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| Semester | spring semester 2014 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Franziska Gygax (franziska.gygax@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Films adapted from novels often invite a comparison with the original, but more recent debates in film studies have aptly demonstrated that such a comparative approach is usually not rewarding because films should be considered as original artworks as well. But films made and produced in Hollywood are often associated with mainstream popular cinema, even if they are based on classic American novels. In our course we are going to read a number of such novels and watch their filmic Hollywood adaptations. We will certainly compare the two media, but we will mainly address the characteristics of both narrative fiction and narrative cinema. Furthermore, these Hollywood films produced in the "dream factory" will also be discussed with regard to their cultural and commercial influences. |
| Learning objectives | The students will be introduced to a selection of classic American novels and to Hollywood history and its influences besides becoming acquainted with the main theoretical tools of film theory. |
| Bibliography | Edith Wharton, "The Age of Innocence" (Penguin Classics), film by Martin Scorsese; Ernest Hemingway, "For Whom the Bell Tolls", film by Sam Wood; Margaret Mitchell, "Gone With the Wind", film by Victor Fleming; F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby" (Penguin Classics), films by Jack Clayton and Baz Luhrmann; John Steinbeck, "East of Eden" (Penguin), film by Elia Kazan; Katherine Anne Porter, "Ship of Fools", film by Stanley Kramer. DVDs of the films will be available at the student assistants’ office. Additional texts will be available on ISIS. |
| Weblink | ISIS |
| Admission requirements | Open to BA students who have successfully completed the module "Refining Skills in Literature and Culture" (old BA) or "Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies" (new BA) - including the proseminar paper. |
| Course application | Please register on ISIS. (N.B. The number of participants is limited.) |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Modul Extending the View (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Focusing on the Discipline (Literary and Cultural Studies) (Bachelor's degree subject: English (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation, presentations |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |