Hong Kong Cinema

(4 Credits)

This course introduces students to the distinctive cinema of Hong Kong (HK). We will focus on the years between 1967 and 1997, when HK rose from regional to international prominence, then declined. We will approach HK cinema from four perspectives: geopolitical history, film genre, directorial style, and the economics of the film industry. Students will learn to see these perspectives not as mutually exclusive but as complementary, for we can best understand a film by thinking about it from multiple angles. Students will write two essays, the first analyzing a film made before 1980, and the second analyzing one made between 1980 and 2000. Each student will twice lead discussion of readings from the syllabus. In a small group project, students will do research on a topic relevant to the course, make a bibliography of their findings, and then present those findings to the class. Prerequisites: GPS or sophomore standing (or not open to first semester students). Fulfillment: CORE HPC or IPC; GCS Chinese Media, Arts, and Literature; Humanities Advanced course.