Learning on ScreenFilm Studies for FE
The relative merits of these films are irrelevant. Whether A Bout de Souffle (1960) is a better film than Festen (1998) is not the point. What is important here is which film will engage the student, generate discussion and keep them on your course (it’s Festen by the way). That is not to say that the important films of historical significance should be ignored. The films I am mentioning can work as outriders, signposts for some students who want to take that turning towards the Promised Land where lies Bergman, Tarkovsky, Ozu, Godard and the rest.
Of course, the canon still contains films that work. Hitchcock can still engage students particularly Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960), where the themes still seem very modern and the suspense still engages. There is still no better filmmaker through which to introduce the auteur concept.
What is important here is which film will engage the student, generate discussion and keep them on your course…
Film Noir is still a great way to get into Genre. The codes and conventions are very clear and the films stand up very well and can be compared to more modern variants – everything from The Big Lebowski (1998) to Fight Club (1999) and Drive (2011). Generic hybrids can be approached through Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).
Narrative is one of the most troublesome topics due to its complexity. Practically any film can be used to introduce Classic Hollywood Narrative (I’ve used Casablanca (1942) to reasonable effect). More complex narratives can be introduced through Quentin Tarantino (almost a staple now but students love his films). Tarantino’s complex approach to spectatorship led me to Gus Van Sant’s Elephant (2003) a multiple perspective view of a Columbine style High School shooting. This, in turn, led to the aforementioned Run Lola Run and even to Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950).
Finally, there are several excellent documentaries on film out there: Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (1992) is recommended while The Celluloid Closet (1995) is excellent on the representation of homosexuality in cinema; for a good historical overview try Martin Scorsese’s Personal Journey through American Cinema (1995). One final tip: always check the DVD extras, all that stuff you spend ages preparing is often on there.
Ultimately, the aim is to keep film alive in the classroom so that our student’s will keep it alive elsewhere.
Hugh Robinson
