ENGL 616B (1SY) - Studies in Film/Authorship

Studies in Film/Authorship

Durham Liberal Arts :: English

Online Course Delivery Method: Scheduled meeting time, Online (no campus visits), EUNH

Credits: 4.0
Term: Spring 2021 - Full Term (02/01/2021 - 05/11/2021)
Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Class Size: 25
CRN: 56106

Advanced, focused study of the narrative, dramatic, and poetic practices of cinema, within one of four possible subject areas: A) Genre; B) Authorship; C) Culture and Ideology; D) Narrative and Style. Precise issues and methods may vary, ranging from general and specific considerations of how a given subject area involves film theory, criticism, and history, to its use in diverse analyses of selected national cinemas, periods, movements, and filmmakers. May be repeated for credit barring duplication of topic. Barring duplication of material taken for credit in CMN 650, course may be repeated for credit. Detailed course descriptions available in the English department office.

Department Approval Required. Contact Academic Department for permission then register through Webcat.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated up to unlimited times.

Equivalent(s): AMST 605, ENGL 616

Only listed campus in section: Durham, Manchester

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Instructors: STAFF

Times & Locations

Start Date	End Date	Days	Time	Location
2/1/2021	5/11/2021	TR	2:10pm - 3:30pm	ONLINE

Additional Course Details:

ENGL 616B - Spring 2021

Thriller and Suspense Films

This course examines the narrative structure of the thriller made famous in the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock. How does suspense function in various thrillers following in the vein of Hitchcock and its updated versions in recent cinema? How do characters regain control and authorship in narratives that place them radically at a loss of control? Looking at sub-genres such as the spy, conspiracy, crime, legal, psychological, action, and sci-fi thriller, we will try to understand the multifaceted possibilities of thrillers to confront audiences with a sense of loss of power, of larger and mysterious forces of history determining the fate of the individual, while also assuring them of their powerful position as spectators observing protagonists engaged in uninvited conflicts and struggles for survival. We will also ask how recent thrillers accommodate the expression of identity such as class, race, gender, and nationality as well as their intersectionality. Filmmakers in addition to Hitchcock (North by Northwest) will include David Fincher (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Christopher Nolan (Memento), Stephen Frears (Dirty Pretty Things), Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt Locker), Sam Mendes (Skyfall), and Joe Wright (Hanna). No prerequisites. This course requires regular weekly use of Canvas and internet access. Streaming fees may apply as well.

In Spring 2021 the special topic of this section will be 'Thriller & Suspense Films'.