A study of US cinema from its beginnings up to the present. Representative films will be screened for class study, including both canonical and non-canonical works. Prerequisites: THEA 1023 or ENGL 2023.

• The Great Train Robbery (1903) – Directed by Edwin S. Porter
• The Public Enemy (1931) – Directed by William A. Wellman
• Dracula (1931) – Directed by Tod Browning
• 42nd Street (1933) – Directed by Lloyd Bacon
• Casablanca (1942) – Directed by Michael Curtiz
• Citizen Kane (1941) – Directed by Orson Welles
• Double Indemnity (1944) – Directed by Billy Wilder
• Some Like It Hot (1959) – Directed by Billy Wilder
• The Searchers (1956) – Directed by John Ford
• Chinatown (1974) – Directed by Roman Polanski
• Apocalypse Now (1979) – Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
• Blade Runner (1982) – Directed by Ridley Scott
• Yentl (1983) – Directed by Barbra Streisand
• Zero Dark Thirty (2012) – Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
• Being John Malkovich (1999) – Directed by Spike Jonze
• Nope (2022) – Directed by Jordan Peele
• CODA (2021) – Directed by Sian Heder
• Primer (2004) – Directed by Shane Carruth

You must complete all the major assignments, fulfill weekly assignments, and submit writing assignments, presentations & portfolios. Failure to successfully complete major assignments may prevent you from accessing further assignments, resulting in a lower or failing class grade.

Grading

• Discussion Posts 40%
• Group History Presentations 20%
• In-class activities (Individual & Group) 25%
• Oral Exam Presentation (Individual) 10%

Important Note: Grades will not be adjusted upon request: concerns about grades must be addressed prior to the last week of class, to allow time to develop a plan, complete, and submit make-up work.

CANVAS: All assignment due dates, detailed descriptions, announcements, calendar, policies, and submission links can be found within our CANVAS course website. All submissions for assignments in this course will be submitted/uploaded digitally in CANVAS.

You may not submit work in this course that has already been submitted in any other course.

Discussion Posts (30% of course grade)

Every week there will be short writing where you will post to a discussion thread in response to topics covered in class during that week and responses to readings and films.

Groups History Presentations (20% of course grade)

Students will be put into groups to work on a presentation focused on a historical period that aligns with a chapter from our textbook. The purpose of this in-class presentation will be to give additional topical and cultural context to the assigned films. As a group you will meet with a Librarian to conduct research and find content for your project.

In-Class Activities (25%)

In-person attendance is required for this course and this portion of the grade will be earned by coming to class and participating class activities. These will include lecture discussions, group exercises, and group project work days where you will engage in course learning outcomes and demonstrate your ability to incorporate our class topics into your individual and collaborative work. You must adhere to the in order to receive credit for this portion of the coursework.

Final Exam (25%)

A final exam where you will consider the notes you have taken this semester, the films you have seen, the readings you have reviewed, and the lectures & discussions you participated in, and demonstrate your proficiency in US Narrative Film.

Weeks 1–3

Introductions and we will begin group work for presentations. You will be split into 10 groups (likely pairs) and you will be assigned a chapter from our textbook where you will be asked to give a presentation on historical background to understand that chapter. These weeks will be focused on researching and developing your presentation and will require you watching films assigned to your chapter.

Weeks 4–14

Each week, we will read one chapter from our textbook, American Film: A History, and also each week you will be assigned to watch two films discussed in that chapter and drawn from the list above (). You will also be assigned a selection of days from these weeks to take notes of the lectures and post them to Canvas, in addition to posting notes and discussion comments related to the films and readings.

Here are the list of chapters and weeks we will read them:

• Week 4: Chapter 1: Early Cinema
• Week 5: Chapter 2: The Silent Era
• Week 6: Chapter 3: Technical Innovation and Industrial Transformation
• Week 7: Chapter 4: Hollywood in Transition
• Week 8: Chapter 5: Adjusting to Postwar America
• Week 9: Chapter 6: Moving toward a New Hollywood
• Week 10: Chapter 7: A Hollywood Renaissance
• Week 11: Chapter 8: A New New Hollywood
• Week 12: Chapter 9: Movies for a New Millennium
• Week 13: Epilogue

Finals Week

You will take an exam that allows you to use your notes to demonstrate what you’ve learned and how you’ve developed your knowledge of US Narrative Film.

All work is due 11.59pm (Utah, Mountain Time) on the indicated Due Date

If you are having difficulty submitting an assignment, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor before the assignment is due. Review assignments ahead of time and ask questions before the day of the deadline so that you have adequate time to work on the assignment.

For Canvas issues, if the assignment is emailed with required attachments before the posted deadline then it will be accepted. Work submitted late without instructor permission or without an assignment area on Canvas will not be accepted.

All assignments list a “Due Date” and an “Available Until” date in the Assignments tab.

• “Due Date” – the day the assignment is due
• “Available Until” date – after the “Due Date” the assignment will remain open for penalty-free submission until the “Available Until” date (typically 4–5 days after the “Due Date”). See below.

Late Work Conditional Grading:

Work submitted on time by the “Due Date”:

• Will generally receive written feedback and is eligible for full credit/points

Work submitted after “Due Date” but before assignment closes (Available Until date):

• Eligible for full credit/points, will not receive written feedback (for feedback please make an office hours appointment with the instructor)

After the “Available Until” date (assignment closure date):

• Accepted only if pre-arranged before assignment closes (Available Until date)
• Late work will be discussed on a case-by-case basis and is not guaranteed
• Only up to 2 weeks’ worth of in-class & written late work will be accepted

OTO/On-time-only assignments: Cannot be submitted late or after the posted Due Date. Failure to complete these assignments will result in a grade of “0”, and there will be no exceptions.

In-Class Attendance is Required: Your success and the success of this course depend on your active participation and, therefore, your regular attendance is required. You should communicate with your instructor about your absences. Your attendance is recorded under “Roll Call” in “Assignments.” If you are in class, you must actively participate in class activities in order to be marked present.

Excessive absences from the class may result in a lower or failing grade, regardless of class performance. You run this risk if you exceed six (6) total absences, including any Absence Waivers. It is your responsibility to get class notes from a classmate and to contact the instructor for missed work. There is a reduction in attendance points for arriving late. In order to be marked ‘present’ (or ‘late’) you must arrive within 15 minutes of the class start time and remain until the end of class.

Note: you DO NOT need to provide documentation for missing just one class. If you have an issue that requires you to miss several classes for an extended period of time, you may be asked to meet with the Dean of Students’ office to consider accommodations or withdrawal options.

Absence Waiver Policy: Each student will be granted 3 excused absences. Near the end of the semester, your first 3 absences will be converted to “Waiver/Excused” and no questions asked. After the waivers, absences will begin to impact your grade and you should meet with your instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to check absences and to email the instructor with any discrepancies within one week of the discrepancy. Note: you may not use excused absences during Presentation Days.

Lengthy Planned Absences: Use your Absence Waiver and recover at home for brief illnesses or other personal reasons. If you know you will need to miss more than 4 class days you should meet with your instructor and may be referred to the or for medical/emergency withdrawal, or other accommodation.

Excessive Absences: If you miss more than 6 class days in total your absences will count as excessive and you will be unable to pass the class. A failing grade is issued once you have missed your 7th class, including any absences excused under the Absence Waiver policy. If you are excessively absent you will be advised to seek medical/emergency withdrawal options through your advisor or other university entities depending on the nature of your absences and communication with your instructor

Exceptions will be made for students who receive accommodation from the or . It is the student’s responsibility to coordinate such accommodation and you should do so before the start of class and/or as soon as reasonably possible.

Student Resources: If you are struggling to attend class, please seek help. In addition to communicating with your instructor, you may find the following links useful:

• SUU Student Resources (website)
• SUU Campus Resources and Services (PDF)