World Film History to 1945

This course surveys the history of world film from cinema's precursors to 1945. We will develop methods for analyzing film while examining the growth of film as an art, an industry, a technology, and a political instrument. Topics include the emergence of film technology and early film audiences, the rise of narrative film and birth of Hollywood, national film industries and movements, African-American independent film, the emergence of the genre film (the western, film noir, and romantic comedies), ethnographic and documentary film, animated films, censorship, the MPPDA and Hays Code, and the introduction of sound. We will conclude with the transformation of several film industries into propaganda tools during World War II (including the Nazi, Soviet, and US film industries). In addition to contemporary theories that investigate the development of cinema and visual culture during the first half of the 20th century, we will read key texts that contributed to the emergence of film theory. There are no prerequisites. Students are required to attend screenings or watch films on their own.
The course will mostly operate in an asynchronous mode. We will have only two synchronous meetings, on May 29th and July 3rd. Students who are unable to attend these sessions should access the recording on Canvas. The class will consist of 8 modules that students must complete on time (2 per week, except for the week of June 19th). Each module will contain films to watch, materials to read, an asynchronous introduction of about 1 hour, and a planned assignment. Students must submit the assignment on time. These 8 activities pack will constitute their grade.