Modern Languages and Cultures |
The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module. |
Title | THE CINEMATIC CITY | ||
Code | FILM201 | ||
Coordinator |
Dr AM Smith Modern Languages and Cultures Alismith@liverpool.ac.uk |
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Year | CATS Level | Semester | CATS Value |
Session 2019-20 | Level 5 FHEQ | First Semester | 15 |
Pre-requisites before taking this module (other modules and/or general educational/academic requirements): |
Modules for which this module is a pre-requisite: |
Co-requisite modules: |
Teaching Schedule |
Lectures | Seminars | Tutorials | Lab Practicals | Fieldwork Placement | Other | TOTAL | |
Study Hours |
9 |
13 |
14 |
36 | |||
Timetable (if known) | |||||||
Private Study | 114 | ||||||
TOTAL HOURS | 150 |
Assessment |
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EXAM | Duration | Timing (Semester) |
% of final mark |
Resit/resubmission opportunity |
Penalty for late submission |
Notes |
Exam There is a resit opportunity. This is an anonymous assessment. | 2 hours | 70 | ||||
CONTINUOUS | Duration | Timing (Semester) |
% of final mark |
Resit/resubmission opportunity |
Penalty for late submission |
Notes |
Group Project: Video Essay There is a resit opportunity. Standard UoL penalty applies for late submission. This is not an anonymous assessment. | 5 minutes | 10 | ||||
Reflective Essay There is a resit opportunity. Standard UoL penalty applies for late submission. This is an anonymous assessment. | -1500 words | 20 |
Aims |
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To explore ways in which European cinema has made use of the urban space (cinema having been described as an urban art-form par excellence ); Through a wide range of films from different European countries, to introduce students both to issues relating to the imaginary conception of cities, and to concepts in film theory regarding the construction of space, the position of the observer, and the nature and purpose of representation and of narrative construction; To introduce students to relatively complex theoretical constructions, in an immediate and approachable way, which will give them confidence in their ability to handle concepts in critical theory and to apply them successfully; To develop their capacities in expressing their ideas, both in discussion and in written work, with regard to more advanced material than they were required to study in the first-year module; To alert them to the conceptual links which film studies has with other theoretical fields; T o introduce students in a simple way to the practical problems of audiovisual representation. |
Learning Outcomes |
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(LO1) Awareness of issues of urban theory, of the spatial implications of cinematic expression, and of the interaction of these; |
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(LO2) Awareness of the ways in which cinema has been used to articulate the self-construction of urban societies |
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(LO3) Alertness to the ways in which the modern world is constructed through representations |
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(LO4) Ability to handle theoretical concepts confidently in written and oral modes, to carry on a discussion and sustain an argument by applying those concepts. |
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(LO5) Awareness of some of the practical issues involved in creating an audiovisual piece. |
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(LO6) Ability to plan the translation of experience of the city into audiovisual form. |
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(S1) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Academic writing (inc. referencing skills) |
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(S2) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Media analysis |
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(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis |
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(S4) Information skills - Critical reading |
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(S5) Communication (oral, written and visual) - Communicating for audience |
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(S6) Team (group) working respecting others, co-operating, negotiating / persuading, awareness of interdependence with others |
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(S7) Handling audiovisual material |
Teaching and Learning Strategies |
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Teaching Method 1 - Lecture. Teaching Method 2 - Seminar. Teaching Method 3 - Film Screenings. Skill / other attribute 1: Skill / other attribute 2: Skill / other attribute 3: Skill / other attribute 4: Skill / other attribute 5: Skill / other attribute 6: Skill / other attribute 7: |
Syllabus |
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Topics covered during the module may include: Filming the City: An introduction to some of the theoretical issues associated with understanding cities, their functions, and their representation; The construction of an entirely human-centred geography; The city as expression of order and disorder (`polis’ and `labyrinth’); The significance of centre and periphery; The concept of the flâneur and of the stranger, and their particular relevance to cinema; The place of the camera-eye in the urban space. This part of the module will look at some examples of filming cities, as a prelude to a practical exercise in which students will be asked to make a brief audiovisual essay based on Liverpool. Cities in Film The second part of the module will look at a range of films set in European cities which in different ways offer fictional accounts of the places in which they are set and the issues facing their inhabitants. Films studed in the past include La Haine (Kassovitz, 1995), Biùtiful (Iñarritú, 2010), La Dolce Vita (Fellini, 1960), The Third Man (Reed, 1949), Pepe le Moko (Duvivier, 1937). |
Recommended Texts |
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Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module. |