FILM 265 - German Film in English Translation

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as GERM 265) Topic for 2019/20b: Nazi Cinema: Propaganda, War, and Mass Entertainment. During the twelve years of Nazi rule in Germany, film played an essential role in propagating the regime’s ideological and aesthetic norms. Keenly aware of cinema’s powerful influence on the public, the Nazi regime quickly seized control of the industry to utilize film’s potential as a manipulative tool. The course covers the whole spectrum of film production: From notorious propaganda, such as Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, to a more subtle promotion of ideology in mass entertainment films and musicals, featuring a number of non-German female stars. We also examine the film-historic frame around Nazi Cinema: Forebodings of authoritarian and fascist structures in Weimar Cinema, and the legacy of Nazism in post-war German film. Lioba Gerhardi.

Readings and discussions are in English, and all films have English subtitles.

Open to all classes.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS