Film and Media Studies 345 - DEATH, VIOLENCE, MOVING IMAGE

If cinema is, as André Bazin writes, “change mummified,” violence and death are among the most dramatic physical changes it can “mummify.” This course studies the long, complex relationship between cinema and these bodily spectacles. How has censorship impacted the way violence has been screened? How can cameras make the internal processes of death externally visible? What are the ethics of filming “real” violence and death in a documentary mode? How are cultural attitudes toward violence and death reflected in and shaped by films? As a cautionary note, this course necessarily includes graphic representations of violence and death. Prerequisites: FMS 150. Enrollment limit of 12.

Not open to first-years, sophomores