40. Ed. Arín.
Vicente Sánchez Biosca. Sombras de Weimar. Contribución a la historia del cine alemán, 1918-1933. Madrid: Verdoux, 1990.
Eugenio Trías. Tratado de la pasión. Madrid: Taurus, 1979.
F. Truffaut. El cine según Hitchcock. Madrid: Alianza, 1985.
King Vidor. Un árbol es un árbol. Barcelona: Paidós, 2003.
Herman G. Wernberg. El toque Lubitsch, Barcelona: Lumen, 1993.
Robin Wood. Howard Hawks. Madrid: Ediciones JC, 1982.
6. Metodology
Master classes
Tutorship
Individual work
Personal study
7. Planning of activities
Week 1
UNITS
Methodology introduction. To know about films. Primitive cinema. David Wark Griffith.
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out-of-class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 2
UNITS
The German expressionism
F. W. Murnau
F. Lang
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out of class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 3
UNITS
The avant-gardes
The soviet school
S. M. Eisenstein
V. Pudovkin
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out-of-class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 4
UNITS
Hollywood 20'
B. Keaton
Ch. Chaplin
E. von Stroheim
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out-of-class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 5
UNITS
Hollywood 30'
E. Lubitsch
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out-of-class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 6
UNITS
F. Capra
Classicism
J. von Sternberg
K. Vidor
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out-of-class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 7
UNITS
L. Buñuel
The french poetic realism
J. Renoir
In class activities: master classes, fragment viewing, debate
Out-of-class activities: bibliographic and audiovisual research
Week 8
UNITS
Neo-realism
R. Rossellini
Week 9
UNITS
Hollywood 40'
O. Welles
Mannerism
D. Sirk
Week 10
A. Hitchcock
H. Hawks
Crepuscular cinema
J. Ford
Exams period
Assessment: Handing in assignment.
Assessment: test exam in class.