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Fall 2006
Film Studies 98/198
2.5 Unit(s)

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About the Course:

Wild orgies, murderous machines, phallic weapons (literally), and a touch of British flair, Stanley Kubrick’s films retain an unmistakable directorial stamp while enjoying both popular and critical success. It’s a widely known fact that before embarking on a new project, Kubrick would sit down and watch every film that has attempted to deal with the given subject matter of his prospective film. In this way, we can view Kubrick as the ultimate “cinematic engineer,” one who synthesizes the works of past filmmakers into a masterwork of any given genre. Therefore, studying one of Kubrick’s films is tantamount to studying, what Kubrick believes to be, the essential features of any given genre, be it science fiction, satire, historical fiction, or horror. In this class, we will exploit this intriguing feature of his oeuvre, using his films not only to discover what drives the auteur behind the camera, but also to explore a variety of film theories and their relationship to genre. In the end, those who take this class will learn to decide for themselves whether Kubrick was a provocative genius, a fortunate hack, or an overhyped product of his cult followers (not excluding ourselves).

For all majors, including film students, this course is intended as an open-minded, informal introduction to the cinema of Stanley Kubrick.

Much of the course will be made up of active participation-written assignment and class discussion. Students will come away from this class with better tools to not only approach Kubrick, but any film that speaks to and from our present moment. Why not join us and move beyond the smug comfort of IMDBism?

How to Enroll:

ATTENDANCE ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS, SEPT 7, ALONG WITH THE COMPLETED APPLICATION (POSTED BELOW) WILL BE DECISIVE IN THE REVIEW PROCESS.

Not to mention, supplementary materials such as facebook and/or myspace profiles, adequate blogsites, etc. J/K.

Concerning the application, before you say “what the frak?” count to 10, think about it, and then if you have questions/comments, contact us via email.