Close reading and analysis of films and works of
modern literature. Establishing parallels between
literary and cinematic arts, we will reflect on
the adaptation by film directors and screenwriters
of works of fiction: the movement or transition
from page to screen. Examination of how models of
criticism are shaped by formal features integral
to the art of the cinema (cinematography, editing,
performance, special effects, etc.). Recurring
topics will include genre, spectatorship,
narrative, identification, and intertextuality. A
central aim will be to specify the conventions of
a variety of literary and cinematic genres: the
thriller, crime fiction and film noir/neo-noir,
the Gothic or horror story, science fiction, and
meta-cinema or critical cinema (films about other
films). Special emphasis will be placed on "free"
or "distant" adaptations of works of fiction, on
films that creatively rethink the very concept of
"adaptation."
modern literature. Establishing parallels between
literary and cinematic arts, we will reflect on
the adaptation by film directors and screenwriters
of works of fiction: the movement or transition
from page to screen. Examination of how models of
criticism are shaped by formal features integral
to the art of the cinema (cinematography, editing,
performance, special effects, etc.). Recurring
topics will include genre, spectatorship,
narrative, identification, and intertextuality. A
central aim will be to specify the conventions of
a variety of literary and cinematic genres: the
thriller, crime fiction and film noir/neo-noir,
the Gothic or horror story, science fiction, and
meta-cinema or critical cinema (films about other
films). Special emphasis will be placed on "free"
or "distant" adaptations of works of fiction, on
films that creatively rethink the very concept of
"adaptation."
- Teacher: Michael Mirabile