Unsung Heroes of European Cinema

Pre-requisites for enrolment

None.

Content of Course

Through a close examination of selected directors’ work, we will examine the continuous drive for innovation, in both technique and content, in European cinema. Each week we will concentrate on an outstanding director or film school whose work has been overlooked and is now reappraised. By analysing and discussing examples from different periods, we will also provide the tools for a wider understanding of innovative trends – making it clear that experimental and mainstream cinema need not exist in isolation from each other. By comparing different techniques and styles, the course also aims to provide a broader understanding of the practice of filmmaking, its evolution and its impact on both audiences and authors. 

Teaching method(s)

Short lecture, film clips followed by group discussion. 

Learning outcomes

On completion of this course, learners will be able to:  

1. Evaluate the continuity and disjunctions in the evolution of cinema as an art form. 

2. Describe and identify camera work and narrative techniques. 

3. Identify various directorial styles. 

4. Analyse the degree to which cinema, and popular culture in general, is influenced by politics and ideology. 

Sources

Core Readings

We aim to include texts in our reading lists which are Open Education Resource texts or available in your local library. Where this is not possible, texts should be readily available to purchase at a reasonable cost.  Please do not purchase any texts until you have confirmation from your course teacher.    

• Elsaesser, T. (2005) European Cinema Face to Face with Hollywood. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. 
• Phillip Kolker, R. (2009) The Altering Eye: Contemporary International Cinema. London: Open Book Publishers. 

Web Sources

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/great-directors

Analysis of the work of some of the directors in the course.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.