Professor: Irene Gustafson
[831] 459 1498 / Comm 125
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Office Hours: Tuesday 3-5pm + by appt

T.A.: Greg Youmans
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Office Hours: Wednesday 3:30-4:30pm Kresge Cafe

[syllabus last updated: 11November 2004]

This course examines the films of two directors, Douglas Sirk and Rainer W. Fassbinder, across a time period that spans close to 50 years. The goal of this course is two-fold: to consider the work of these two directors through a close examination of their films, and to explore “authorship” as a concept with a constantly evolving and historically contingent definition. In doing so we will consider whether, when, and how a director and/or his or her biographical history is considered a substantial influence on a film’s meaning. Crucially, we will consider these films in relation to their historical moments and audiences.

Our class time will typically include:

• Two weekly screenings, lectures, and on occasion, small group discussion.
• Each class period will begin with a lecture that contextualizes the week’s screenings and readings.
• We’ll take 10 minutes after each screening to reflect and write notes individually about the film. This does not preclude note-taking during screenings. In fact, you are strongly encouraged to take notes during films

• First paper (4-5 pages) ......................................................25%
• Second paper (5-6 pages) .................................................35%
• Third paper [collaborative screenplay/treatment] ...............30%
• Attendance and participation in class discussion ..................10%
  [includes screening responses]
• Attendance is mandatory; punctuality is required. Three unexcused absences, excessive lateness, and/or excessive absences at screenings will result in a NO PASS.
  -You are expected to inform the Instructor of any emergency situations that require your absence from class, and you are strongly encouraged to keep in touch with the Instructor and the TA about any absences.
  -Late papers WILL affect your grade.

REQUIRED:
[Available at the Bay Tree Bookstore and on 2-hour reserve at McHenry Library]

•Course Reader
•Barbara Klinger, Melodrama and Meaning: History, Culture, and the Films of Douglas Sirk

1. MODELS OF FILM CRITICISM

...M September 27...
Introductions, Syllabus, course description and objectives
Screening: Lured [Sirk, USA, 1947, 102 min.] DVD144

...W September 29...
Modes of Analysis: Auteurism, Genre, Textual, Historical
Small group discussion: Think of something--an object, a story, etc.--that is “authorless.”
Screening: scenes from Lured
Reading Due:

•Michel Foucault, “What is an Author” [CR]

2. A CINEMA OF VICIOUS CIRCLES

...M October 4...
Screening: Magnificent Obsession [Sirk, USA, 1954, 108 min.] VT2975
Reading Due:

•Klinger pp. xi-35
•Excerpt- Brecht for Beginners [CR]
•Bertolt Brecht,”Theatre for Pleasure or Theatre for Instruction” [CR]

...W October 6...
Screening: All That Heaven Allows [Sirk, USA,1955, 89 min.] DVD484/VT3658
Reading Due:

•Thomas Elsaesser, ”Tales of Sound and Fury: Observations of the Family Melodrama” [CR]
• NY Times Film Review February 1956—All That Heaven Allows [CR]
•NY Times Film Review January 1957—Written on the Wind [CR]

3. LAUGHING THEN CRYING

...M October 11...
Screening: scenes from Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows
Reading Due:

•Bertolt Brecht,”A Short Organum for the Theatre” [CR]
•Fred Camper, "The Films of Douglas Sirk" [CR]

...W October 13...
Screening: Written on The Wind [Sirk, USA,1957, 92 min.] DVD483
Reading Due:

•Klinger pp.36-68
•Paul Willemen, "Towards an Analysis of the Sirkian System" [CR]

4. I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR

...M October 18...
........... PAPER 1 DUE at the beginning of class.............
Screening: Tarnished Angels [Sirk, USA,1958, 91 min.] VT8085
Reading Due:

• Klinger pp.69-96

...W October 20...
Screening: Imitation of Life [Sirk, USA,1959, 125 min.] VT2507/DVD2265
Reading Due:

•Klinger pp.97-131
•Douglas Sirk, chapters from Sirk on Sirk [CR]

5. IMITATIONS OF LIFE

...M October 25...
Screening: scenes from Imitation of Life
Reading Due:

•Klinger pp.132-161
•Fischer,”Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life” [CR]

...W October 27...
Screening: The Merchant of Four Seasons (RWF, BRD, 1971, 89 min.] VT1758
Reading Due:

•Laura Mulvey,”Fassbinder and Sirk” [CR]
•Rainer Fassbinder, “Six Films of Douglas Sirk” [CR]

6. THE LIVES OF IMITATIONS

...M November 1...
Screening: The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (RWF, BRD, 1972, 124 min.] DVD1856/VT1800
Reading Due:

•Thomas Elsaesser, “The Postwar German Cinema” [CR]
•Thomas Elsaesser, “Chronology” [CR]
•Rainer Fassbinder: Filmography [CR]

...W November 3...
Screening: scenes from The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
Reading Due:

•Paul Thomas, “Fassbinder: The Poetry of the Inarticulate” [CR]

7. MIRROR, I’LL BE YOU

...M November 8...
Screening: Ali Fear Eats the Soul (RWF, BRD, 1973, 93 min.] DVD1713/VT1801
Reading Due:

•excerpt-- Introducing Lacan [CR]
•Kaja Silverman,” Fassbinder and Lacan: A Reconsideration of Gaze,
Look, and Image” [CR]

...W November 10...
Screening: scenes from Ali Fear Eats the Soul
Reading Due:

•Michel Foucault, “We ‘Other Victorians’” [CR]

8. CRYING THEN LAUGHING

...M November 15...
Screening: Fox and His Friends (RWF, BRD 1975, 123 min.] VT1796/DVD2256
Reading Due:

•Thomas Elsaesser, ”A Cinema of Vicious Circles” [CR]
•BREAK INTO GROUPS TO DISCUSS FINAL PROJECT

...W November 17...

....................PAPER 2 DUE at the beginning of class....................
Screening: Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven (RWF, BRD, 1975, 120 min.] VT3175/DVD2261

9. THE CIRCLES OF A VICIOUS CINEMA

...M November 22...
Screening: The Marriage of Maria Braun [RWF, BRD1978,120 min.] DVD2169/VT4237
Reading Due:

•Anton Kaes, “History, Fiction, Memory: Fassbinder’s The Marriage of Maria Braun” [CR]

...W November 24...

Screening: scenes from Fox and Mother Kusters
Reading Due:

•BREAK INTO GROUPS TO DISCUSS FINAL PROJECT [come to class with written ideas and concepts for the project]

10. CRITICISM OF MODELS

...M November 29...
Screening: Querelle (RWF, BRD, 1982, 108 min.] DVD473/VT2095
Reading Due:

•Richard Dyer, “Reading Fassbinder’s Sexual Politics” [CR]
•Joan W. Scott, “The Evidence of Experience” [CR]

...W December 1...
Screening: Criminal Lovers [Francois Ozon, France, 1998, 90 min.] DVD545

Reading Due:

•Rick Altman, “Are Genres Subject to Redefinition?” and “Where are Genres Located?” [CR]
•Pitches from student projects

....................PAPER 3 DUE on Monday December 6@ noon....................
[under Irene’s office door or in Irene’s campus mailbox, Communications building]