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| Unit name |
Genre, Stardom and Entertainment in French Cinema |
| Unit code |
FREN20049 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
I/5
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
|
| Unit director |
Dr. Nick Rees-Roberts |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
Department of French |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Arts |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit aims to introduce students to the history of French cinema through critical study of the different genres that compose it and of the film stars that have shaped French popular culture through the latter stages of the 20th century and the early part of the 21st century. The unit will focus specifically on the formation of a popular French screen and entertainment culture through coverage of a body of film texts drawn from different genres and modes of filmmaking, including comedies, musicals, crime thrillers, teen movies, social realist films, and documentaries. Through the close study of particular genres, the unit will address issues of representation and reception, such as identity (gender, class, ethnicity), the construction of popular cultural forms, and the historical relationship between audiences and stars. Attention will also be paid to the economic workings and socio-historical background of the French film industry, in both its national and global/transnational contexts
Unit aims:
- To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to Year 2 UG level.
- To provide a thorough coverage of historical and theoretical approaches to the study of French cinema through the study of popular culture, entertainment, genres and stars.
- To expose students to a broad range of film representations from the mid-20th century to the present day through textual analysis and critical study of 8-10 key films.
- To explore the theoretical writings in English and French on film genres, stars and popular culture and to establish a dialogue between theories of film form, aesthetics and style, and theories of identity, spectatorship and reception.
- To facilitate students’ engagement with both close textual reading and broader critical analysis of secondary material.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key issues arising from their study of French film history and theory, and popular culture
- Respond in a rigorous and analytical manner to the issues/debates raised by the unit and be capable of critically interrogating them
- Demonstrate critical awareness of theoretical scholarship in the field of study and to be able to express this in both oral and written form
- Carry out independent research inquiry appropriate to this level of study and with a sense of the consolidation of skills between levels of study in the building of the degree programme
- Compare and contrast the construction of stars and genres in a wide range of film, and cultural and historical contexts
- Engage in close analysis of the film texts
Teaching Information
1 plenary hour (Lecture)
1 parallel seminar group
Assessment Information
1 sequence analysis, 1500 words (25%), testing ILOs 1-4, 6
1 extended comparative essay, of 2500 words (75%), testing ILOs 1-6
Reading and References
- Phil Powrie and Keith Reader, French Cinema: A Student's Guide, Arnold Press: London, 2002.
- Susan Hayward, French National Cinema, (second edition), Routledge: London, 2005.
- Susan Hayward and Ginette Vincendeau (eds.), French Film: Texts and Contexts, Routledge: London, 1990.
