The Middle Ages on Film

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course will explore modern visions of the Middle Ages through film. We will view several feature-length films and numerous film clips, interspersed with readings from and about the Middle Ages. Together we will discuss and analyze both the texts and films. The films range from early silent films to Hollywood Golden Era classics to recent blockbusters. The course is divided into six segments: (1) the Crusades; (2) Eleanor of Aquitaine: wife and mother of kings; (3) Robin Hood; (4) King Arthur; (5) the Black Death; and (6) Joan of Arc. Students will write short daily assignments, two short essays, and a final paper or take-home exam. There are three required textbooks: Robert Brent Toplin, Reel History: In Defense of Hollywood (2002); Daniel Hobbins (trans.), The Trial of Joan of Arc; and Robert Bresson, Notes on the Cinematograph (2016).