Course syllabus

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                                         Well-Being Always Comes First

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Course Overview

This course investigates the historical significance of Hollywood against an international context. It begins by examining the particular form of popular cinema associated with Hollywood and the industrial structures and economic organisation that helped American cinema to become dominant both at home and internationally. The second section of the course explores Hollywood’s historical relationship to European cinema, with a focus on the role of immigrants in the development of Hollywood, American cinema’s fascination with Europe as a place, and the aesthetic influences that have occurred back and forward across the Atlantic. The third section focuses on Hollywood’s relationship to East Asian cinemas, from its influence on the development of cinema in China, through the American remaking of Japanese horror films to the South Korean film industry’s response to the Hollywood’s domination. The course concludes by considering the new global moving image economy dominated by Hollywood.

There is no central text book for the course; all the required reading materials are available on Talis. The General Library has an excellent collection of books/periodicals and strong holdings of relevant DVDs and videos. 

Aims:
Students who have completed the course are expected to

  • Better understand the conceptual and theoretical elements of Film Studies
  • Be more alert to the aesthetic elements that form the film language
  • Be better informed about the evolution of Hollywood as industry and mass medium
  • Be more aware of the world cinema’s ‘dialogues’ with Hollywood
  • Be more capable of using databases to support independent research on set topics
  • Have the ability to apply information to develop a distinctive critical voice 

Assessment
There are four assessment components for this course:

Class Presentation & Tutorial participation             (10%)
Essay 1 (2,000 words)                                             (30%)
Essay 2 (2,500 words)                                             (40%)
Canvas Online Quiz                                                 (20%)

Tutor Contact

Astrid Crosland: acro996@aucklanduni.ac.nz Office hour: 3-4pm Monday Social Sciences Building room 525

Course summary:

Date Details Due