School of Humanities  
 
 
AMS-20061 Alfred Hitchcock's America  
Co-ordinator: Prof Oliver Harris    Room: CBB1.053, Tel:33016  
Teaching Team: Mrs Jayne  Braddick, Mrs Amanda  Porritt, Dr James  Peacock, Miss Jo-Anne  Watts,  Jo  Gill  
Lecture Time: See Timetable...  
Level: 2 Credits: 15 Study Hours: 150  
School Office: Tel: 01782 733147
 
 
 
Programme/Approved Electives for
American Studies Dual Honours (Level 2)
American Studies Minor (Level 2)
American Studies Single Honours (Level 2)
English and American Literatures Single Honours (Level 2)
English with Creative Writing Single Honours (Level 2)
English Single Honours (Level 2)
Film Studies Dual Honours (Level 2)
Film Studies Minor (Level 2)
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Yes
Barred Combinations
None
Prerequisites
Successful completion of at least one of the following: AMS-20060 Hooray for Hollywood? ENG-10024 Reading Film ENG-10025 Approaches to Film

Description

Alfred Hitchcock was an historian, critic, and analyst of American culture, as becomes clear by focusing on some of the greatest films he made in Hollywood from the early 1940s until the late $ù50s. We will pursue cultural and politicised readings, while also attending in detail to both the production histories of his films $ú the stars, studios, and collaborators he worked with - and, through close attention to detail, their paramount formal features.

Themes considered include the relation between national security and sexual identity, the complicity of cinema in a surveillance culture, fashion and the politics of gender construction.

This module is designed for students who have already taken a film module, and is not recommended for those without some relevant previous experience.
Aims
1. To develop students&© knowledge of Hollywood as an industry and of American culture during the war and postwar years, through the work of a single director;
2. To develop students&© abilities to analyse both formal features of film texts and referential features in relation to American culture and history.
Intended Learning Outcomes
apply skills in close textual analysis of film will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2, 3, 4
apply a critical understanding of the institutional imperatives of Hollywood as a culture industry during the 1940s and 1950s will be achieved by assessments: 3
analyse formal features of filmmaking and cinematic themes and relate them to broader cultural and historical issues in American society will be achieved by assessments: 2, 3, 4
describe and evaluate key features of American society during the 1940s and '50s will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2, 3
Study hours
10 x 2-hour seminars
9 x 30 minute- lecture/workshops
1 x 15-minute one-to-one feedback and planning session
107 hours 15 mins preparation for seminars, workshops and assignments
9 x 2-hour film-screenings.
Description of Module Assessment
01: Class Test weighted 10%
Analysis of one film motif
Following a screening the the film "Saboteur" students will be given 30 minutes to write a short essay analysing one motif featured in the film (e.g. the symbolic use of music or the recurrent trope of sight) chosen from a short list. Essays will be returned with comments within one week so that the class test is also a useful formative exercise in preparation for the short paper.
02: Short Paper weighted 30%
1,200 word paper
1,200-word short paper is designed to develop students' abilities to make formal analysis of filmic motifs already practiced in the class test on the film "Saboteur," combined with a more developed recognition of how such motifs contribute to larger thematic concerns. Requiring a bibliography and accurate presentation, the assessment also prepares students for the major essay.
03: Essay weighted 50%
Long essay to enable students to demonstrate the module's main learning outcomes
2,500-word essay, chosen from a range of set titles, that require students to demonstrate skills in both close textual analysis and a broader ability to describe and evaluate both key themes and cultural/historical references.
04: Class Participation weighted 10%
Seminar participation including contribution to small-group work
Participation is assessed according to effort as well as academic ability; i.e., evidence of preparation in response to set seminar topics, readiness to apply the prearation positively in class discussion, and quality fo contributions. Tutor will keep a weekly record to support marks awarded.
Version: (1.06B) Updated: 03/Oct/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.