From late Silent to early Sound cinema

What is the course about?

This online film studies course looks at silent cinema in the second half of the 1920s, its achievements and critical reputation, and the subsequent transition to sound from the late 1920s and early 1930s. It will consider the expressive and non-naturalistic use of sound and its use for dialogue (the 'talkies'), and the way in which many films combined these seemingly contradictory elements - as a number of critics tended to view the situation. We will explore key concepts in late silent and early sound cinema, such as expressionism, montage, realism, theories of sound, and debates around how sound was to be used, with a key theme being a tension between image and sound. It will also consider the films and filmmakers that have come to define the cinema of this period.

Some of the films you can expect to see on the course:
Battleship Potemkin (1925), The General (1926), Napoléon (1927), Sunrise (1927), Metropolis (1927), The Docks of New York (1928), The Crowd (1928), The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Man with a Movie Camera (1929), Un chien andalou (1929), Blackmail (1929), Earth (1930), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930),The Big Trail (1930), Under the Roofs of Paris (1930), The Blue Angel (1930), Frankenstein (1931), M (1931), City Lights (1931), Vampyr (1932), Trouble in Paradise (1932), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), It Happened One Night (1934), The Scarlet Empress (1934), The Only Son (1936), Modern Times (1936)

This course may be of particular interest if you took 'Cinema before 1930' in term 1.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone can be used if you don't have a computer but please note the experience may be less optimal.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

• Film style in the late silent era
• Early sound film style
• Debates around the introduction of sound
• The use of sound in cinema of the period
• Key films and filmmakers of the period
• Critical accounts of cinema of the period (e.g., 'pre-code' films).

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

• Assess film style in late silent era cinema
• Assess early sound film style
• Describe and assess key Debates around the introduction of sound
• Identify and assess the use of sound in cinema of the period
• Identify key films and filmmakers of the period
• Evaluate a range of Critical accounts of cinema of the period.

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

The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for film and discussing film. The course will provide an introduction to the subject but will also be useful for those wishing to build on existing.

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

Screenings of extracts from films, talks by the tutor, reading materials, small and large group discussions. It might also be a good idea to see what you can find out about the subject in advance of the class but this is not essential.

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

You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts. The tutor will show extracts from films and you do not have to obtain them.

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

Please see other film studies classes under History, Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.Citylit.ac.uk.