Special Topics in Film

It has often been said that a joke dies when analyzed. In this class, we will see how it reincarnates and sparksnew insights through thoughtful analysis. We will begin by examiningthe medium of humorous expression, which in this case is the temporal and spatial organization of cinematic image and sound.

Tracing the development of the comicgenre in film history, we will explore itsbeginnings in the silent era, its refinementduring the classical period, its reinventionwith the arrival of sound, and itstransformation in postwar and international cinemas. We will also explore how comedy expands into numerous subgenres, blendswith other genres, and pushes theboundaries of the genre while playing withaudience expectations. Special attention will be given to historical formal analysis to identify how genre conventions are established, adjusted, and reshaped by innovative filmmakers. This foundation will enable us to discuss productively the social and cultural functions of film comedy and its unique capacity to entertain, critique, and provoke thought.

Weekly screenings will feature representative films by major filmmakers, including Mack Sennett, Charlie Chaplin, Ernst Lubitsch, René Clair, Frank Capra, Frank Tashlin, Jacques Tati, Quentin Tarantino, and Stephen Chow. Students areexpected to post online screening andreading responses, participate actively in class discussions, and write take-home midterm and final sequence-analysis essays (6–8 pages each). No prerequisites are required. This course integrates readings and in-class sequence-analysis exercises to help students from all backgrounds develop the vocabulary and skills needed to analyze various aspects of cinematic expression, including cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, and sound.