DESCRIPTION:

Relying on recent philosophical theories of film, this course explores two basic questions: "What are films for?" and "How do they accomplish this purpose?" The first question raises social, political, and moral problems; the second question examines the medium of film vis-à-vis the psychology of spectatorship. Answering these two questions will raise a variety of contemporary issues with theological and philosophical implications, including film as a `transcription of the world', ideological criticism of film, spectator response theory, film and emotion, and film as a `mass art'.

The course will address questions and topics central to the encounter of Christian faith and secular film. This includes, first, increasing our skills as critical readers of film in order to properly respond to the moral, cultural, and political themes of films and their influence on contemporary society, and, second, reflecting on such philosophical and theological questions as the relationship between morality and faith, the nature of the person, and `God's yes to creation'. The goal is to articulate a sophisticated conceptual model with useful pragmatic consequences for local ministry.

The course will meet weekly for three hours. Class time will be divided between interactive lecture, careful exploration of the course material, and discussion of each week's film. (Films must be viewed prior to attending the course, though typically short segments of films will also be viewed in class.) Students are encouraged to bring the assigned reading with them to class.

Bordwell, David and Noel Carroll. Post-Theory: Reconstructing Film Studies. University of Wisconsin Press, 1996.

Carroll, Noel. A Philosophy of Mass Art, Oxford University Press, 1997.

Cavell, Stanley. The World Viewed. Harvard University Press, 1990.

Nadel, Alan. Flatlining on the Field of Dreams. Rutgers University Press, 1997.

Reader available in the bookstore.

Films to be viewed by students outside of class: The Gold Rush, Duck Soup, It Happened One Night, Grand Illusion, Triumph of the Will, Rashomon, Vertigo, Through a Glass Darkly, Singin' in the Rain, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and Monsoon Wedding.

1. Viewing films and journaling responses (20%).

2. Ten 2-3 page papers, due weekly, will be assigned. Topic for the paper will be given at the end of class each week and will combine course lecture, reading material, and film analysis. Eight of the ten assignments are required (10% each = 80% total).

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Elective; meets M.A.C.L. in Integrative Studies interdisciplinary requirement (IDPL).

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