DC 207 History of Cinema I, 1890-1945

This course examines the history of cinema as one of the most influential cultural forms of the 20th Century. We will study the aesthetic and technological developments of cinema during its first 50 years, as well as examine the social and economic factors shaping its history. Initially influenced by other art forms (theater, literature, painting) filmmaking quickly acquired its own formal system, language, and traditions. We will trace the changing styles, techniques, content, and methods of filmmaking as an art form, as popular culture, and as an industry. We will consider how cinema is bound to its social context via audience relations, economics, technology, and ideology. The limited scope of this course will cover primarily feature-length, narratives films as the dominant mode of filmmaking, although we will also look at the development of documentary and experimental filmmaking. The class will consist of lectures, screenings, and discussions.