French 320 Studies in French Cinema: French Comedies
Fall 2006, W 3-5:45pm, Kingston
Taught in English - Dr. Alain-Philippe Durand

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS
What makes the French laugh?  Why do the French like Jerry Lewis (and other comics) so much?  Why does Hollywood remake so many French comedies?  The course responds to these questions by examining the comic and humor techniques used in French cinema throughout the years.  In addition to analyzing several representative films from different periods, participants will study the cultural and historic roots of French humor and laughter through assigned readings.  Representative films and theoretical texts are used in our investigation. Therefore, the goals of this course are as follows:

1 - to present and to analyze the various comedy techniques used in French cinema throughout the twentieth century;

2 - to learn various approaches one may take to interpreting a film;

3 - to acquire the concepts and terminology necessary for communicating your ideas about cinema;

4 - to develop an awareness of the assumptions comic films make about us as viewers; to uncover the ways in which directors skillfully shape our understanding and our interpretations of a given motion picture.

The Magic of Melies, 1902-1912, 102 minutes.  DVD 874 (2 copies)
Laurel & Hardy, 1930-1933.  VHS 001485
Le Million, René Clair, 1931.  DVD 00040
Boudu sauvé des eaux [Boudu Saved From Drowning], Jean Renoir, 1932, 82 minutes.  DVD 1810 (2 copies) & VHS 1314
César, Marcel Pagnol, 1936, 168 minutes.  DVD 1808 (2 copies) & VHS 002926
The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin, 1940.  DVD 729 (2 copies) & VHS 000118
Mon Oncle [My Uncle], Jacques Tati, 1958, 116 minutes.  DVD 698 & VHS 001592
The Nutty Professor, Jerry Lewis, 1963.  VHS 001294
La Grande Vadrouille [Don't Look Now, We're Being Shot at], Gérard Oury, 1966, 132 minutes.  VHS 002833 (2 copies)
Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob [The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob], Gérard Oury, 1973, 100 minutes. DVD 1041 (3 copies)
Les Bronzés [French Fried Vacation], Patrice Leconte, 1978, 87 minutes.  VHS 002828
Trois hommes et un couffin [Three Men and a Cradle], Coline Serreau, 1985, 106 minutes.  DVD 1738 (2 copies) & VHS 000657
Gazon maudit [French Twist], Josiane Balasko, 1995, 104 minutes.  VHS 002831 (2 copies)
La vérité si je mens [Would I Lie to You?], Thomas Gilou, 1997, 100 minutes.
Le Dîner de cons [The Dinner Game], Francis Veber, 1998, 80 minutes.  DVD 000165 (3 copies) & VHS 003522

All the films above are placed on reserve at the Media Center (second floor, URI library) after their in-class screening.

*All these texts are on closed reserve at the URI Library.

METHODOLOGY
Class sessions will be devoted to watching and discussing the films and the readings.  Some of the films are watched in class; students will watch others at the Media Center (2nd floor of URI Library). There are several different ways to approach a film/text in order to find meaning in it.  Knowledge about the director/author and the time period are helpful, but are BY NO MEANS the key to understanding a work.  For this reason some information is provided on director/author and time period in class (and in the assigned readings); but the emphasis in this class will be on exchanging interpretations of films/texts with each other.  The forum for exchanging ideas will consist both of full class discussion and small group work and discussions.

GRADE
Class Preparation and Participation       20%
Midterm Exam                                            25%
Paper                                                           25%
Final Exam                                                  30%

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY SEVERAL TIMES:

Class Preparation and Participation (20%)
All students are expected to come to class prepared. This means that each student needs to come to class:
- having read, viewed the assigned work and having thought about it;
- prepared to ask and to answer questions on the assigned work;
- ready to engage in active class discussion, and participate fully in group discussions and activities. Simply showing up to every class and on time is expected but is not enough for class participation. Only frequent and active oral contributions to the class discussions will count toward the participation grade. Furthermore, a maximum of ONE absence (excused or unexcused) is allowed in this course.  After more than one absence, your participation grade will be significantly lowered as follows:
-        Two absences: maximum participation grade of C
-           Three absences: maximum participation grade of D
-           Four or more absences: 0 on participation.
Please let me know in advance when you have to miss class.
Any student who shows up late to class (after roll call at 3pm) will be allowed in class but will be counted absent. The same rule applies to students who leave the class before the end of a session. Finally, the following is not acceptable in this class: coming to class without the assigned readings (make copies of the assigned pages of the day if needed) and/or without a pen/pencil and paper; using a cell phone (making or receiving calls); reading newspapers or brochures; leaving the classroom at any time during a session; chat with classmates during class (if you have a question during class, ask the instructor, not a classmate); use working full or part-time as an excuse for not completing an assignment or for not preparing for class; scheduling interviews and appointments with advisors, doctors, etc. at class time (if an advisor or administrator on campus tries to force you in meeting at the time of this class, please report to me so that I can call that person immediately). The participation grade will be significantly lowered for any of the above. This is a demanding course. You should plan to study a minimum of two hours at home for each hour spent in class.

Midterm Exam (20%)
The comprehensive midterm exam will take place on Wednesday November 1 at 4:00-5:45pm.  Students will receive a list of questions to prepare for the midterm exam no later than October 25. Students who wish to count this course toward a French major or minor must write their midterm exam in French.
Your grade will be based on:
- Quality and accuracy of answers;
- Style, organization, and grammar.

Paper (25%)
Students will write one term paper (6-8 pages of text not including bibliography and notes), typed, double-spaced, size of letter 12, Times New Roman or similar, MLA Style. The paper is due no later than December 6 at 5pm.  Students may choose any topic and approach of interest as long as topic is approved in advance by the instructor (no later than November 22). Topic must deal with at least one of the films discussed in class.  Students are welcome to discuss various versions of the papers with the instructor. Nevertheless, absolutely no outside help (including tutors/friends, etc.) is allowed on the essay.  Students who wish to count this course toward a French major or minor must write their paper in French.  Others must write in English.  If you write in French and are not sure about your text, use a good dictionary and check with the instructor.  Your essay will receive a grade based both on content and grammar/style, although the content (how well you analyze the film or films) will be considered more important.  Your essay should show that you have analyzed the film(s) thoroughly, and have understood it, that you can apply relevant concepts and use them correctly.  There are no rewrites of papers once a grade is assigned.
Late work policy:  The instructor will not accept any work after the day it is due.  Mark your calendars NOW with the paper due date.

PLAGIARISM
Basically, plagiarism is using other's work as if it was yours.  You may not realize it, but certain practices lead others to conclude that other's works are your own.  Here are some of these practices:
1.Using someone's exact words and not putting quotation marks around them, which means the reader has no way of understanding this is not the work of the author. 2.Using someone's work and not attributing the source.
3.Paraphrasing so closely (same order of sentences, same order of paragraphs, same order of sections ), with merely a word substituted here and there. This indicates that the work is really still someone else's. The intellectual work of re-thinking the meaning wasn't done.  This is true even if the source is given. 4.Cut 'N Paste: Using parts of several people's work, which some think is original - Not!The sum of sentences from other authors doesn't make the combination original.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course.  If you have any doubt, please check with the instructor.
Source

Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me within the first week of class.  For further assistance, please contact the staff at: Disabilities Services for Students (in the Office of Student Life)
330 Memorial Union
Phone: 874-2098