Film Studies

Courses Offered

Chemeketa offers three courses in Film Studies. Each is an introduction to the art and language of cinema, offering skills in perceiving and understanding movies. Movies are viewed in a film screening lab and discussed in a lecture section. The selection of movies, film topics and major directors varies considerably from term to term.

FA255 Understanding Movies

FA255 is an introduction to the basic elements of cinema, providing a background for an understanding and appreciation of the art of film. A movie is shown each week as an example of film technique and historical development. The emphasis of the lecture and discussion is on visual and narrative style and how style contributes to the dramatic impact of a film. The discussion of the film often includes a stop-action, shot-by-shot analysis of key scenes and sequences. Film history is illuminated, with film selections ranging from the silent cinema to contemporary movies. The class is designed to give you the opportunity to see important feature-length films you might not ordinarily see and to provide a format whereby you can discuss, evaluate and interpret these films as a group.

FA256 Understanding Movies: The Great Film Directors

The focus of FA256 is on the film director as the primary creative force in the making of movies. The course is devoted to the study of one, two, or three outstanding directors whose films have expressed in exciting and dynamic ways a unique view of the world. The course work consists of viewing at least one film a week, evaluating and examining that film in terms of characters, shots, and narrative as elements of the director's style. You will also read essays, film-notes, and student comments on the film and director. Directors studied in previous classes include Buster Keaton, Luis Bunuel, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski, Akira Kurosawa, Fritz Lang, Howard Hawk, Jean Renoir, Charles Chaplin, John Huston, Francois Truffaut, and Ingmar Bergman. This course may be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

FA257 Understanding Movies: Themes and Genres

Themes and Genres is devoted to the study of a major film genre (romantic comedy, film noir, the western) or a group of films of a single nationality or expressing a common theme (the French New Wave, Australian Cinema). Through weekly film viewings, lecture and discussion, a particular film subject is explored in depth. Emphasis is on the way in which films express ideas, and the films are selected and lectures designed to lead you to a greater ability to perceive, appreciate and enjoy cinema. This course may be repeated for a total of 12 credit hours.

You may take FA255, 256, and 257 as a transfer Humanities or Arts and Letters sequence or take any single film class as a Humanities credit. Day and Evening sections are offered.

Updated October 2006 by the College Advancement Department.