BS222 American Film Classics (formerly English Film Discussion)

Course Description

Discover and discuss masterpieces of American and British cinema in this class for intermediate and advanced English speakers. You’ll watch a film at home on streaming, or borrow the DVD from your local library, before a lively and engaging discussion in class. You’ll be assigned one scene to watch at least three times! Every month you’ll view a film from an influential director so you’ll come to know the stylistic hallmarks of favorite genres and filmmakers. If you love the movies, this course is an enjoyable way to increase vocabulary, get comfortable with idiomatic expressions, improve your conversational skills, and deepen your understanding of American culture and cinema.

In the late 60’s and early 70s, there was a renaissance in American filmmaking, as exciting as the one in the mid-20’s when Keaton and Chaplin were at their peak. The so-called “New American Cinema,” whose most famous directors included Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorcese, and Robert Altman, were influenced by the French Nouvelle Vague’s use of innovative techniques, improvisational acting, smaller cameras, and location shooting.

This trimester we’ll discuss three films from the early 1970s: McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) by Robert Altman, A New Leaf (1971) by Elaine May, and Five Easy Pieces (1970) by Bob Rafelson.

About the Instructor

Ellen Feldman grew up in Philadelphia and currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She holds a Ph.D. in cinema studies from New York University and has taught film studies at the State University of New York, Geneseo campus, and Brooklyn College.