Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0268 - Japanese Cinema

Fall
2014
1
4.00
Abraham Ravett
01:00PM-03:50PM M;07:00PM-09:00PM M
Hampshire College
315193
Jerome Liebling Center 131;Jerome Liebling Center 131
arPF@hampshire.edu
"I think that to find what is real one must look very closely at one's world, to search for those things which contribute to this reality which one feels under the surface. These are few and one uses them to create. These are the core around which the world moves, the axis around which it turns...To be an artist means to search for, find, and look at these things; to be an artist means never to avert one's eyes." Akira Kurosawa "I want to portray a man's character by eliminating all the dramatic devices. I want to make people feel what life is like without delineating all the dramatic ups and downs." Yasujiro Ozu "My films do not treat sensational events or, for that matter, contain much drama. Depicted are images of everyday Japan and the daily lives of its people." Sumiko Haneda This course will involve a detailed study of the Japanese cinema. It will highlight works in the dramatic narrative, documentary and experimental traditions. The films screened will use the past to explore the meaning of the present, examine the relationships within families, investigate formal issues in cinematic construction and attempt to articulate broader social issues within Japanese society. Participants will be asked to complete a series of papers plus a final project based on class discussions, film screenings, and assigned readings.
Independent Work Writing and Research Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course students are expected to spend 6 hours weekly on preparation and work outside of class time.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.