Last Installment of Syllabus!!

Wow, the end of the semester is already upon us!! There's so much that I'd still want to cover with ya'll... but here's what we've got time left to do!

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “History is written by the victors.” - Winston Churchill

April 11 - WAR & CINEMA, PART I
Reading Assignment - American Cinema, American Culture, Chap. 9; Propaganda (fyi...)

In-Class Viewing

• Finish Hotel Rwanda


• Sixth Media That Matters Film Festival: "In Transit" & "Eyes on the Fair Use of the Prize"


• Introduction to Walt Disney: On the Front Lines


• Der Fuehrer's Face (1942)


• Introduction to Victory through Air Power (1943)


• Victory through Air Power trailer


• Duck Soup (1933)


• Why We Fight: War Comes to America (1943-1945)

"This is Frank Capra's classic first installment from the seven film series entitled, 'Why We Fight.' It is a masterpiece of US propaganda, shown first to soldiers, later to the US public, and eventually to our allies (including the Soviet Union). With dramatic narration and musical score, it drives home the point that "Our World, the free world" must fight "That other world." Capra's idea was to use the film archives of Japanese, German, and Italian propagandists against them with, of course, careful editing and translating." (imdb)

"Walter Huston's grandfatherly voice is used effectively to narrate most of the film with a deftly written script. In the hands of a lesser film maker, the materials presented here would be nothing but propaganda on the level used by Hitler. But Capra stirs the spirit at the same time that he is making his point -- namely, freedom is not something that can be taken for granted. Capra skillfully makes his point that if free people don't stand up for themselves, they will likely be crushed by all the darker elements in human nature -- greed, lust for power, and tyranny." (imdb)

April 18 - WAR & CINEMA, PART II

Reading Assignment - American Cinema, American Culture, Chap. 13

Also, don't forget to bring your brief analysis of one of the films from 4/11 as 1) its role in the history of cinema; 2) as a primary source; and 3) as a secondary source.

In-Class Viewing -

• The Legacy: Covering the Vietnam War


• Apocalypse Now (1979)


• Stop That Tank


• Saving Private Ryan (1998) (For more info... See D-Day FAQs)


• Fog of War (2003) (Clip and Official Website)


• The Sixth Media That Matters Film Fest - "Night Visions"

April 25 - THE COLD WAR & FILM

Reading Assignment - American Cinema, American Culture, Chap. 12

In-Class Viewing

• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1953)


• Dr. Strangelove (1964)


• Manchurian Candidate (1962)


• What To Do In A Zombie Attack (2006)

May 2 - Da Vinci Code

Reading Assignment - Da Vinci Code

In-Class Viewing

• Da Vinci Code (2006)