'Foreign films': European cinema from the fifties

What is the course about?

This film studies course covers a wide range of directors including Fellini, Antonioni, Godard, Truffaut, Rivette, Bresson, Rohmer, Malle, Buñuel, Varda, Resnais and Chabrol. As Hollywood began to decline European art cinema broke through, more realistic and less censored. The medium of film can encompass many aspects: simply entertaining or deeply probing and personally artistic. This kind of film existed mostly outside of the mainstream Hollywood system in Europe and were still in the minority there. These foreign films became a real presence in the international market. The more you watch foreign films, the better you’ll get at it. Foreign films offer a great alternative. Foreign films draw a different crowd. You get to see places you may never see. Foreign films offer a chance to hear another language. And, since films are a reflection of society, what better way to understand different cultures, but through their films. I believe the stories of foreign films are bolder and stronger. To see other cultures dramatise similar themes breaks the cultural gap. Sometimes, we really are not that different.

What will we cover?

Why that decade? For a number of reasons. The world became smaller during the War. Places on a map became more immediate. Television weakened the film industry’s hold on popular entertainment culture, which allowed films from independent and foreign sources to finally get a foot in the door. They were still difficult to see—but as a result they became iconic and are still among the staples of any serious film student’s education. In 1950, RKO released a masterpiece from Japan: Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) in art houses and the RKO cinema chain throughout the U.S. This wider access was for the mass audience their first experience of a foreign film.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Describe the key films of various countries
- Define their USP and what made their reputation
- Describe their narrative—how they tell their story.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is suitable for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners. No previous study is necessary but all levels will increase their knowledge and critical ability.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Opening lecture, proper big screen screenings of films, clips, sequences and re-mixes that stimulate group discussion and debate.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

No other costs. Tutor will screen extracts of films or supply links to online viewing. Bring notepad or tablet.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Look for other courses in Film Studies under www.citylit.ac.uk/history, culture and writing/film studies.