English 3321 - Film and Literature
TR 9:30-10:45 AM, Spring 2002
CI 106
Instructor: Dr. Janis Haswell
Office: Faculty Center #277
Phone: 825-5981
E-Mail: jhaswell@falcon.tamucc.edu
Office Hours: MW 9:00-11:00-noon, TR 11:00AM-1:00PM
Home page: hppt://www.tamucc.edu/~jhaswell
English 3321 works from the premise that films are narratives with all the basic elements of literature, that they have meanings that can be examined and discussed using the same methods we use to talk about literature. Students will examine and evaluate films from various genres while considering the relationship between films and the literary works they are based on or influenced by. Prerequisite: English 1302.
Course Objectives: Students will be able to:
• understand that film and texts are both forms of storytelling, reflecting and illuminating human experiences, motives, conflicts, and values, and employing symbolism, allegory and myth.
• comprehend verbal and visual representations on literal, implied, and symbolic levels.
• identify the point of view and tone of a text and of a film.
• make critical judgments about textual and visual stories, including separating fact from opinion, recognizing propaganda, stereotypes and statements of bias, recognizing inconsistencies, and judging the validity of evidence and the sufficiency of support.
• develop an appreciation for cultural diversity and cultural literacy through their viewing of selected films and literary works.
Theory:
Corrigan, Timothy. Film and Literature: An Introduction and Reader
Fiction and Drama:
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Isak Dinesen: "Babette's Feast"
Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate
Stephen King: The Shining
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Book
Michael Oondantje: The English Patient
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire
Recommended Texts:
Monaco, James. How to Read a Film
Dick, Bernard F. Anatomy of Film.
Films:
Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987)
Bladerunner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios, 1967)
Like Water for Chocolate, (Alfonso Arau,1993)
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951)
Daily work and presentations: 20% of the final grade. As a course designed around discussions, your attendance and preparation will play a crucial role in the quality of our class work and in the success of the course. Be prepared to participate in a variety of ways: short biographical reports on authors and directors, occasional in-class writing, small group work, taking charge of a portion of discussion, etc. You will be awarded points for your work that, at the end of the semester, will be totaled and then curved into a letter grade.
0 points - you weren't here and we missed you 1 point - you were in class but unprepared 2 points - you wrote or spoke in a way that demonstrated you had read the material 3 points - you wrote or spoke in a way that demonstrated you had read and thought about the material 4 points - you wrote or spoke in a profound way about the material
Short Studies (3): 15% each for 45% of final grade. Each of these short essays (3-5 pages) will address one of the genre dyads in the syllabus. You will be expected to draw from the literary text, the film, and whatever theory from Corrigan that proves helpful. You will be graded on
• a thesis or position that informs the entire paper and helps shape other features
like organization, kinds of support/evidence, etc.
• critical and reflective capabilities in analysis and commentary on the primary sources (film and novel). In addition, you might find it helpful to research book reviews of the novel/play and film reviews of the movie.
• audience awareness and rhetorical strategies (what does your reader know? What kind of persuasive tactics would be most appropriate?).
• a logical flow to ideas, unified paragraphs, and effective transitions between paragraphs.
• effective incorporation of research materials.
• correct documentation and adequate citation (MLA).
• demonstrated mastery of revision and editing skills (few if any surface errors).
The Individual Project: (35% of the final grade). Students will demonstrate and apply the skills developed through course material. Selecting from the list below, you will analysis the links between text and film, provide historical and cultural context as needed, apply your understanding of techniques (genre, narrative, point of view, and symbolism) and reflect upon the complementary and unique features of film and literary texts. Begin with this list of options:
Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979) or Citizan Kane (Orson Wells, 1941)
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness
A Room with a View (James Ivory, 1986)
Forster, E. M. A Room with a View
The Sweet Hereafter (Atom Egoyan, 1997)
Banks, Russell. The Sweet Hereafter
Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee, 1995)
Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility
Snow Falling on Cedars (Scott Hicks, 2000)
Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Michael Hoffman, 1999)
Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman, 1975)
Kesey, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Dead (John Huston, 1987)
Joyce, James, "The Dead"
The Color Purple (Steven Spielberg 1985)
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.
Women in Love (Ken Russell 1970)
Lawrence, D. H. Women in Love.
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein.
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (John Madden 2001)
De Bernières, Louis. Corelli’s Mandolin.
Week #1: (January 14-18)
Tuesday: Introduction to the course: John Berger and Ways of Seeing
Thursday: Animated film
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Book, pp. 1-30
The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios, 1967)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch. 8: Genres and Other Assumptions, pp. 89-94)
Week #2: Comedy (January 22-25)
Tuesday: Animated film
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Book, pp. 31-69
The Jungle Book (Walt Disney Studios, 1967)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch. 7: Themes, Narratives, and Elements of Style, pp. 79-88)
Thursday: Animated film
Rudyard Kipling: The Jungle Book, pp. 70-98
Week #3: Drama Jan 28-Feb 1)
Tuesday: Horror
Stephen King, The Shining, Ch 1-10
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch 1: The Prehistory of Film and Literature, pp. 7-14)
Thursdays: Horror
Stephen King, The Shining, Ch 11-18
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Week #4: Drama (February 4-8)
Tuesday: Horror
Stephen King, The Shining, Ch 19-32
The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
Corrigan: Film and Literature Ch. 2: Filming Literature, pp. 15-25)
Thursday: Horror
Stephen King, The Shining, Ch 33-45
Week #5: Drama (February 11-15)
Tuesday: Horror
Stephen King, The Shining, Ch 46-end
Thursday: Romance
Isak Dinesen: "Babette's Feast," pp. 23-38
Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987)
Week #6: Drama (February 18-22)
Tuesday: Romance
Isak Dinesen: "Babette's Feast," pp. 38-54
Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch. 3: Testing and Expanding the Value of Film and Literature, pp. 26-38)
Thursday: Romance
Isak Dinesen: "Babette's Feast," pp. 54-68
Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987)
Week #7: Drama (February 25-March 1)
Tuesday: Realism
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch 4: Pens, Pulp, and the Crisis of the Word, pp. 39-53)
Thursday: Realism
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951)
Week #8: Drama (March 4-8)
Tuesday: Realism
Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire, pp.
A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch 5: Academic Cinema, pp. 55-66)
Thursday: Realism
A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan, 1951)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Jordan, 1996)
Week #8: Drama (March 11-15
Tuesday: Science Fiction
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. 1-53
Bladerunner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch 6: Books and Movies as Multimedia, pp. 67-76)
Thursday: Science Fiction
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. 54-105
Bladerunner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
Week #9: Spring Break
Week #10: Drama (March 25-29)
Tuesday: Science Fiction
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. 106-160
Bladerunner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
Corrigan: Film and Literature (Ch 6: Books and Movies as Multimedia, pp. 67-76)
Thursday: Science Fiction
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. 161-end
Week #11: Drama (April 1-5)
Tuesday: Postmodern Realism
Michael Oondantje: The English Patient, pp. 3-60
The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
Corrigan: Film and Literature ("The Script" pp. 148-57)
Thursday: Postmodern Realism
Michael Oondantje: The English Patient, pp. 61-123
The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
Week #12: Drama (April 8-12)
Tuesday: Postmodern Realism
Michael Oondantje: The English Patient, pp. 124-178
The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
Corrigan: Film and Literature ("Limits of the Novel and Limits of the Film," pp. 197-212)
Thursday: Postmodern Realism
Michael Oondantje: The English Patient, pp. 181-242
The English Patient (Anthony Minghella, 1996)
Week #13: Drama (April 15-19)
Tuesday: Postmodern Realism
Michael Oondantje: The English Patient, pp. 242-302
Corrigan: Film and Literature ("Acting: Stage vs. Screen," pp. 246-60)
Thursday: Magic Realism
Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 5-60
Like Water for Chocolate, (Alfonso Arau, 1993)
Week #14: Drama (April 22-26)
Tuesday: Magic Realism
Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 61-118
Like Water for Chocolate, (Alfonso Arau, 1993)
Corrigan: Film and Literature("Readership and Spectatorship," pp. 273-84)
Thursday: Magic Realism
Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 125-181
Like Water for Chocolate, (Alfonso Arau, 1993)
Week: #15: Reports on Projects (April 29-May 3)
Tuesday: Magic Realism
Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate, pp. 187-246
Corrigan: Film and Literature ("Totally Clueless? Shakespeare Goes Hollywood," pp. 340-53)
Thursday: Peer review of paper drafts; course evaluations
Independent projects due: day and time of final examination