Humanities 111
Office hours: 10:20-11:20 (Mondays & Wednesdays), 11:30-12:30 (Tuesdays & Thursdays), and by appointment.

(408) 848-4710

grichards@gavilan.edu

After watching an assigned movie, you will go to our class Forum, read my prompt on the movie (and possibly some of your classmates’ responses), and write a well-thought-out, well-written film response, which should be a minimum of two full pages (more than 700 words).  In addition to writing your response, you will also have to write at least two brief reactions to other student movie responses.  You’ll post your responses and reactions on the class Forum page anytime during the week.  The deadlines are at midnight on Sunday.  We’ll watch 14 films this semester, but your Forum grade is based on 10 responses, which means that if you do more than 10, it is like doing extra credit.

As with any good art form, good movies allow for a variety of interpretations, which inevitably change over the years. The films included in this class cannot tell the entire story of one incident or historical period. Films present aspects of a situation, subjective views that highlight certian parts of the whole. The ideas they contain are filtered though filmmakers' memories and opinions and through the prism of the time period in which they were made. These factors do not invalidate the films as a means through which we can learn about the past. That only means that we must never confuse fact with creative fancy. Although some of the films might seem dated, they remain valuable as aethetic objects as well as historical artifacts that help chart the history of cinema. When watching these films and reading accompanying material, it's essential to remember that there are many ways to view and interpret film. In thinking about meaning, content, and the context, there are no "right" answers - only subjective responses to the evocative images flickering on the screen before us.

1. To recall American film history from the silent cinema to the present day. 
    Measure: Written and oral exams     ILO: 2, 1,4                          
2. To recognize and use the basic technical and critical vocabulary of motion pictures. 
   Measure: Written and oral exams; Written forums    ILO: 2, 1, 4               
3. To describe how the technology of the cinema relates to film art.
   Measure: Written and oral exams     ILO: 5, 2, 1, 4
4. To underline the economic structure of the film industry.
   Measure: Written and oral exams     ILO: 2, 1, 4                              
5. To recognize the role of genre in American film history and to recognize how some of the most popular genres express American social and cultural tensions. 
   Measure: Written and oral exams; Written forums     ILO: 2, 1, 4, 5        
6. Describe "realism" as it relates to motion pictures.
   Measure: Written and oral exams; Written forums     ILO: 2, 1, 4, 5                    
7. Examine films actively and critically.
   Measure: Class discussions; Written and oral exams; Written forums     ILO: 5, 2, 1, 4