Monday, January 14

We discussed the ending of Breathless (why does Patricia turn Michel in, especially) and Godard's project of making an existentialist treatment of a genre film.

Then we watched the opening of Bonnie and Clyde.

HW due Tuesday: film elements assignment issued on Friday.

Friday, January 11

We finished watching Breathless, and discussed the ending briefly, listening to a bit of the DVD's commentary track.

HW due Tuesday: Mr. Potratz distributed a handout with details. See Documents page.

Thursday, January 10

We briefly discussed students' reactions to the beginning of Breathless, then watched more of the film.


Wednesday, January 9

Mr. Potratz introduced the nature of the final exam, to be given Tuesday, January 22. Students will be shown several clips from films (some of which we have seen, some of which we haven't), and students will be required to analyze each with reference to specific techniques or film elements, such as camera movement and angles, lighting, mise en scene, editing, etc.

We watched several minutes of The Cutting Edge, the documentary on film editing, including sections on Breathless and Bonnie and Clyde. Afterwards, we watched the first twenty or so minutes of Breathless, a French New Wave film directed by Jean-Luc Godard.


Tuesday, January 8

In a weather-shortened period of one half hour we briefly traced the early history of the Hollywood crime movie, watching clips of Jimmy Cagney from The Public Enemy, of Edward G. Robinson from Little Caesar, and of Humphrey Bogart from The Big Sleep.

Monday, January 7

Students wrote for 25 minutes, comparing "The Killers" with The Killers, i.e. Ernest Hemingway's short story with the 1946 film which improvises upon it.

After that, we discussed the question.

Friday, January 4

Students turned in their online movie reviews,.

We went to the commons and ate donuts, then returned to the room and watched the last ten minutes of The Killers.

Monday: In-class write, comparing The Killers with the Hemingway story, and with Citizen Kane.

Thursday, January 3

We watched all but about ten minutes of The Killers (1946).

HW due Friday: online movie reviews, assigned before the break

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Mr. Potratz read aloud the Ernest Hemingway short story "The Killers," and then we watched the first twenty-five minutes of the 1946 film of the same name.

During class on Monday students will be asked to compare the story with the film, in writing.