Cinema 125 Women in Film Dr. Donna Davidson-Symonds Office: M312 Ext. 3380 Email-davidson1@earthlink.net Hours: M 2-4, TTh 9:30-10:45, W 5-6 Textbooks: A Woman's View - How Hollywood Spoke to Women -1930-1960, Jeanine Basinger From Reverence to Rape - Molly Haskell Assignments: 1. Reading. Students are expected to complete reading assignments before coming to class. 2. Film Journal. Each student is expected to watch at least ten full length feature films during the semester and keep a journal of the pertinent information such as name of the film, major stars, director, year the film was made. Your analysis should be at least 500-750 words and discuss the topics in our text books. 3. Reaction papers. For each film that we view in class, you will fill out the reaction paper that you receive and submit the paper the following week. 4. Group reports. Reports will be assigned and given orally to the class on February 24 and in writing to me on that day. The report is worth 50 points. You group will certify that you have participated. You will receive full credit if the report is completed or zero if the report is not completed. 5. Midterm. There will be a midterm exam of approximately 1 hour given during the first half of the class on March 24 . The exam will cover assigned reading and films that we have seen in class. 6. Final Exam. The two-hour final will be given on May 19 at 11 a.m. It will be comprehensive; that is, it will cover the whole course. 7. Discussion. Extra credit will be given to students who actively participate in classroom discussion. Determination of Grade. Reaction papers 100 points Journal 100 points Group Assignments 50 points Midterm 100 points Final 150 points Total Grade 500 points Motivation. For the next sixteen weeks we will spend at least three hours a week together studying, discussing and experiencing film. You, I hope, will spend time reading and thinking about film, perhaps even startling your friends and family with unexpected observations about your readings and film viewings. In other words, this class will require some serious effort on my part and your part. If you are willing to make that effort, the class should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. But if you have doubts about your willingness to make that effort, you would be better off dropping the class now. If you have doubts about your ability to do the work, relax: most students soon find that they can handle this class without serious difficulty. Read these pages carefully; they represent a sort of "contract" between us. Absent or Late. If you miss class, you are responsible for making up the work. If you miss a viewing of a film in class, you will have to watch it on your own time. If you miss more than two classes, it is unlikely that you will pass the class. I will drop you if the absences are before the drop deadline. Course Objectives. By the end of the course, the student will be able to: --Discuss film as an entertainment medium and its impact as such on female and male audiences. --Describe film as a social tool used by industry, government, and educational institutions. --Evaluate film as an art form and make independent, critical judgments of the films viewed emphasizing the response to how the film view women and their relationships to society and to other women. --Evaluate the film messages that film conveys regarding women. --Discuss the exaggerations that film make about women. --Discuss the concept of the "the women's film". --Discuss in oral discussion and written essay the theme and purpose o film, its standard fictional and dramatic elements, visual elements, sound effects and dialogue, the musical score, acting and the director's style. --Analyze the film as a technical achievement, as a showcase for the actor, as a product of a single creative mind, as a moral, philosophical, or social statement, and as an emotional or sensual statement. Office Hours. You can drop in or make an appointment. If you're having problems with the reading or the assignment, if you have questions you can't get answered in class, or if you just want to talk about what we are doing, take advantage of office hours or call and leave a message. H.I.T.E Project If you want to complete a H.I.T.E. project, you must present your thesis to me by April 7th. It must include your topic, thesis statement, bibliography which includes at least five sources, and a list of the three films that you will view in support of our thesis.. H.I.T.E. essays are due on May 5. Date Assignments 1/17 Introduction, The Big Lie The Genre 2/3 The Woman Herself 2/10 Duality 2/17 No Class - papers due 2/19 2/24 Reports due** Fashion and Glamour 3/3 The Stars Who Play Her 3/10 Ways of Seeing Her 3/17 The Woman's World 3/24 Men 3/31 Spring Break 4/7 Marriage 4/14 Motherhood 4/21 The Woman in the Man's World 4/28 Proof: Kitty,and Angie and Janet 5/5 5/12 5/19 Final Exam From Reverence to Rape, The 20's, The 30's. The Women's Film, The Forties, The Fifties, The Europeans, The Sixties, The Age of Ambivalence.