Film Studies 250 - History of World Cinema

In this historical survey we will study three periods from the first half of the cinema's past (1832-1932): its invention, its silent days, and its transition to sound. From the optical effect of the phenakistoscope (1832) through the efforts of Edison and Lumi're, from the evolution of the classical style of Hollywood to the montage theories of the Soviets, from the adoption of sound-on-film to the benshi strikes in Japan, this course will introduce students to the fascinating figures, institutional structures, art and technologies that built the world's cinema.

Prereq: Film Studies 201, 202, or Art History 202