American Film Studies

The Coens’ Blood Simple (1984) was a new kind of film noir set in Texas. A career later they returned to post-Civil War Texas to re-make True Grit (2010). This map of their USA trips through Raising Arizona (1987), then mainstreams to Fargo (1996), but somehow never far from Hollywood and its genres: Barton Fink (1991), O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000), or Hail, Caesar (2016). If their America was No Country For Old Men (2007), then where art they now? (See separate but related courses on Once Upon a Time in New Hollywood, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, and David Lynch).

New Hollywood is a state of mind, not just a place on a map of LA—a film movement led by film school graduates (so there’s hope for you yet) with a passion for filmmaking and the desire to challenge a stagnant status quo. They formed a new wave, working within the studio system but bringing an independent and radical perspective to mainstream filmmaking. These ‘movie brats’ included George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola. And don’t forget Robert Altman. (See separate but related courses on Robert Altman, Francis Coppola, David Lynch and the Coen brothers).



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

The Godfather (1972) defined an era of cult filmmaking and redefined the gangster genre. It had been turned down by Arthur Penn, Otto Preminger, Elia Kazan, and Fred Zinnemann—but they weren’t 31 and in debt. Coppola was the oldest of the ‘movie brats’ and had just hit a cultural nerve by comparing Michael Corleone to President Nixon just before Watergate broke, which led him to The Conversation (1974). He was the hottest young director in Hollywood. The Godfather not only changed his career but also the structure of Hollywood itself. No other American classic so repays repeated viewings. What would he—and Hollywood—do next? Well, he started his own Studio, Zoetrope, with Michael Powell as an adviser. (See separate but related courses on Once Upon a Time New Hollywood, Robert Altman, David Lynch and the Coen brothers).



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Once cinema began to develop, Hollywood began to promote stardom. Starting with Florence Lawrence, the industry began to capitalise on star personalities and encourage fandom. This course will examine how the Hollywood star system began and evolved. The course will begin by examining the ‘picture personality’ in 1912 through to the collapse of the traditional star system in the 1960s.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Universal had its greatest successes of the classical era with a series of horror films with which it will forever be associated. It's classic horror figures define the golden age of horror cinema, while the memorable performances of stars such as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi established them as horror legends. Explore and enjoy these classic horror films and their lasting legacy for the genre.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.

Robert Altman served a long apprenticeship in movie-making before his great breakthrough , the Korean War comedy M*A*S*H (1969). It became a huge hit and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, but also established Altman's inimitable use of sound and image, and his gift for handling a repertory company of actors. The 1970s then became Altman's decade, with a string of masterpieces: McCabe and Mrs Miller (1971 revisionist western), The Long Goodbye (1973 revisionist Raymond Chandler), Thieves Like Us (1974 remake of Nicholas Ray’s 1948 They Live By Night), Nashville (1976 completely and absolutely original widescreen mural of America and Hollywood). In the 1980s Altman struggled to fund his work, but he was restored to prominence in 1992 with The Player, an acerbic take on Hollywood. Short Cuts, an inspired adaptation of Raymond Carver, and the Oscar-winning Gosford Park, (2001), underscored his comeback. (See separate but related courses on Once Upon a Time in New Hollywood, Francis Ford Coppola, David Lynch and the Coen brothers).

Marilyn Monroe was one of the most popular stars of the 1950s and continues to be a well-known star in the 21st century. This course will examine her success and legacy by analysing a variety of sources, such as film, magazines and advertisements to assess why she is so important to our understanding of the fifties.



This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.