| Unit name | Classics of European Cinema |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL10010 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Steven Roberts |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Europe is a historic centre of filmmaking within world cinema. Moments of artistic and social change define particular national cinemas and film movements, though significant regions, filmmakers, and genres of European cinema are not celebrated uniformly. This unit will develop your knowledge and critical thinking in relation to classic films of Europe, their national origins and theoretical frameworks. The following issues will be addressed: what makes a film a “classic”, what themes and techniques connect these films, and how does film art in Europe differ from nation to nation? The classic status of European films is treated contextually and critically, helping you to understand why a number of films have become canonised in film discourse, including those filmmakers once regarded as iconoclastic. You will develop the analysis and historical skills needed to understand major contributions to the artistic identity of European cinema up to the end of the twentieth century.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
You should take this unit if you are new to film studies or looking to develop your existing understanding of cinema, as we will introduce European contexts for exploring film movements, genres, national cinema, classic film theory and related core subject knowledge. You will continue to be supported in the transition to university-level study by analysing and historicising films in an informed way. The unit’s considered treatment of varied texts will help to prepare you for more advanced units on film or cultural production within national and larger geographic areas, where offered, and our critical engagement with scholarship will become a stronger theme in your future studies.
An overview of content
The unit introduces you to classics of European cinema. We will learn about practical aspects of European film production and reception as well as celebrated historical moments, artistic movements, and film genres relevant to the topic. You will become trained in film analysis and learn how to relate textual details to specific national contexts, inclusive of the different claims to classic status found in the theory and criticism of European films. Content might include films from recognised periods such as early, silent, or post-war cinema, well-known movements such as the French New Wave or Italian neorealism alongside feminist countercinema and cult classics, and different regions such as West/North/South/Central and Eastern Europe. Each week, you will engage with an example of European cinema with a claim to classic status, which might show a technological or formal change, radical response to a social issue or past artistic tradition.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will recognise the complexity of national film production and will have broader insight into the Europe’s historic film culture and industry. You will understand core terminology that supports film analysis and your growing confidence in the close reading of cultural texts and treatment of criticism will also be presented effectively. The opportunity to work alongside students on multiple degree programmes will develop your interpersonal skills and appreciation of alternative perspectives, for example, through seminar discussion. A rich engagement with European film history will give you a critical standpoint when considering the canonisation or reclamation of marginalised voices more generally, including beyond university study, and there will be opportunities to develop your digital skills through assessment tasks.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
Lectures set out the key concepts informed by scholarship, demonstrating how these might be applied to interpret specific sequences. Seminars discuss film sequences not examined in the lectures, passages of the reading, and light independent research on national contexts, using industry or academic resources provided by tutors. Preparation tasks and sequences will be provided ahead of the seminars to scaffold your learning. Emphasis will be placed on developing skills in presenting your analysis and different forms of communication/discussion, which will also have digitally applied and reflective aspects. You can examine films that go beyond those taught on the unit but which engage with its European context and key issues. As such, you will be able to expand your understanding of the topic, tailoring your study of it to your own particular interests.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Submit an outline for your summative piece. Tutor feedback will support reflection for your summative work.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Students may choose between:
Written essay to be developed from your formative work and reflection on your learning throughout the unit.
OR
Audiovisual essay to be developed from your formative work and reflection on your learning throughout the unit.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MODL10010).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
