This course introduces advanced undergraduate and graduate students to the cinema of Japan and core historiographical issues in global film studies. We will examine how geopolitical forces shaped film historical developments in Japan (including industrialization, censorship, and the transition to sound) and gave rise to orientalist theories of Japanese cinema as innately "modernist" or "formalist" and opposed to the illusionism of Western film. We will also interrogate the idea of "national cinema" by examining filmmaking in the Japanese empire and of Japanese working in Hollywood. Broader issues in film historiography to be addressed include: technology transfer and industrial development in colonial/semi-colonial contexts; approaches to identifying, narrating, and analyzing film historical developments; conducting and assessing archival research; and framing a research project in relation to existing film scholarship. Although this course focuses on Japan, topics are relevant for students interested in film history who wish to understand cinema (especially non-Euro-American cinemas) in a global context. No knowledge of Japanese required. Mandatory in-person weekly screenings. Required Screenings: Tuesdays @ 4pm
Course Attributes: EN H; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM
