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Film, Media and Contemporary Cultures

Cinema and Modern Fiction (10 weeks)

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

As the defining art form of the 20th and 21st centuries, cinema has had a dramatic impact on modern fiction. Come and explore some recent and contemporary authors – Gore Vidal, Manuel Puig, Gavin Lambert, Angela Carter, Paul Auster and Gilbert Adair – through excerpts from the films that inspired them.

Course Details

Content of Course

1. The Film and its Audience

Introduction though selected clips and discussion.

2. Confessions of a Super Fan

Myra Breckinridge, Gore Vidal.

3. A Revenge on Reality

Myron, Gore Vidal.

4. Of Fantasy and Freedom

Kiss of the Spider Woman, Manuel Puig.

5. The Eye and the Icon

The Passion of New Eve, Angela Carter.

6. Say You Want a Revolution

The Dreamers, Gilbert Adair.

7. An Invisible Star

The Book of Illusions, Paul Auster.

8. A Child of the Movies

Running Time, Gavin Lambert (I).

9. Inside Story of an Outsider

Running Time, Gavin Lambert (II).

10. Reading the Movies, Reading Ourselves

Closing discussion with selected film clips.

Teaching method(s)

All sessions will involve a mixture of lectures and discussions, with selected film clips to illustrate key points. Students will be expected to read a recommended text for all but the first and last sessions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Appreciate the impact of film upon audiences;

  • Describe contrasting literary and cinematic genres;

  • Locate each cinematic and literary work within a social and cultural context;

  • Evaluate the impact of cinema upon modern fiction.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

  • Auster, P. 2003. The Book of Illusions. London: Picador.

  • Carter, A. 1992. Wise Children. London: Vintage Classics.

  • Lambert, G. 2001. Running Time (Midnight Classic). London: Serpent’s Tail.

  • Puig, M. 1984. The Kiss of the Spider Woman. London: Arena.

  • Vidal, G. 1993. Myra Breckinridge & Myron. London: Abacus.

  • Carter, Angela (1982) The Passion of New Eve, London, Virago Modern Classics

  • Vidal, Gore (1998) Myra Breckinridge & Myron, London, Abacus

Web Sources

http://sensesofcinema.com/

http://www.imdb.com/

http://www.bfi.org.uk/

Class Handouts

Lecture and discussion notes and list of film clips for all sessions. Selected short extracts from recommended reading.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email 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.