Please note that some films contain graphic descriptions of violence.

Module Content and Indicative Topics

This module will introduce you to the study of film genres by focusing on historical, theoretical and technical aspects. Through lectures, seminars, and screenings, you will learn how to approach and discuss film genres analytically and will acquire an awareness of the history and development of different types of film narratives and of key concepts that can be used to discuss and write about them. During the course, you will familiarise with those elements that are at the basis of genre theory, such as contexts, recurring themes and patterns, locations and characters, while developing an appropriate technical vocabulary to be used in class discussions and in their assessments.

The module will cover the following topics, which may be subject to variation depending on developments in academic research and the interests of the class: key concepts in Film Studies, Genre Theory and analysis of a selection of films from different genres.

Teaching Delivery

The modules will be taught with a combination of lectures and seminar classes. The lectures introduce the broad parameters of the topics, whilst small group seminars will focus on discussion and film analysis.

By the end of the module, you should:


 Acquire appropriate technical vocabulary and cinematic terminology;
 
 
 Develop analytical skills when conducting a formal investigation of films;
 
 
 Become aware of a set of social, cultural and political issues which have triggered or are connected with key developments and tendencies in cinematographic genres;
 
 
 Develop your ability to discuss films in a written and oral manner through presentations, in-class discussions, sequence analyses etc.
 
Recommended Reading

Readings will be made available online and introduce you to the most important scholarly contributions to the topics. We will also make use of high-quality online resources. A comprehensive reading list for your classes and your essays will be posted on Moodle but, in preparation for the module, we advise reading the following texts. These can be found in the UCL Library:


 Rick Altman, Film/Genre (Palgrave MacMillan, 1999).
 
 
 David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson, Film History: an introduction (McGraw-Hill, 2009)
 
 
 Timothy Corrigan, The Film Experience (Bedford St Martin's, 2009).
 
 
 John Hill & Pamela Church Gibson, The Oxford Guide to Film Studies (Oxford University Press, 1998).
 

 Brian McFarlane, Novel to Film. An Introduction to the Theory of Adaptation (Clarendon Press, 1996).
 
 
 James Monaco, How to Read a Film (OUP, 2000).
 
Trigger Warnings:

Please note that some films contain graphic descriptions of violence.

Please note: This module description is accurate at the time of publication. Amendments may be made prior to the start of the academic year.