French Culture Through French Film

3 units

This course is an introduction to French culture. Beginning with the birth of cinema, the course will intially offer a review of the fin de siècle period to identify major historical events in terms of their essential influence on the 20th century. The course will then examine more contemporary developments within French society, more specifically the difficulties of the war years, the post-war era, the effects of the political turmoil of May 68 and the Bs society (black, blanc, beur). While the primary focus of the course will be on French culture, we will also discuss it in relation to American culture. Films for the course will include the work of Jean Renoir, Clauded Chabrol, Alain Resnais, Bertrand Blier, and Jean-Luc Godard. Taught in English. Prereq: U12 106 and 107 or equivalent.