Special Topics in Film Studies
"[Like the monolith in 2001, Stanley Kubrick] was a force of supernatural intelligence, appearing at great intervals amid high-pitched shrieks, who gives the world a violent kick up the next rung of the evolutionary ladder."
David Denby
Fall 2012
ENGL 4860-01
Place: PH 308 | Time: M 600 pm
Office:
PH 372 | Office
Hours: TBA
Phone/Voice-Mail: 898-5648
Kubrick Brief Biography | Kubrick Bibliography | Kubrick Film Chapters | Kubrick on the Web | Works Adapted into Kubrick Films
The official website describes the late director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) in the following words:
Few filmmakers’ work is so instantly recognizable as that of Stanley Kubrick. Beautiful, precise composition. Elaborate tracking shots. Powerful acting. Deep, thought-provoking themes. Kubrick put his unique stamp and vision on every film he made.
Despite his relatively small output, probably no other director made great films in so many different genres, from science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey) to war films (Full Metal Jacket), historical drama (Barry Lyndon) to comedy (Dr. Strangelove), horror (The Shining) to psychosexual drama (Eyes Wide Shut).
Kubrick’s influence on the art of filmmaking is matched by only a precious few fellow giants, and his body of work will certainly continue to thrill and intrigue audiences, critics and future filmmakers for years to come.
This Special Topics in Film Studies course will be devoted entirely to an in-depth study of Kubrick's films. We will view and critique at least a dozen films and consider such subjects as auteurism, narratology, adaptation, genre, independent vs. Hollywood filmmaking, acting, cinematography. critical response.
Office: PH 372 | Office Hours: TBA | E-mail: david.lavery@gmail.com | Office Phone/Voice-Mail: 615-898-5648 | Home Page: http://davidlavery.net/
Dr. David Lavery is Professor of English at MTSU (1993- ). The author of one hundred and fifty published essays, chapters, and reviews, he is author / co-author / editor / co-editor of twenty three books, including Joss: A Creative Portrait of the Maker of the Whedonverses and The Essential Cult Television Reader. The organizer of international conferences on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Sopranos, a founding co-editor of the journals Slayage: The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies and Critical Studies in Television, he has lectured around the world on the subject of television (Australia, Turkey, the UK, Portugal, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany) and has been a guest/source for the BBC, NPR, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The New York Times, A Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazil), Publica (Portugal), Information (Netherlands), AP, The Toronto Star, USA Today. From 2006-2008, he taught at Brunel University in London.
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Alexander Walker, Ulrich Ruchti, Sybil Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Director: A Visual Analysis (required) |
Gene Phillips and Rodney Hill, The Encyclopedia of Stanley Kubrick (required) |
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence | Barry Lyndon | A Clockwork Orange | Day of the Fight | Dr. Strangelove | Eyes Wide Shut | Fear and Desire | Full Metal Jacket | Killer’s Kiss | The Killing | Lolita | Paths of Glory | The Shining | Spartacus | Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures | 2001: A Space Odyssey
Critical / Interpretive Essays: You owe me two (2) critical/interpretive essays of not less than 1,000 words in length on an individual film, or two or more considered together. These papers should be based on your careful reading and viewing (and reviewing) and need not make use of additional secondary sources in addition to the required course texts (though you are certainly not forbidden to do additional research). Essay 1: 20% Essay 2: 30% of grade. Here are some matters to keep in mind as you write:
Think of your audience as your classmates. Presume that the reader has seen the film in question.
Don't even think about writing on a film you have not seen at least twice. Take notes as you watch.
Do not (NOT) write a plot summary. Presume that the reader knows the basic plot of the movie you are writing about.
Do not write a review. Your purpose in these essays is to make sense of the movie you are writing on, not to critique it.
Be sure to have a title that actually tells a reader about your subject. Your title is the first step in establishing your thesis. Do not put your own title in quotes or in italics. (If your title contains a title of a film, however, be sure to put it in italics.)
Be sure to narrow and focus your topic.
Since you are writing about a film your reader has already seen, your purpose is, as an "expert" on the film (or at least one who has paid careful attention to it), to enhance its meaning for your reader by analyzing/interpreting some aspect of it.
Use specific examples from the film(s) in question to illustrate your points. Avoid vague generalizations.
Like any good essay you will need to have a thesis: a commitment/contract (usually at the end of the introduction, usually expressed in a sentence or two) in which you inform your reader what you will accomplish in the essay about to be read.
The events in the film itself should be talked about in present tense, as if they are still going on. Thus "Alex loves 'ultra-violence' almost as much as he loves Beethoven" not "Alex loved 'ultra-violence' almost as much as he loved Beethoven."
Proofread/edit carefully. Peter Elbow once said that submitting an essay to a teacher full of errors is the equivalent of throwing dirty socks in your mother's face and commanding "Wash these!" If you make me wash your socks, I will not be happy and will respond appropriately.
The name of a movie should be in italics or underlined: A Clockwork Orange, not "A Clockwork Orange."
In the box on my office door (Peck Hall 100C), you will find two photocopies of an excellent chapter ("Writing College Papers about Film") from Thomas and Vivian C. Sobchack's An Introduction to Film (Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1987): 422-65. If you are uncertain about how to write a paper about film, please consult it. When you are done with the photocopy, please return it to the box so others may use it.
Here is a partial list of topics you might write on for the film(s) you have chosen as your subject:
A.I. as a Kubrick Film | acting | adaptation | art direction | auteurism | censorship | characterization/character | cinematography | collaborators | color | direction | documentary technique | editing | film noir | genre | Hollywood style | humor | lighting | mise-en-scene | music | narration/voice-over | narrative technique | plot | science fiction | screenplays | set design | setting | sexuality/homosexuality | sound | special effects | structure | technology | the critics | violence | war | women
Final Exam: A take-home exam, consisting of a menu of topics, from which you will select two, responding with essay answers. These topics will all be "leading questions," intended to inspire your own comprehensive synthesis of course ideas, questions, problems. 20% of grade.
Viewing Journal: You owe me an entry--at least 300 words in length--on each week's film. You may feel free to write about any aspect of the film that interests you, or you may just write a review. To be submitted at the end of the semester. Feel free to submit a trial entry or two to me to see if you are doing it right. In assessing your work, I will be paying more attention to your insights than to your mechanics/style/organization, etc, though you should make every effort to write well. Demonstrate for me that you have watched intelligently and carefully, and you will be rewarded. 20% of grade.
Class Participation: May include scores on quizzes. 10% of grade.
Course Policies and Procedures
Class format: We will follow a lecture / discussion format during most class meetings.
Manuscript form: All written assignments must be word-processed (one side only, double spaced). Please be sure to carefully edit and proofread your own work. Do not simply rely on your computer's spell checker. (Go here to read a poem that demonstrates the untrustworthiness of spell checkers.) You may submit your assignments via e-mail if you like. Send them as attachments in Microsoft Word or as .rtf files (Rich Text Files).
Essay Evaluation: I will evaluate your essays using a grading scale which can be found here.
Reading assignments: You are responsible for having read the entirety of each assignment, including the editor's introduction to each work we are studying.
Participation & involvement: Please come prepared for each day’s class. I encourage you to become an active participant in class discussion and to ask constructive and meaningful questions at all times--even when I appear to be "lecturing." Please do not save your best questions / comments for after class, as students so often do.
Viewing Films: Viewing films is a proverbial problem in film classes. We will be meeting for 2 hours and 40 minutes each weak (160 minutes). If a film over two hours in length is screened in class, we will have no time for discussion. Seven of Kubrick's films exceed 130 minutes in length (in fact three exceed 150 minutes).
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Film |
Length in Minutes |
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142 |
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67 |
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85 |
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87 |
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198 |
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152 |
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93 |
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139 |
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137 |
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184 |
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141 |
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116 |
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159 |
Consequently, we will screen Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, and Paths of Glory, and 2001: A Space Odyssey (over two class meetings) in their entirety in class, but from that point on we will only watch selected clips from each film. I will assume you have screened the film prior to class and will come ready to talk about it.
Attendance: Regular attendance is essential to the ongoing progress of the course. Two absences will be permitted. A third absence may result in the loss of a letter grade. A fourth absence may result in failure of the course.
Inclement Weather Policy: The University’s snow policy include these two statements: “1. Except in those instances when the University is closed, faculty will be expected to meet their classes. 2. Faculty should plan to cope with inclement weather conditions in such a fashion as to be able to hold scheduled classes when the University is open.” I will follow this policy to the letter and do my very best to be here for class whenever the University is open.
Plagiarism / Cheating: The unacknowledged use of the words/ideas/ insights/ original research of another is, of course, prohibited. Do not assume that, like prominent historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Stephen Ambrose, you may plagiarize without fear of punishment. Should I catch you plagiarizing, or cheating in any way, you will receive a grade of "0" on the assignment in question, the violation may be reported to University authorities, and you may fail the course.
Students with Disabilities: Any student with a disability will be given all the rights and privileges guaranteed under the Americans with Disabilities Act if he/she is registered with Disabled Student Services (call/contact John Harris, KUC 120/2783).
University Writing Center: The University Writing Center, sponsored by the English Department and staffed by full-time and adjunct faculty and graduate teaching assistants, is located in the Walker Library. At the UWC you can get constructive help with a variety of writing problems, from pre-writing to organization to grammatical errors. (Please be aware, however, that the UWC does not do proofreading.)
Grading Scale: 90-99%=A | 80-89%=B | 70-79%=C | 60-69%=D | 0-59%=F
Week 1 | 8/27/2012 | Introduction to the Course, The Auteur Theory | "The Movie Artist" | "Creative Work: on the Method of Howard Gruber" | Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001) screened in class
9/3/12: Labor Day (No Class)
Week 2 | 9/10/12 | Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (continued) screened in class | SKD 7-65 | Interview with Steven Spielberg (from Eyes Wide Shut DVD) | Power Point
Week 3 | 9/17/12 | Killer’s Kiss (1955) screened in class | Power Point
Week 4 | 9/24/12 | The Killing (1956) screened in class | Power Point
Week 5 | 10/1/12 | Paths of Glory (1957) screened in class | SKD 66-113 | Power Point
Week 6 | 10/8/12 | Spartacus (1960) | Power Point
10/15/12: Fall Break (No Class)
Week 7 | 10/22/12 | Lolita (1962) | Power Point
Week 8 | 10/29/12 | Dr. Strangelove (1964) | SKD 115-61 | Power Point | Essay One Due
Week 9 | 11/5/12 | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | SKD 162-95 | Power Point
Week 10 | 11/12/12 | A Clockwork Orange (1971) | SKD 196-223 | Power Point
Week 11 | 11/19/12 | Barry Lyndon (1975) | SKD 234-67 | Power Point
Week 12 | 11/26/12 | The Shining (1980) | SKD 268-313 | Power Point
Week 13 | 12/3/12 | Full Metal Jacket (1987) | SKD 314-43 | Power Point
Week 14 | 12/10/12 | Eyes Wide Shut (2001) | SKD 344-58 | Power Point
