_______________________________________________________________________
The
M 6.00-8.50 pm
Classroom: AD 245
Costica Bradatan
Office: McClellan 202A
Office Hours: Tuesday &
Thursday 11.30-12.30pm & 2.00-3.00 (& by appointment)
Office Phone: (806) 742-0036 (ext
248)
Email: costica.bradatan@ttu.edu
Webpage: http://www.webpages.ttu.edu/cbradata/
Course Description:
This interdisciplinary seminar proposes an introduction to the study of the
European culture through the masterpieces of its cinema. We will look at some
of the most significant social, political, cultural and intellectual
developments in 20th and 21st Century Europe as seen through
works by major European directors: Serguei Eisenstein, Jean Renoir, Vittorio de
Sica, Andrei Tarkovsky, Luis Buñuel, Ingmar Bergman, Roberto Rosselini, Emir
Kusturica, and others. Consistent with the Honors College’s philosophy, we will
consider their films interdisciplinarily:
both aesthetically, as works of art in and for themselves, but also as “windows”
(distorting and enriching at the same time) through which we can have access to
the world that these works come from, to their social, political, intellectual and
artistic contexts. Such masterpieces testify to the immense richness and
complexity of cinema as a medium: an art film always reveals itself as work of
art, but it also speaks of wars and revolutions, anxieties and phantasms, major
social upheavals, new philosophical ideas and artistic avant-gardes, scientific
discoveries and paradigm shifts.
Course Learning
Objectives:
HONS 3304-H01 satisfies the university core curriculum requirement in Visual
and Performing Arts: “The objective of the visual and performing arts in
a core curriculum is to expand the student’s knowledge of the human condition
and human cultures, especially in relation to behaviors, ideas, and values
expressed in works of human imagination and thought. Through study in
disciplines such as the visual and performing arts, students will engage in
critical analysis, form aesthetic judgments, and develop an appreciation for
arts as fundamental to the health and survival of any society. Students graduating from Texas Tech
University should be able to construct, present, and defend critical and aesthetic
judgments of works in the creative arts.” (TTU Catalogue)
Specifically, upon successful completion of this Honors
course students should:
(as VPA-specific learning outcomes)
(as course-specific learning outcomes)
Methods of learning
outcomes assessment:
·
Graded written work
·
Graded reading quizzes
·
Class participation
·
One-to-one tutorials
·
Informal feedback via emails, discussions, etc.
HONS 3304-H01
also satisfies the university Multicultural Requirement that every student take
at least one 3-hour course that “focuses explicitly on the distinctive
subcultures of the United States or on the culture of another society.” (TTU Catalogue) This class
includes substantial content on European cultures.
Honors philosophy statement:
The
fact that this is an honors class has an important impact on the way these learning
outcomes are being achieved. Thanks to a combination of factors (small-size group,
writing and reading intensive, research-oriented class, a focus on dialogical
learning, etc), we are in a position to pay special attention to the qualitative aspects of the learning
process. In particular, the research component of the class (which automatically
means a focus on writing and reading) confers upon this process a creative dimension and places the
student in a distinctly active
position.
Disclaimer: An
essential component of this seminar is watching, discussing, and interpreting a
series of art films that help us better grasp the concepts, notions and ideas
covered in class. Some of these films might display content (nudity, language,
violence, etc.) that some of you might find provocative or inappropriate.
Required Texts:
It is recommended that those books marked
with an asterisk (*) be purchased as they will be used more extensively. All
these books may be purchased from the TTU bookstores. You may also purchase them from other bookstores or
online, provided that the ISBNs are the ones given above. Fragments from books marked with ** can
be accessed online.
Course Requirements:
1.
Attendance and active class participation:
Since this is an (honors) seminar, it is imperative that you attend and participate in every
class. Please do not be late! Any unexcused absence will have an impact on your
class participation/attendance grade (10% for each absence). After four (4)
unexcused absences the instructor may, at his discretion, recommend the University Registrar to drop
the student from the course. An absence is excused when you provide serious documented evidence about
it (signed note from the physician, signed letter from the Dean, death notice,
etc.) Active participation in
classroom discussions includes (but is not limited to): posing relevant
questions; making informed comments and formulating original points of view,
establishing a fruitful dialogue with the other students during the class, etc.
When formulating your points of view, remarks or comments, please do so in a
respectful manner, in such a way as not to harm the feelings of the other
members of the class. Please be tolerant and respect the religious,
political and intellectual opinions of the other members of the class.
Showing respect to the others is, first of all, a form of self-respect. You
should also respect the fact that TTU is a secular institution of higher
education.
2.
Reading-based quizzes
There
will be, at different times during the semester, a number of impromptu
(unannounced) quizzes based on the class readings. The quiz component of the
grade is worth 25 % (of the final grade). In all, there will be 50 quiz
questions, each question being worth 0.5 % of your final grade. Students who
miss a quiz will be allowed to repeat it only if their absence is excused (see
above).
The quiz questions are always about the materials you
are supposed to read for the class. Please note that they have different degrees of difficulty: some of
these questions are quite easy to answer, while others are harder. The
rationale is that if you want to get the highest grade, you should be prepared
to answer all (or most of) the questions, the easier ones as well as the more
difficult ones. You can do so only if you do the readings very carefully. In
the interest of fairness, the final grades have to reflect the different amounts
of effort each student has put into this class.
More importantly: since this class is an honors seminar – therefore, writing and reading
intensive – you have to pay closer attention to the readings, and be prepared
to spend more on them. They are theoretical (sometimes dense) texts. Read them
more than once if necessary, take notes and underline what you think it is
important or what you don't understand. Look up those terms/concepts that you
are unfamiliar with, or simply ask the instructor what they mean; compile e a
list and bring it to class, and we will discuss it item by item. These texts
are important and you can learn something (important) from them. Just give them
the attention they deserve and your efforts will be rewarded.
3-4.
Research project:
Since this is an honors class, it is research-oriented and writing intensive. Therefore, the bulk
of the final grade (see below “Grading policy”) will be determined by the
quality of the research project. This piece is the culmination of students’ work
during the whole semester. It must be on a course-related topic, designed by
the student in consultation with the instructor. Students must think of a good
topic for their research project and discuss it with the instructor (stop by
during office hours or just make an appointment). The research paper must be
conceived of, structured, developed and written in such a way as to meet the
standards of academic excellence in the humanities, and following the
guidelines for submission of written work listed below. The three stages for
the production of this research paper are: a) Submission of a research topic
(title and/or one sentence), b) Submission of the first draft (about 4 pages),
and c) Submission of the final draft (about 9 pages), at the end of the semester.
(For deadlines, please see “Schedule of Events” below.)
Note on the first draft: Since your first draft will be graded, what is expected
from you is essentially a shorter version of the final draft. This way your
work can be judged using the “grading criteria for written work” stated in the
syllabus (see below).
Therefore, you should not submit (as your first draft) just a “work plan,” a
sketch, or a list of points you are going to touch on in the final draft. What
you submit as your first draft should look like a “finished paper” in terms of
argumentation, structure, citing sources, rhetoric, etc. Given the length of
the first draft, you may have to touch on only briefly some of the points. In
this case, you may wish to insert parenthetical mentions stating that you will
further explore those points in the final draft.
Individual conferences
Students are strongly encouraged to discuss with the
instructor about any aspects of their work for this class, and in particular
about their research project. All students taking this course are encouraged to
make appointments with the instructor in order to discuss issues related to the
course. The instructor may ask you to come in at other times for discussing
particular issues. Please feel free to email the instructor whenever you need
to discuss with him aspects of your work.
As the semester progresses each of you must
think of a topic for your research project. The topic for this final essay is
designed by you, but must be course-related, and discussed with the instructor
(on the occasion of a conferences or just make an appointment!).
Guidelines for
Submission of Written Work:
·
MLA Citation Style (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
)
·
Word-process all written work; handwritten papers will not be accepted;
·
Use standard font, in 12 point; double-spaced.
·
Number your pages;
·
Staple your pages together;
·
At the top of the first page include your name, date, and essay title;
·
Proofread and spell-check before bringing any papers to class.
Grading Policy:
·
5% Regular attendance of seminar meetings.
·
20% Active participation
in classroom discussions
·
25% Reading-based quizzes
(50 questions, 0.5% for each question)
·
20% First draft of the
research paper
·
30% Final draft of the
research paper
Grading System:
·
A+ (98-100); A (94-97);
A- (90-93)
·
B+ (88-89); B (84-87); B-
(80-83)
·
C+ (78-79); C (74-77); C-
(70-73)
·
D+ (68-69); D (64-67); D-
(60-63)
·
F (0-59)
What the grades (for
written work) mean
·
A (90-100).
o highest quality in terms of
argumentation, supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical organization
of the material
o mastery of the basic
concepts of the course and deep understanding of the material covered
o extensive research (much
beyond the required readings) and sophisticated use of primary and secondary
sources
o an excellent sense of
structure, stylistic coherence and unity
o original and persuasive
thinking/points of view
o rhetorical sophistication
o work meets current standards
of academic writing in the humanities
o no (or only accidental )
mechanical errors
·
B (80-89)
o Very good quality in terms
of argumentation, supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical
organization of the material
o mastery of the basic
concepts of the course and good understanding of the material covered
o extensive research (beyond
the required readings) and balanced use of primary and secondary sources
o a good sense of structure,
stylistic coherence and unity, despite occasional inconsistencies
o persuasive thinking/points
of view
o rhetorical fluency
o work generally meets current
standards of academic writing in the humanities
o some mechanical errors
·
C (70-79)
o Satisfactory quality in
terms of argumentation, supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical
organization of the material
o Satisfactory understanding
of the basic concepts of the course and of the material covered
o some research and use of
primary and secondary sources
o some sense of structure and stylistic
coherence, despite flaws
o some rhetorical weakness
o poor compliance with the
standards of academic writing in the humanities
o frequent mechanical errors
·
D (60-69)
o Some quality in terms of
argumentation, supporting evidence, consistency, clarity, logical organization
of the material, but undermined by gaps in knowledge and errors of fact
o Some familiarity with the
material covered, but not enough for engaging with it in a coherent/meaningful
way
o Poor research and inadequate
use of primary and secondary sources
o Poor sense of structure,
lack of stylistic coherence and unity
o current standards of
academic writing in the humanities not met
o many mechanical errors
·
F (0-59)
o Missing work
o Work incomplete (or off the
topic) in a serious way
o Serious deficiencies in
argumentation, supporting evidence, and logical organization
o No relevant research
o No sense of structure and
lack of coherence
o No observance of the
standards of academic writing
University Policies and
Regulations:
The
instructor of this course respects and upholds University policies and regulations
pertaining to the observation of religious holidays; assistance available to
the physically handicapped, visually and/or hearing impaired student;
plagiarism; sexual harassment; and racial or ethnic discrimination. All
students are advised to become familiar with the respective University
regulations and are encouraged to bring any questions or concerns to the
attention of the instructor.
Absences for religious holidays:
A student who is absent from
classes for the observation of a religious holy day shall be allowed to take an
examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a
reasonable time after the absence if, not later than the fifteenth day after
the first day of the semester, the student had notified the instructor of each
scheduled class that the student would be absent for a religious holy day.
Students with
Disabilities:
Any student who, because of a
disability, may require special arrangements in order to meet the
course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make
any necessary
arrangements. Students should present appropriate verification from
Student Disability
Services during the instructor’s office hours. Please note instructors are
not allowed to provide
classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from
Student Disability
Services has been provided. For additional information, you may contact the
Student Disability
Services office at 335 West Hall or 806-742-2405.
Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism,
or academic theft, is passing off someone else’s work as your own. Please note:
plagiarism simply means using someone
else’s ideas without acknowledging it (no matter if you use that person’s
actual words or not). Regardless of your background, you are responsible for not
plagiarizing. Plagiarism will be prosecuted; it can affect your permanent
record. Being a plagiarizer is incomparably worse than being unoriginal!
For more about plagiarism (and academic dishonesty in general), please read the
document “Texas Tech University Statement of Academic Integrity”: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/studentjudicialprograms/academicinteg.php
Please note that plagiarism will not be
tolerated in this class under any circumstances! The penalty for
plagiarism ranges, depending on the gravity of the case, from a grade of F
(0 %) for the paper in question (without the possibility of resubmitting
it) to F as final grade for the class.
Week 1 (12 Jan): Introduction
· Film: Talk to Her, 2000
Week 2 (19 Jan): No classes (MLK Day)
Week 3 (26 Jan): Art and propaganda
·
Film: The Battleship Potemkin, 1925 (Dir.
Serguei Eisenstein)
Week 4 (2 Feb): A masterpiece from
Germany
·
Film: Metropolis, 1927 (Dir. Fritz Lang)
·
Reading: Ezra, pp. 59-76.
Week 5: (9 Feb): The Surrealist revolution
and other social games
·
Film: The Rules of the Game, 1939 (Dir.
Jean Renoir)
Deadline this day!
Submission of the topic for the research
paper.
Week 6 (16 Feb): The ugly face of the
war
·
Film: Rome,
Open City, 1945 (Dir. Roberto Rosselini)
Week 7 (23 Feb): The secret charm of neo-realism
·
Film: Umberto D, 1952 (Dir. Vittorio De Sica)
·
Reading: Sorlin, pp. 1-22 & 117-130
Week 8 (2 March): Post-war revival
·
Film: Wild Strawberries, 1957 (Dir. Ingmar Bergman)
·
Reading: Sorlin, pp. 81-110; Ezra, pp. 139-156.
Week 9 (9 March): The French New Wave
·
Film: The 400 Blows, 1959 (Francois Truffaut)
·
Reading: Fowler,
pp. 64-72; Ezra, pp. 157-175
Deadline this day!
Submission of first draft of the research
paper.
Week 10 (16 March): No
classes (Spring Break)
Week 11 (22 March): Censorship
and creativity behind the Iron curtain
·
Film: Andrei Rublev, 1966 (Dir.
Andrei Tarkovski)
·
Reading: Fowler, pp. 143-151; Dzenis (online)
Week 12 (30 March): The
new German cinema
·
Film: The Marriage
of Maria Brown, 1979 (Dir. Rainer
Werner Fassbinder)
·
Reading: Sorlin, 172-206; Ezra, pp. 194-212
Week 13 (6 April): To
be or not to be (East-European)
·
Film: The Decalogue,
1987 (Dir. K Kieslowski)
·
Reading: Ezra, pp. 265-282; Fowler, pp. 132-141
Week 14 (13 April): No
classes (Easter Break)
Week 15 (20 April): The
1990s
·
Film: Il Postino, 1995
(Dir. Michael Redford)
·
Reading: Galt, pp. 1-50
& 79-87
Week 16 (27 April): A Yugoslavian story
·
Film: Underground, 1995 (Dir. Emir Kusturica)
·
Reading: Galt, pp. 123-174.
Deadline this day! Submission of research paper
(final version).
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