Japanese Cinema |
Spring 2014
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Course Information
JAPN 310
MLO 2: Culture GE C2: Humanities Course Description
An introductory scrutiny of major Japanese directors and genres with attention to film composition, choices of subject and character, ideas of the cinematic, and the relationship of cinema to Japanese culture and society. Students will analyze and critique films. Discussion of films will deal with the production of their historical, social, and cultural context, as well as issues dealing with popular culture and equity.
Course Work
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Reflective Narrative
This semester I decided to only take culture classes for my major-courses in order to knock out more of the required general education courses. Both Samurai Spirit (JAPN 212) and Japanese Cinema (JAPN 310) contribute to the Culture major learning outcome (MLO 2). Because this class was offered at the same time as Samurai Spirit, which also shows some samurai-era films of Kurosawa Akira, I felt like I got extra bonus films from taking both classes simultaneously.
In this course, we watched and analyzed a number of Japanese films, from old black-and-white classics to modern movies and animation. Through this weekly film-analysis combination, I learned a lot about Japanese cinema in a relatively short amount of time. In particular, each week's analysis response (see "Additional Course Work" below) really made me think about the film itself in order to make connections with other films, cultural knowledge, and personal experiences. In addition, the two course essays—the Kurosawa analysis and final paper—showcase my developed understanding of overarching ideas and concepts between multiple films. However, this was only a single semester course, so I do not feel like I have a complete grasp on Japanese cinema. I would like to continue developing my knowledge of Japanese cinema by watching films in various genres in order to gain a comprehensive look at the world of Japanese cinema. Prior to this class, I did not enjoy watching live-action Japanese films, so my greatest take away from this course is an appreciation for Japanese cinema beyond animation. |
Additional Course Work: Movie Responses
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