French 320C Studies in French Cinema
Survey of French Cinema
Summer 2006 (second session), MW 10am-1:45pm, Kingston
Taught in English* - Dr. Alain-Philippe Durand

*Students who wish to count this course toward a French major or minor will write exams and term paper in French; other students will work in English. This course counts toward the Film Media Major/Minor.

FILMOGRAPHY (All films on VHS or DVD with English subtitles)
René Clair,  A nous la liberté (1931) DVD 000588
Jean Renoir, La Règle du jeu [The Rules of the Game] (1939)  DVD 000929
François Truffaut, Les 400 coups [Four Hundred Blows] (1959)  DVD 00392 & VHS 000265
Jean-Luc Godard, A bout de souffle [Breathless] (1960)  DVD000437
Louis Malle, Au Revoir les Enfants [Good-Bye Children] (1987)  DVD 001760
Jean-Jacques Beinex, 37,2 le matin [Betty Blue] (1987) 
Claire Denis, Chocolat (1988)  VHS 003147 & DVD 000177
Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain [Amélie] (2001) DVD 000479

PLEASE NOTE: Some of the films include violent and explicit sexual scenes and/or nudity.
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS

This course is a survey of the French speaking Cinema from the 1930s to the 2000s.  It gives an overview of the main genres and directors in France.  In addition to viewing required films in class, students will also read some of the most important texts dealing with French film and film theory.  Therefore, the goals of this course are as follows:
1 - to acquaint the students with some of the major film figures, movements, and theories in France since the 1930s;
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 films of any kind make about us as viewers; to uncover the ways in which directors and authors skillfully shape our understanding and our interpretations of a given motion picture.

METHODOLOGY
Class sessions will be devoted to watching and discussing the films and the readings.  The course follows a chronological order. 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%
Paper                                                          35%
Final Exam                                                 45%

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 10am) 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.

Paper (35%)
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 July 27 at 5pm.  Students may choose any topic and approach of interest as long as topic is approved in advance by the instructor. 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.

Final Exam (45%)
The 3-hour comprehensive final exam will take place in class on Wednesday July 26.  Students will receive a list of questions to prepare for the final exam no later than Monday July 24. Students who wish to count this course toward a French major or minor must write their final exam in French.
Your grade will be based on:
- Quality and accuracy of answers;
- Style, organization, and grammar.

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