Film Studies (Elective)

SEMESTER VI  

FILM STUDIES  

COURSE CODE 6 B 12 ENG 

Useful Slides are avalilable here

MODULE I 

[Short questions and Bunch questions]   

Introduction to the basic terminology of filmmaking –  Mise en scene, long takes, 

deep focus – Shots: close up, medium shot, long shot –   Editing : chronological 

editing, cross cutting , montage , fade out, continuity editing, continuity cuts, jump 

cuts, match cuts –  Camera Angle: 30 degree rule,180 degree rule.  

Sound: Synchronous, asynchronous, Dubbing, Score. Colour: Eastman, black and 

white – the production, distribution and reception of films; Censorship.   

MODULE II

[Paragraph, Short and bunch questions]   

Introduction to film genres –  

The Major genres: Narrative, avant-garde, documentary, feature films. Other genres: 

Thriller, melodrama, musical, horror, western, fantasy, animation – film noir, 

expressionist, historical, mythological, road movies.  

MODULE III

[Paragraph and Short questions]   

Introduction to major movements and theories - The silent era; classic Hollywood 

cinema, Neo-Realism, French New wave, Indian cinema - Introduction to the film 

theories of Sergei Eisenstein, Andre Bazin, Auteur theory, Christian Metz and Laura 

Mulvey. 

MODULE IV 

(Essays on I, 2 and 5)  

Case Studies of Classic Cinema (Films to be screened)  

1. Battleship Potemkin – Silent Cinema, Montage. (Essay) 

2.  Bicycle Thieves: Italian Neo Realism (Essay)  

3. Breathless: French New Wave 

4. The Godfather: Hollywood Classic (Essay)  

5. Pather Panchali: Indian Classic (Essay)  

6. Elippathayam: Malayalam Classic (Essay) 

Films  for Assignment:  

1. Great Dictator Dir. Charlie Chaplin 

2. My Fair Lady Dir. George Cukor 

3. Surrogate Mother Dir. Kwon-Tae 

4. Bandit Queen Dir. Sekhar Kapur 

5. Monsoon Wedding Dir. Mira Nair 

6. Fire Deepa Mehta 

7. Mitr, My Friend Dir. Revathy 

8. Firaaq Dir. Nandita Das 

9. Navarasa Dir. Santhosh Sivan 

10.  Bow Dir. Kim Ki Duk 

11.  The Cup Dir. Khyentse Norbu 

12.  Buddha Collapsed out of Shame Dir. Hana Makhmalbaf 

13. Getting Home Dir. Zhang Yang 

14.  Laila’s Birthday Dir. Rashid Masharawi 

15. Social Genocide: Francisco Solanas 

16.  Chemmeen Dir. Ramu Kariat 

17.  Nirmalyam Dir. M.T. Vasudevan Nair 

18.  Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala Dir. Sreenivasan 

19.  Salt and Pepper Dir. Aashiq Abu 

20. Harishchandrachi Factory Dir. Paresh Mokashi  

MODULE V 

[Essays]  

Selected Film Texts  

1. Andre Bazin : ‘The Evolution of the Language of Cinema’ ( from What is     

 Cinema) 

2. Satyajit Ray: ‘What is Wrong with Indian Films’ (from Our Films Their Films) 

3. Shakespearing the Orient. (T. Muralidharan Deep Focus 2002) 

4. The Star System: A Note towards its Sociology (R. Nandakumar Deep Focus      

 1992)  

READING LIST:-   

a) RECOMMENDED READING  

1. Chaudhuri, Shohini. Feminist Film Theorists: Laura Mulvey et. al. Routledge, 2006 

2. Pillai, Meena T. Women in Malayalam Cinema: Naturalising Gender Hierarchies. Orient Black wan,2010 

3. Gopinathan, K. ed. Film and Philosophy. Kozhikode: Calicut University, 2003. 

4. Kumar, Vipin.  ‘Politics of Laughter: An Introduction to the 1990s’ Malayalam Popular Comic Film.’ South Asian Popular Culture, 2008. 

5. Heyward, Susan. Key concepts in Cinema Studies London: Routledge, 2000. 

6. Villarejo, Amy. Film Studies: The Basics London & New York: Routledge. 2007   

7. Ravi S Vasudevan., ed.  Making Meaning in Indian Cinema.  Oxford: Oxford UP, 2002. 

8.  Rajadhyaksha, Ashish and Paul Willemen. ed. Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. London: British Film Institute, 2008.