This week

We'll be watching LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (I hope! trying to find a copy), or possibly THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. We'll also be finishing up presentations, and I will be collecting the final papers.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

For anyone intersted in the music from Once, here are a couple links to the band The Swell Season, which is Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's real-life music project.

TheSwellSeason.com
Myspace.com/theswellseason


Glen is also in another band called The Frames, their music can be heard here

Hello guys,

Nicole and I were wondering who the third person was who is supposed to present on today's film with us next week? If you want to be involved please call 508.395.8988.

Thanks!

This week's screening, and VOLVER

I've been unable to obtain 4 WEEKS, 3 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS for tomorrow's class. It was signed out from the library and not returned in time. So, if anyone has access to this film on video, feel free to bring a copy to class. Otherwise, we will be seeing something else.

Those students doing a presentation on 4 WEEKS, 3 MONTHS AND 2 DAYS: if you have already started work on your presentation, you may continue. If not, or if you wish, you may opt to present on the film we watch tomorrow (either as a group or in new configurations). We will probably be watching the Irish film ONCE.

Also, I found this wonderful interview with Pedro Almodovar in the Bright Lights film journal.

The REAL Lives of Others

Here's a clip from a real Stasi training video; its in German:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWX3v6uHo-w&NR=1

And here's the Iwatch videos that we found from LA:(Stasi in America?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmRPJv5jZE&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djw3w-4rJxY&feature=player_embedded
http://lapdonline.org/iwatchla

Guidelines for Second Essay!

CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN CINEMA
Second Essay Guidelines

Due date: Friday, April 30 in class.
No late papers will be accepted. Print copies must be turned in unless alternate arrangements are made with the instructor’s approval.

The essay should be 6-7 pages in length, between 1200-1500 words.
You need to use at least three outside sources. All sources, whether print, or web-based, must be cited properly (Either MLA or Chicago Manual of Style). You should also have either footnotes or endnotes (or cite sources in parentheses after each example), as well as a Works Cited/Bibliography page. If you aren’t sure how to do this, go to the Writing Center or look online for assistance; both the MLA and Chicago Manual have websites with easy to access guidelines.

Your sources may include reviews or interviews, as well as scholarly articles.

All topics must be approved by the instructor first! The best way to find a good topic is to work on formulating thesis statement (or several) and submit them via email. Do this no later than one week before the paper due date (that is, Friday, April 23rd).
A topic is not a thesis statement. A topic might be “female body image in LOOK AT ME/COMME UNE IMAGE”; a thesis statement is more along these lines: “Agnes Jaoui addresses issues of body image and female identity by portraying complex characters who struggle to win approval from the men in their lives.”

Topics:
The topic is open, within some parameters. Your topic must be based on a film we have viewed in class during the second half of the semester (that is, after the first essay was due). You may approach this in one of several ways:

1) Analysis of the film via a specific topic (e.g., images of claustrophobia in THE LIVES OF OTHERS).
2) Discussion of the film via consideration of the filmmaker or writer’s body of work; you still need a specific topic here (e.g., dysfunctional sexuality in the films of Pedro Almodovar).
3) Analysis of the film via discussion of a specific movement or trend in cinema, or in terms of cinema’s response to a particular social issue (e.g., Explicit sex or violence, abortion, etc.). Again, you must have a very specific topic.

Revise, revise, revise. This is the key to producing a good essay. Clarify your intent and meaning, use the best examples you can, eliminate superfluous or overly descriptive information. You want to show how well you understand the ideas we’ve discussed in class, and how well you “read” and respond to cinema.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me or make an appointment to discuss your essay with me. Please also feel free to ask questions here in the blog.

The Lives of Others

This film put me in such a strange, disconnected, and depressed state, that I went back to my office and drank a half a bottle of wine.  

Discussion: Head On

This film by Fatih Akin deals with questions of gender, sexuality and cultural oppression fairly directly. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this and on the film in general.

Also, how have topics of sex and gender been addressed in other films we've seen this semester? Obviously sex and gender were central to Sally Potter's Orlando (as we explored in our discussion) but what about some of the other films we've viewed so far?

Films on Reserve for Assignment Due March 19

You are to see one contemporary European film (1984 or later) and write a 500 word response to be turned in March 19 in class. Please don't just try writing about a film you saw months or even years ago; watch something now and write about it, informed by your coursework.

The following British films are on reserve in the library (British counts as European!) if you wish to watch them:

Brazil
Morvern Callar
Secrets and Lies
A Zed and Two Noughts
Ratcatcher

The library may have other contemporary European films available, or feel free to partake of any films showing in Boston at the moment, such as The Kendall Square Cinema (which currently has The White Ribbon and A Prophet, among other European films), or The Brattle Theatre (which is showing some Merchant-Ivory films tomorrow).

You can rent from Netflix or a video store, too, or visit your local library, which normally have excellent video selections.

Presentation schedule

March 19 (Orlando): Matthew Serpico, Erica Femino, Kevin Stanton

March 26 (Head On): Mari Emori, Felicia Hadzipanijotis, Alaina Mahoney

April 9 (Look at Me): Kristin Texeira, Elysha Roberts, Sarah Flavin, and (Cache) Erin Whitson, Erica Scoppettuolo, Elysha Roberts

April 16 (The Lives of Others): Ben McNamara, Nic Gascoigne, Jared Friedman, Tin Tranh

April 23 (Volver): Jenifer Cuddy, Sarah Karten, Allison Smith

April 30 (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days): Amber Kafalas, Lucy Parker, Nicole Dugan and (Let the Right One In): Kira Maintanis, Justin Walker

Exam Study Guide!

This is what you should be studying for the mid-term exam on Friday:

Go over the reading materials (including the Dogme readings linked on the blog). There won't be terribly specific memorization questions re: names and dates but you should be familiar with general concepts and ideas discussed, as well as basic definitions of terms we have been using (such as the various genres, mise en scene, the principles of Dogme 95, and the basic information on color, etc.)

Go over the lecture notes; these are somewhat based on the readings but include additional material you may be tested on.

Be sure you have seen all of the films viewed in class.

Take a look at the blog discussions about films.

Be on time for class. No one will be allowed to leave the room during the exam.

Late Paper Policy

There are a number of you who were not in class and did not turn your essays in on Friday, and you have not communicated with me regarding why you were absent or when your essays will be forthcoming.

I do not accept late papers without extenuating circumstances. Missing class on the due date does NOT automatically confer a one-week extension. This policy was inadvertently left off the syllabus so I am communicating it here.

Anyone who has not turned in their essay yet may have until tomorrow (Monday) at NOON to turn them in via email. You will still have points deducted for lateness. You MUST cut and paste the entire body of the essay INTO the email; if I get an attachment I can't open, it counts as a zero. You MUST also follow up with a printed copy turned into my mailbox (location given on syllabus).

NO ESSAYS will be accepted after noon tomorrow.

My thanks to those students who were legitimately ill and still managed to turn their essays in by the deadline.

Color Chapter: In Color!

This PDF provides the actual color version of the reading assignment on color from The Art of Watching Films:

Color Chapter

I hope this link works! If not, please email me and I can send you the PDF.

Dogme 95

There are a number of excellent resources on the web for learning about Dogme 95; please read these articles in preparation for the mid-term exam next week~!

Dogme/Dogma or Live Cinema (Bright Lights Film Journal)

Review of Mifune (PopMatters)

Review of The King is Alive (Boston Phoenix)


A Short History of Dogme 95

and just for fun:

Dogpile 95

Weather

It is possible that snowstorms will force the cancellation of classes this week.
If that happens, YOUR ESSAYS ARE STILL DUE ON FRIDAY.
I would accept them via email, with hard copies placed in my mailbox on Monday.

Essays due Friday!

Below is the bibliographic information from the reading packet.

Reminder: ALL essays are due in class on Friday. Don't miss class because you still need to print it out, etc.
Manage your time so that it's ready, or you can email me a copy and hand in the print out later that day if absolutely necessary. Everyone must hand in a printed copy.

I am willing to continue to offer assistance via email but you will need to contact me before Thursday, as I will be traveling and email will not be as easily accessible.

Some tips:
1) 1000 words is not very much, so don't waste valuable word count space with unnecessary biographic information or plot summaries, unless they are absolutely crucial to your topic.
2) Be as focused and specific with your topic as possible. If you want to write about thematic or production elements, choose ONE, don't try to cover several in one short essay.
3) Let the film text be your primary reference point. Close analysis of scenes is virtually impossible if you have only seen the film once, so make the effort to view it as many times as you can.
4) Make sure you thoroughly proofread your essay before handing it in; that does not just mean running a spellcheck on it; read carefully for usage or grammar errors.


Bibliographic information for citations:

The Art of Watching Films by Joe Boggs and Dennis Petrie. (McGraw Hill, 2006--Seventh Edition)

Children of Nature

I'd love to hear any thoughts people are having on this film. Please don't always wait for me to start a discussion on this blog; everyone is encouraged to post on anything they want, as long as it's related to contemporary European cinema in some way.

I found myself wondering about the folklore and mythology of Iceland as it relates to the film. The belief in disappearing elves is mentioned, and of course people and things disappearing into thin air is a prominent motif. Here are several websites I found that discuss this belief system in Iceland:

New York Times article on elf and gnome folklore in Iceland
Searching for Elves and Hidden People
An article from New York Magazine on Iceland's financial collapse and an ex-pat's attempt to debunk Vanity Fair's rumors, including one about elves
Wikipedia article on the Huldufolk

Reading Quiz, Essay Guidelines

There will be a quiz based on the reading assigned for this week in class on Friday, so be sure you're prepared.

Also, here are some guidelines for the first essay which is due soon.

Length: Approx. 1000 words, no more than 1200
Format: Typed, standard citation format (MLA or Chicago Manual of Style)


Topic: open, but it should be a specific topic on one of the films we have watched so far in class. It should have an analytical focus on one specific aspect or theme of the film. You may and should refer to outside source material to help illustrate your ideas, but don't focus too much on this (this will be a greater emphasis in your second longer essay). Try to write on something that intrigues you about the film you choose. Do some free writing to explore what you have to say about it.

Since this is a relatively short essay, every word counts, so don't waste space quoting outside sources at length. I'm far more interested in your own original ideas and analysis.

Make sure your topic is focused and specific. Explore different approaches. Maybe you're interested in looking at the production elements of the film, or maybe themes interest you more. Maybe you're interested in writing about the visual design of DELICATESSEN. How does the visual design support the themes of the film? Is there a specific aesthetic the filmmakers are going for? Do the design choices support these thematic elements? Why or why not?

Maybe you want to write about the portrayal of good and evil in AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS. But this is a somewhat general topic. What about this interests you? What approach can you take? Are good and evil found in obvious places? Maybe you want to write about the ways in which war affects morality in general and how that is portrayed in the film. Or maybe you find that the realistic tone of the film allows this subject to be addressed in a unique way.

Ask yourself plenty of questions in the preliminary stages of exploring your topic so that you can solidify and clarify it in a solid thesis statement, which introduces your essay. It's through exploring potential questions that you can arrive at a topic that feels both comfortable and challenging.

You're encouraged to ask for help with your essay. You can visit the Writing Center in the Liberal Arts office in the Tower Bldg. Or you can email any questions or drafts to me and I'd be happy to give you feedback and help you.

Delicatessen

When I heard about this movie, I thought about "Sweeney Todd" (2007); however, after watching it, I feel it is more similar in theme to "Soylent Green" (1973), but on a much smaller scale. Both "Soylent Green" and "Delicatessen" are set in a ruined world where nothing grows anymore. Society has changed to adapt to the new envionment. But in both cases there is an individual who does not approve of the new social contract and tries to change it.

I guess the main difference with "Soylent Green" is that in "Delicatessen" everyone except the maintenance man knows what they are eating. Therefore, the revolt is not against a governmet that is hiding something from the people, rather it is a revolution led by the next generation who had no part in designing the social contract. In the end, the skies have cleared and only the members of the next generation -- the butcher's daughter, the maintenance man, and the two boys -- are present to build a new society.

I have been thinking about the Vanishing a lot this week. It was truly terrifying. Something I was wondering about was the relationship of the killer to his family. I don't quite understand how they did not know he was a sociopath, or how something like that had never become apparent to his wife. It seemed strange to me that he was able to cover up so well. Then again, he had a lot of discipline. I was wondering if people had thoughts on that.

Reading Packet; and The Vanishing/Spoorloos

Checking in to let everyone know that the reading packet for this class should be available now at the Print House, on Huntington Avenue (across street just past Longwood Avenue). Please get the packet this week if you have not already, and start reading the sections on themes and symbols; or feel free to continue reading in the packet, the whole things is assigned for the next two weeks.

I'm also wondering if anyone has any further thoughts on last week's film? Sometimes thoughts come to the fore after the film settles into the psyche for a while.

One thing I noticed after having not seen the film in a while is that there were many visual images of dissipation and things being scattered to the winds; like when Saskia lets the rolling papers fly out of her tobacco pouch, or when Rex drops the package of ping pong balls out of the car. The frisbee Saskia buys for Rex is also of course a symbol of something that can fly or float away (or be thrown away).

Louis Malle's Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)

After viewing this very moving film, perhaps some of you have had a chance to reflect on it and have some thoughts to express. Feel free to discuss any aspect of the film's production (image, sound, script, performance) or any thoughts on symbolism, story or the cultural context of the film.

SO: Anyone have anything to say? Come on, let's get some discussion happening. Don't be shy.

Welcome!

This is the blog for the course Modern European Cinema at the Massachusetts College of Art, spring 2010.