Film Studies Minor

Contrary to a popular misconception, science fiction is not necessarily about other planets, or alien invaders, or wars in outer space. It is about us, the people and institutions that shape our world and our future. Perhaps more than any other genre, science fiction is a barometer of the times. In this course we look at four science fiction films that probe the dynamics of the constant struggle between our sometimes vaunting aspirations and the often exorbitant price we must pay for them.

For most people, ideas about history come not from textbooks or scholarly papers, but from movies or television. Although motion pictures have sometimes blundered, distorted and downright lied, still, at their best, they have given a vivid and memorable picture of the ages to an infinitely wider audience than traditional historians. This course engages students in viewing and analyzing films with historical events as their organizing principle.

A study of how politics is depicted in fiction and films. Students read works of fiction and view films that touch upon politics and the political process from both an American and international perspective.

In addition to discussing the philosophical content of films, students explore questions about the nature of film itself, such as whether film counts as art and how film evokes emotion and creates meaning for the viewer through cinematic technique. Students also investigate how film functions as a means of advancing ideas and what the effects of the medium are on culture and society.