French Cinema: The New Wave and Beyond

This subject offers an introduction to French Cinema from the New Wave to the present. Themes covered in the subject include the New Wave in its social and cultural context; auteur theory; cinematographic language; representations of social change and the interpretation of cultural identities in French film. On completion of the subject, students should demonstrate familiarity with the practices and theoretical concerns of New Wave and post-New Wave filmmakers in France, be able to analyse the social and cultural processes represented in selected films from the period studied, demonstrate an awareness of critical approaches to French film, and communicate the results of their research and analysis in both oral and written forms. The subject is taught and assessed in French. Prior experience in Film Studies is neither assumed nor required.

• 1Have gained an appreciation of academic French through the confident use of sophisticated oral and written French at level B2/C1 of the Common European Framework for Languages
• 2Have gained an overview of the practices and theoretical concerns of New Wave and post-New Wave French and Francophone film in at least one of the four core areas of French and Francophone literature, linguistics, cinema and cultural studies
• 3Have gained a broad understanding of critical approaches to French and Francophone film as well as of general research and analytical skills
• 4Be able to reflect on their identity as a developing multicultural person and as a global citizen through the analysis of the social and cultural processes represented in selected films from the period studied
• 5Have learned to do self-directed small research projects in the field of French and Francophone Studies and to locate pertinent research literature in both French and English
• 6Have made wide use of learning and research technologies in French and English.