Cinematic Bodies (P02476)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : LLC-P-P02476

Filmed subject as well as imaginary construct, the human body, in cinema, literally incarnates issues that are central to modern and postmodern discourses – the relationship between the virtual and the actual, between matter and sign, metaphor and embodiment, representation, performance and authenticity.

Character, type or figure, idealised or monstrous, annihilated or transformed beyond recognition, the cinematic body can be life-like or ghostly, singular or integrated into the mise en scène of a film as merely one element among others in the total visual design. The filmed body is thus both the carrier of a whole array of socio-cultural signifiers (race, gender, class, age in particular), and one of the basic material components with which a filmmaker composes his work. As such, it stands not only as a site of identification or as an object of projection that crystallises fears and desire, but also as an aesthetic object that is, however, capable of provoking empathy as well as physical repulsion. One can also speak of the ‘body’ of the film itself, which arguably bears the marks of a discourse imprinted in the very texture of its images and sound.

In this course, we will explore some of the facets of the changing phenomenon that is the cinematic body; we will chart some of its appearances and fluctuating meanings from early cinema to contemporary film, focusing principally on alternative filmmaking practices and auteur cinema, yet referring to mainstream cinema as the normative template. Recent developments in film theory, focusing anew on phenomenological approaches, emphasise the centrality of the body and of embodiment in the cinema experience; complementing classic theoretical texts, these will provide a solid theoretical framework for the analysis of specific film works.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

European Languages and Cultures - Common Courses, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : To be arranged/Unknown

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Aims
This option aims to provide students with a sound knowledge of a sample of key films and theoretical concepts. It will allow the students to focus on topical issues and conduct creative comparative analysis of the work of European and non-European filmmakers.

Outcomes
Familiarity with a selection of key works and understanding of crucial theoretical and aesthetic issues. Ability to conduct in-depth, critical analysis and comparative studies of a body of works in relation to current theoretical debates.