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2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
GERM2051 From Caligari to Hitler: Introduction to German Cinema
15 creditsClass Size: 5
Module manager: Chris Homewood
Email: C.J.Homewood@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2017/18
Pre-requisites
| GERM1030 | German Core Language 1 |
This module is mutually exclusive with
| GERM3560 | German Cinema into the New Millennium |
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Objectives
On completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate a greater understanding of how to 'read' a film. They should also be aware of key shifts in German film aesthetics, and how these are related to broader cultural and social developments.Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be aware of:
- socio-political and cinematic developments in Weimar culture
- socio-political and cinematic developments in post-war German society
- socio-political and cinematic developments in post-Wall German society.
Students should also be able to demonstrate an increased film-specific vocabulary.
Syllabus
The module will introduce you to three key moments in German film history. We begin with 'Weimar film', often seen as Germany's 'Golden Age' of cinema, looking at the extent to which these tales, dominated by vampires, underworld crime bosses and femmes fatales, reveal a crisis at the heart of Germany's first democracy. We will also discuss their impact on Hollywood, looking at why they should have helped to invent American genres such as Film Noir a decade or so later.
Next, we turn to the 'New German Cinema' of the 1960s and 1970s. These are films that had a huge 'art-house' presence internationally, and were radically different in style to the mainstream Hollywood blockbusters that dominated the domestic scene. They were also radical in terms of their subject matter, marking a turning point in the way cinema examined both present social issues ('multiculturalism', the changing role of women in society) and the legacy of the Nazi past.
Finally, we turn to the renaissance of international interest in German film at the start of the new millennium. We will look at how some filmmakers are now attempting to shake off the 'art house' label and to turn away from the social criticism of the New German Cinema. In so doing, we will examine how far recent German cinema reflects a broader turn towards the 'normalisation' (ie westernisation or even Americanisation) of the country since unification.
The module will explore the pivotal role cinema has had since in German culture since its invention. You will be encouraged to examine films both as aesthetic and as historical documents. Throughout the module you will be introduced to how one 'reads' a film, as well as the cultural and political debates surrounding the cinema's development in Germany.
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Film Screenings | 9 | 2.00 | 18.00 |
| Lecture | 2 | 1.50 | 3.00 |
| Seminar | 17 | 1.50 | 22.50 |
| Private study hours | 106.50 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 43.50 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150.00 | ||
Private study
- Alongside the films, weekly introductory and text-specific reading will be set, which should also be prepared in advance (see the VLE module tab for details) to set the agenda for discussion.-Students will also spend time preparing for and writing the clip analysis essay, the second essay and the poster presentation.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
- After an introductory lecture (at the start of each semester), the course will be taught by seminar discussion (90 minutes weekly).- Students are required to prepare for and participate in these weekly seminar discussions facilitated by the tutor.
- In the classes themselves, regular group activities will be set, such as brief presentations and other exercises which will help students prepare for the assessments.
- The formative presentations will focus on a research question that addresses the fortnightly topics/films under discussion.
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | 2,000 words | 50.00 |
| Presentation | Group presentation based on a poster | 20.00 |
| Essay | Clip analysis essay of 2,000 words | 30.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 02/03/2018 17:22:51
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