PHL 3360 Film and Philosophy
This course introduces students to philosophical issues raised by the medium and content of films and examines the uniqueness of film as an art form. Topics include memory and personal identity, reality and perception, life and meaning, and the experiential effects of experimental film. The class will focus on film analysis and philosophical analysis.
Course Types
Expression; Advanced Studies
- Students will interpret philosophical texts and related films (primary sources).
- Students will analyze philosophical questions i n the context o f films and will analyze select film scene in detail.
- Students will explain their findings i n whole-class, small-group, and individual contexts through discussion, presentations, and written assignments.
- Students will devise and advance original philosophical positions that synthesize views across texts and films
- Students will apply philosophical concepts from the texts to films and apply formal, film-specific language.
- Students will compare films from different directors, different cultural backgrounds, different filmmaking traditions, and with different formal features and conceptual concept.
- By the end of the course, students will demonstrate competency in film analysis and formal language (through presentations and writing), close-reading of texts (through course preparation with annotations and in-class discussion), and articulation of philosophical thesis with supporting claims and evidence (through written work).