module specification

 This module charts the development of the French New Wave, a group of films of the late 1950s and 1960s and one of the most influential movements in film history.

The work of a new generation of directors many of whom had started as film critics, the module will consider this distinctive film style in the context of the social changes that transformed post-war French society and culture.
In tandem with the rise of cinephilia and the love of American cinema, the module will trace the passage from theory into practice. The textual properties of the films and their artistic innovations will be explored in connection with the representation of youth, modernity, the city of Paris, history and gender relations.

N/A

 The module investigates the French New Wave from both a theoretical and historical perspective. LO1-2

The work of a new generation of directors many of whom had started as film critics, the module will consider this distinctive film style in the context of the social changes that transformed post-war French society and culture. In tandem with the rise of cinephilia and the love of American cinema, the module will trace the passage from theory into practice. LO1-3

Using a variety of films, the module explores post-war film criticism and cinephilia, its relationship with Hollywood, the passage from theory into practice, film style, mise en scene and authorship and the rise of new stars and performance style. LO1-3

The textual properties of the films and their artistic innovations will be explored in connection with the representation of youth, modernity, the city of Paris, history and gender relations. LO1,3,4

This module will be supported by lectures, seminars, workshops and web-based resources.

Blended learning will be deployed through WebLearn to support teaching and learning including visual resources, readings and learning materials. Opportunities for reflective learning will be facilitated through seminars, presentations and workshops. Formative and summative feedback is provided after each coursework, in written form on WebLearn, in-class after the presentation, by email or in person after an individual appointment.

 On successful completion of this module the student will have developed:

LO1: Specialised knowledge of a period when key concepts of film theory originated and demonstrate an ability to think through the implications for film studies as an academic discipline.
LO2: Critical understanding of the nature of a national film ‘movement’, its textual properties, formal concerns and thematic preoccupations and to be able to communicate effectively the interrelationship between theory and practice in both written and seminar contexts.
LO3: Ability to analyse and discuss film in relation to relevant cultural, political, historical and industrial contexts and their impact on aesthetics and representation.
LO4: Develop skills in critical analysis and oral presentation as well as transferable skills through seminar presentations.

 This module’s mode of assessment promotes independent learning and transferable skills. Building on the presentation and the formal feedback they receive, students will have the opportunity to focus in-depth on an essay topic and to demonstrate their understanding of a range of issues around the French New Wave, film style and representation in their final assignment.

 Identify core and additional reading

Liaise with Library Services to confirm availability of on-line licenses in academic year

Where possible, the most current version of reading materials is used during the delivery of this module.  Comprehensive reading lists are provided to students in their handbooks.  Reading Lists will be updated annually.

Core Text:

Peter Graham with Ginette Vincendeau, The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks (London: BFI, 2009).
Naomi Green, The French New Wave: a New Look (London: Wallflower, 2008).
Michel Marie, The New Wave: an Artistic School (London: Blackwell, 2003).
Richard Neupert: A History of the French New Wave (Madison, Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2002).
Geneviève Sellier, Masculine Singular: French New Wave Cinema (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2008).

Other Texts:
Susan Hayward and Ginette Vincendeau (eds.), French Film: Texts and Contexts (London and New York: Routledge, 1990 and 2000).
Jim Hillier (ed.), Cahiers du cinéma, the 1950s (Routledge, Kegan & Paul, 1985).
Kristin Ross, Fast Cars, Clean Bodies (Cambridge, Mass. and London: MIT Press, 1995).
Ginette Vincendeau, Stars and Stardom in French Cinema (London and New York: Continuum, 2000).

Journals:
Cinema Journal
French Cultural Studies
Screen
Sight and Sound
Studies in French Cinema