Film: History, Theory, Analysis
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 10
- Teaching semesters Spring
- Course code
- MEVI123
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
- Reading list
Course description
Objectives and Content
The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to moving image culture and to the history of cinema in particular - its key stages/modes/forms, aesthetic innovations, concepts, discourses, movements, and genres. Furnishing the students with a comprehensive analytical vocabulary, the course covers subjects such as early film, classic Hollywood cinema and the studio system, art and world cinemas, documentary, and modern or contemporary film. While the course introduces the students to the basic language of cinema, it also focuses on a revolving array of key topics pertinent throughout its history. Some of these themes might be formal paradigms such as German Expressionism, Italian Neorealism, the French New Wave, or New American Cinema. Others might be more conceptual, such as the problem of the image, the frame, or the gaze. Other topics covered could be film and politics, gender and sexual identity, race and ethnicity, violence and transgression, and censorship. The aesthetics of film will also be contextualized with reference to social, cultural, institutional, and technological frameworks.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will have achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence.
Knowledge
The student...
- has knowledge of moving image culture and the history and aesthetics of cinema
- has knowledge of the different stages, modes, practices, discourses, and concepts in film studies
Skills
The student...
- can reflect upon the connections between the art of cinema and its institutional, cultural, and technological conditions
- can analyze critically the form, content and meaning of any given film, genre, or aesthetic practice
- can engage in critical discussions about cinema through oral and written presentations
General competence
The student...
- can apply central historical and theoretical knowledge in the analysis of moving image texts and be able to present this in an independent written work
- can use libraries, databases, and other sources of information to find relevant information related to a project, and to stay updated on relevant literature
ECTS Credits
10
Level of Study
Bachelor
Semester of Instruction
Spring
Required Previous Knowledge
None
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
MEVI103 (10 credits) and the previous meditevitenskap grunnfag (MEVIG, 10 credits)
Access to the Course
The course is open for students at the University of Bergen
Teaching and learning methods
The course offers lectures, workshops, and film screenings.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Approved workshop assignments. The assignments may be oral or written and may include media production work.
There is no time limit for approved work requirements.
Forms of Assessment
A 6-hour school exam.
The exam will be given in the language in which the course is taught.
The exam can be submitted in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
Grading Scale
A-F
Assessment Semester
Assessment in teaching semester and the following semester.
Reading List
The reading list will be ready before 1 July for the autumn semester and 1 Decemeber for the spring semester.
Course Evaluation
All courses are evaluated according to UiB's system for quality assurance of education.
Examination Support Material
Dictionary preapproved by the Faculty
Programme Committee
The Programme Committee is responsible for the content, structure and quality of the study programme and courses.
Course Administrator
Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences has the administrative responsibility for the course and the study programme.