European Cinemas: Art, Industry, Entertainment
| Module title | European Cinemas: Art, Industry, Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Module code | EAF2512 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Fiona Handyside (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 32 |
|---|
Module description
This is a module that introduces you to the diverse and complex production, distribution, and exhibition histories of European cinemas. We will study some of European cinema’s most famous films, made by world-renowned auteur directors and we will ask how and why these films are so important for the image of European cinema as art cinema. We will also think about how European cinema is an industry and a form of entertainment. We will see how European cinema is a counterweight to Hollywood, and how it both struggles against, and thrives alongside, its great cinematic rival.
Module aims - intentions of the module
On this module you will study European cinema from 1960 to the present day. A wide range of major European film producing countries will be examined, including France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Some of the most significant and important films ever made will be covered, with the module examining critically how cinema comes to be understood as ‘art’ the equal of painting and literature in this model. European cinema also aims to offer entertainment to domestic and international audiences. Various EU policy initiatives and film festivals held in Europe seek to provide it with a firm industrial footing. This module aims to analyse how successfully or otherwise European cinema navigates between its status as art, entertainment, and creative industry.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Appreciate of the critical debates around European cinema and its status as art, entertainment, and industry
- 2. Analyse film texts using appropriate formal and critical terminologies
- 3. Connect at an advanced level the formal analysis of film to the broader conceptual questions raised by the module
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate autonomous skills in the research and evaluation of relevant critical and historical materials for the study of film
- 5. Understand and analyse relevant theoretical ideas, and apply these ideas to films
- 6. Analyse films of different origins at a sophisticated and intellectually mature level
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Through essay-writing and other assignments, demonstrate research and bibliographic skills, an advanced and intellectually mature capacity to construct a coherent, substantiated argument and to write clear and correct prose
- 8. Through research and essay writing demonstrate an advanced and intellectually mature capacity to question assumptions, to distinguish between fact and opinion, and to critically reflect on your own learning process
- 9. Through the planning and organisation of research projects, demonstrate independence of thought and confidence in developing ideas and formulating questions
- 10. Through responses to constructive feedback, demonstrate an advanced and intellectually mature ability to reflect upon and strengthen your work
Syllabus plan
The module surveys the history of European cinema from c.1960 to the present day. It takes a topic-based approach, first exploring European cinema’s status as art cinema, and its negotiation with Hollywood cinema; second examining how European cinema is financed, and the importance of film festivals; and lastly through considering European stars and stardom. It looks at major trends, exemplary films, and the industrial, creative, and cultural contexts that shape them.
All films selected for study will be subtitled in English.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 57.5 | 323.5 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 16.5 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 30 | Film viewing |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 11 | Seminars either online or face to face |
| Guided Independent Study | 100.5 | Essay research and preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 66 | Seminar preparation (individual) |
| Guided Independent Study | 66 | ELE Forum activities and preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forum activities | Mini essays of 500 words posted to Forum in week 2-3 | 1-10 | In Forum |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequence analysis | 30 | 1500 words | 1-10 | Written feedback sheet |
| Essay | 70 | 3000 words | 1-10 | Oral |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequence analysis | Sequence analysis | 1-10 | Referral/deferral period |
| Essay | Essay | 1-10 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Indicative Viewing
- 81/2 (Fellini, 1962)
- Wild Strawberries (Bergman, 1959)
- Fear eats the Soul (Fassbinder, 1974)
- A bout de souffle (Godard, 1959)
- Vagabond (Varda, 1985)
- Diva (Beineix, 1981)
- Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown (Almodovar, 1988)
- Joyeux Noel (Carrion, 2005):
A digitised reading list will be available on ELE, Readings will be taken from texts including the following:
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 01/05/2018 |
| Last revision date | 04/08/2020 |
