J 338 The Documentary Tradition

RJ de Maria

demariab@wlu.edu

Reid #301 (458‑8436)

 

COURSE INTRODUCTION AND GOALS

       This course will examine contemporary trends in documentary film from the dual perspectives of the viewer and the filmmaker. We will look at seminal and less notable works from the end of the nineteenth century to the present, analyzing both form and content as we explore the mutable boundaries of the genre. While focusing on the evolution of documentary trends, we will consider the following topics: objectivity/subjectivity, technological innovations, filmmaker‑subject relationships, aesthetics, ethics, the reality/fiction dialectic, censorship, assumptions about audience, choices in representation, film as a catalyst for change and authorship/voice in documentary.

        We will discuss: cinema verite’, observational cinema, the personal documentary, first and third person narration, reflexivity and participatory cinema*. The goal of the course is to acquaint the student with a range of documentary styles and filmmakers.  The course is designed in hopes that the student will become a critical and enlightened viewer of nonfiction film.

An equally important objective is to provide the student with a perspective that will facilitate incisive inquiry. This course will ideally serve as a springboard into a lifelong consumption of documentary films and provide the student with informed foundations for viewing nonfiction film and video.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS

                        Barsam, Richard M. Non Fiction Film: A Critical History. (Rev)  Bloomington: Indiana University Press 1992.

                        Nichols, Bill Introduction to Documentary Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2001

 

RESERVE TEXTS

Andrew, Dudley.    Concepts in Film Theory.  New  York: Oxford University. 1984.

Andrew, Dudley.  The Major Film Theories.  New York: Oxford University Press. 1984.

Barnouw, Erik. Documentary. New York: Oxford University Press. 1993

Barsam, Richard.  The Vision of Robert Flaherty.  Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. 1988.

Beattie, Keith  Documentary Screens  New York: Palgrave-McMillan 2004

Bernard, Sheila Curran Documentary Storytelling For Video and Filmmakers

            Burlington, MA: Focal Press, 2004

Blanford, Steve et al. The Film Studies Dictionary.  New York: Oxford University Press. 2001.

Bruzzi, Stella.  New Documentary: A Critical Introduction.  New York: Routledge, 2000.

Church-Gibson, Pamela and Hill John.  The Oxford Guide to Film Studies.

            New York: Oxford University Press. 1988.

Curtin, Michael.   Redeeming the Wasteland.  New Brunswick:Rutgers

Doherty, Thomas P  Projections of war : Hollywood, American culture, and World War II . New York:

            University Press, 1995.

Ellis, Jack C. The Documentary Idea.  New Jersey:  Prentice-Hall, 1989

Ellis, Jack C. John Grierson : life, contributions, influence. Carbondale, IL. Southern Illinois University Press,                            2000   

Jacobs, Lewis ed. The Documentary Tradition New York: W.W.Norton & Co.1979.

                        Kolker, Robert.  Film, form, and Culture (second edition). New York:             McGraw-Hill Higher Education Company                           2002

Laurence, Frank M.  Hemingway and the Movies.  New York: Da Capo Press.

            1981.

Nichols, Bill Ideology and the Image Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University

              Press.1981.

Nichols, Bill. Representing Reality. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University

              Press.1991.

Jacobs, Lewis. The Documentary Tradition. 2nd Ed New York: W.W.Norton &Co.

              1979.

Rabiger, Michael. Directing the Documentary. 3rd Ed. Boston: Focal Press, 1998.

                        Rothman, William. Documentary Film Classics.  Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997

 Renov, Michael ed. Theorizing Documentary. New York: Routledge, 1993.

 Sharff, Stefan.  The Elements of Cinema New York: Columbia University Press.

              1982.

                        Snyder, Robert.  Pare Lorenz and the Documentary Film Las Vegas: University of Nevada Press, 1994.

 Snyder, Robert.Pare Lorenz and the Documentary Film. Las Vegas: University of Nevada Press, 1994.

                        Sontag, Susan. On Photography.  New York: Picador Press, 1977.

 

          Expectations: Generally, this class will be interactive. We will screen a number of films and I expect each     student to participate in each class with meaningful verbal and written discourse. The screenings, readings and             discussions are designed to move us through the development of the genre.

 

          Competencies: At the end of this class, you should be able to:

          By the end of the course, I expect each student to have

            -           Understand the principles of effective Documentary film history and criticism

            -           Think critically and independently

            -           Demonstrate an understanding of groups in a global society in relationship to documentary                                      communication

            -           Conduct research and evaluate methods appropriate to the communications professions, audiences and                                     the purposes they serve

            -           In this class, you should be presented with opportunities to self-test your knowledge of 11 values and                                    competencies identified by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass                                              Communications and embraced by this department. Many of these values and competencies have been                          identified and addressed in previous courses in the department. The list is available at                                                    I:\public_html\Curriculum\ACEJMCvalues.html

 

          CALENDAR

        Week One:  Photography and Film; The Elements and Language of Film

                        Rabiger, pp. 3‑13; Barsam, pp 4-16; Jacobs 1-9; 12-14. Nichols (Intro) 1-19; Bruzzi 40-                                                  65

                                                Nanook of the North; Battleship Potemkin, Rain, Drifters,

                        Week Two:   Documentary Traditions;  The Continental Movement; England: Grierson and                                                              the E.M.B.

                        Barsam 17-41; Barnouw 1‑30; Rothman 1-20; Kolker 16-31; Nichols

                        (intro) 139-144; Jacobs 1-9; Ellis 15-27

                                                Industrial Britain, Night Mail;

                             The River; The Spanish Earth

          Week Three: Depression to Aggression & Government Films in the U.S

                             Barsam 16‑64; Jacobs 12‑28; Kolker 33-49; Nichols (intro) 145-                                                                                         148; Ellis 28-57; Bruzzi 11-38

                                    Battle of Britain; Battle of San Pietro,

                                                Listen to Britain; Ordinary People

            Week Four:  Radical Film Makers; World War II and Propaganda

                        Barsam 77‑129; Rabiger 315‑366, Barnouw 183‑228; Kolker 30-96

                                                Triumph of the Will; Night and Fog

                                              Examination One

                   Week Five:   Post War Developments in Documentary: Television

                             Barsam 65‑77; Jacobs 29‑44; 49‑65; Barnouw 83‑182;

                                    Kolker 50-58; 60-65

                                                Good Night and Good Luck: The McCarthy Years

                                                Harvest of Shame

                        Week Six: Cinema Verite and Direct Cinema; Women and the Documentary                                                             Movement

                                    Kolker 66-112; Jacobs 133-140

                                                            Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment; Don’t Look Back;

                        Week Seven: Women and the Documentary Movement (II); New Developments

                                                Ellis 184-202; Barsam 276-296      

                                       Harlan County, USA; Bearing Witness: A Film                                                                                                               Examination Two

            Week Eight:  Sports & Music

                                                Barsam 299-322; Jacobs 563-568; Bruzzi 67-74; Kolker 115-152  

                                                Last Waltz; The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till

            Week Nine:  The Filmmaker as Historian

                                                            Rothman 144-210; Jacobs 483-493; Kolker 153-170

                                                            When We Were Kings; The Johnstown Flood

                        Week Ten:   War and Aggression       

                                                Jacobs 557-562;

                                                The War Photographer; The Fog of War

                        Week Eleven:

                                       Barsam 357-379; Ellis 255-269; Bruzzi 99-123; Barnouw 262-293

                                                Who Killed the Electric Car?; Los Trabajadores

            Week Twelve:  The Documentary Conscience

                                                Kolker 171-end, Barnouw  297-349

                                                            Born Into Brothels

          GRADING

            Critiques    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   30

            Examinations     - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -    30

            Final Examination and *Critique - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -      40

                        *Select one of the documentaries screened in conjunction with this class above but not     used for                                   critiquing. Write & submit an in-depth critique with your completed examination.

 

          ENDNOTES

            Attendance at all class activities is required. Screenings are intrinsic to the course design. Films are                       for collective viewing and discussion. Students are required to stay current with class-                    related material. In all journalism assignments, accuracy is paramount. Fact errors and                             spelling errors earn an automatic failing grade!

            Students will submit a three-page typed critique at the first class meeting the week following the                                viewing of the film. Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a ZERO.

                        All films, unless otherwise noted, will be on caged reserve in the Leyburn Library for the duration of                           the semester. We will screen select titles on Tuesday evenings beginning at 7:05 pm. Evening                                        showings will be announced one week prior to screening

                        All work done in conjunction with this class falls under the province of the University's Honor Code.

 

          USEFUL WEB SITES

                        Big Star: http://www.bigstar.com/

                        American Film Institute: http://www.afionline.org/cover/main.html

                        All Movie Guide: http://www.allmovie.com/

                        Ebert: http://tvplex.go.com/BuenaVista/SiskelAndEbert/

                        Film Com: http://www.film.com                                                     

                        Internet Movie data base: http://www.imdb.com

                        Yahoo: http://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Movies_and_Films/

                        The International Liaison Centre of Schools of Cinema and Television (CILECT):

                        http://cilect.org/presentacion.htm

                        Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress                                                                                                         http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html

                        http://www.rottentomatoes.com

                http://www.videoflicks.com

                http://www.ejumpcut.org/