Course Title: Cinema & Society - NOTE:  CMN 455 pre-requisite has been removed from the course.  Freshmen may take this course. This analysis course will introduce students to the study of film as a distinct medium. The first half of the course will cover the fundamental units of film language (narrative form, mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound), and the relationship between film form, expression, and meaning. With this solid foundation, we will then attend to the complex interplay between cinema and social context. The second half of the semester will thus cover film ideology, stardom and celebrity, the film industry, national/international/transnational cinemas, and other relevant topics. In addition to twice-weekly lectures and discussions, students will watch one film together per week during a separate, mandatory screening block. Throughout the semester, students will be exposed to films from a variety of genres, in a variety of forms (narrative, documentary, avant garde), from diverse social, cultural, and historical milieus.