English 390S: Hitchcock & Co. Taught by Michael Valdez Moses

Where might you find a lecture on Alfred Hitchcock films at Duke University?  On Wednesday, October 26, Professor Michael Valdez Moses and his students discussed and analyzed Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 classic psychological thriller Vertigo starring James Stewart. This fall 30+ Duke University students are in enrolled in English 390S: Hitchcock & Co. a special topics in film course offered by the English Department.

What would you like to see students take away from this course?

 

 

I want them to come away from the course loving film as a major art form that can illuminate their own lives and the world they live in.  - Prof. Michael Valdez Moses, Duke University

Albert Hitchcock (1899-1980) was born in London, England and actually begun his film career there, before moving to the United States in 1939, to embark on a career in Hollywood.  Hitchcock became an American citizen 1955.  During the 1950’s Hitchcock and other gifted directors began to seek more control over their works with a focus on making sure that the final cut of their films reflected their artistic vision. 

There is a distinct difference between "Suspense" and "surprise," yet many pictures continually confuse the two.”  - Alfred Hitchcock 

 

 

 

 

 

What have you learned from this course? 

Duke undergraduates are fantastic --- well, actually I knew that already.  It's why teaching courses at Duke is a dream job.
- Prof. Michael Valdez Moses, Duke University

Why did you choose to take this course? 

I chose to take this course because I am an amateur film lover, and wanted to gain a new analytical lens through which I could view my favorite films, many of which are included on this course’s syllabus.
- Alex Sim, Sophomore, English Major w/ Pre-Med, San Francisco

I have not taken many English courses since I am a Computer Science major, but I love the discussion aspect of this class. Professor Moses is very knowledgeable about the films and filmmakers we study, so meshing the students interpretations with his wide knowledge base has been great.
- Cosette Goldstein, Senior (Class of 2017), Computer Science, Plano, Texas

What has been the most interesting thing you have learned in this course so far? 

I think the most interesting thing I've learned so far in this class is the global reach that the films we've watched had for their time periods. For example, we've watched films from Italy, Japan, Sweden, and France, and each of them was impacted (as well as had an impact on) American cinema. - Nelia Ekeji, Sophomore (Class of 2019), Undeclared, Lawrenceville, GA

I value the seemingly endless contextual information that Professor Moses has provided with regards to all of the films that we have seen. I cannot stress in words how much I have learned about the films, information which has given me a much greater depth of understanding and appreciation for the works.
- Alex Sim, Sophomore, English Major w/ Pre-Med, San Francisco

Interpreting the dream sequences in Wild Strawberries using the Freudian psychoanalytic theory. - Robin Wang, Sophmore, Statistical Science & English double major, Xi’an, China

I've really liked learning about how the use of different formal film elements, such as lighting, length of cuts, camera angles, and music, make the second viewings of these well-known films have much more depth. Coming to class and hearing other students' perspectives on how they've interpreted scenes of the film based on these elements, and observing how these interpretations differ from my own, has allowed me to get a lot more out of watching movies than I had gotten before taking this course.
- Cosette Goldstein, Senior (Class of 2017), Computer Science, Plano, Texas

How would you describe this course to your parents? 

This is the best course I've taken in the fall semester of 2016. The professor is incredibly knowledgeable and I love all the film we see. 
- Robin Wang, Sophmore, Statistical Science & English double major, Xi’an, China  

Hitchcock and Co. studies international cinematic masterpieces spanning several decades of the 20th century, and shows how directors were influenced by their personal lives, the politics of their own countries, and by other directors abroad.
- Nelia Ekeji, Sophomore (Class of 2019), Undeclared, Lawrenceville, GA