Communication 497Z
SPECIAL TOPIC - AMERICAN CINEMA IN THE 1970S
Fall 2007

Prof. Marty Norden
409 Machmer Hall, 545-0598, 545-1311
norden(at)comm.umass.edu
http://people.umass.edu/norden/497Zsyll.html

---

"For this brief period in film history, anything was possible." --Richard LaGravenese, 2003

"The end of the 70s was the last golden period of cinema in America." --Martin Scorsese, 1997

---

This course will examine the relationship of cinema and society during an often overlooked period in U.S. history: the 1970s. Sandwiched between the politically active 1960s and the "Greed is Good" 1980s, the 70s decade witnessed a number of strikingly important events -- most notably, the end of a long and divisive war in southeast Asia, the resignation of a U.S. president in the wake of a far-reaching political scandal, and the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion. Upheavals of a different sort rocked the movie industry, including the rise of conglomerate takeovers, the growth of the "blockbuster" film (e.g., The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars) and the exponentially increasing influence of Hollywood's first wave of college-educated filmmakers. We will explore a range of themes and topics expressed in representative films of the time and attempt to draw connections to the socio-cultural and industrial contexts out of which they emerged. We will also study the films' influence during the 1970s and thereafter.

REQUIRED TEXTS (available at the Jeffrey Amherst College Store, 26 S. Prospect St., downtown Amherst):

• Cook, David. Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979. Berkeley: U. of California Press, 2002.
• Lev, Peter. American Films of the 70s: Conflicting Visions. Austin: U. of Texas Press, 2000.

REQUIREMENTS:
Two exams are required for this seminar and will each be worth about 25 per cent of your final grade. The first is tentatively scheduled for Thurs., Oct. 25, and the second during Final Exam week (specific time, date, and place TBA). I have not yet determined the precise form of these exams, but I can guarantee that it will involve essay-writing to a major extent. More information on the exams will be forthcoming shortly.

One oral report is also required for this seminar. For this project, you will present an overview of a particular 70s film that ties in with one of our weekly seminar topics. Importantly, it will NOT be a report on any of our main screenings -- instead, it will be on a related film that we as a class have not seen. (As you might imagine, our textbooks are loaded with possibilities. Click here for a list of suitable films from which you may choose.) We will begin the oral reports on Tues., Sep. 18, and will proceed at the rate of one or two presentations per class period until each student has had a chance to present. You should plan to take about 15 minutes for your oral report. Within that 15-minute period, you may show one (and ONLY one) video clip from the film you are discussing. The clip must run no longer than 5 minutes. Please note that you are not required to show a clip -- it is merely an option. The oral report will be worth approximately 15 per cent of your final grade.

A final project of 10 pages or so is also required and is due no later than the beginning of class on Tues., Dec. 4. For this assignment, you must select a film that we have seen in its entirety and make a case for its place within one of three possible contexts: (A) a filmmaker's body of work, particularly his/her other 1970s films; (B) a 1970s film genre; or (C) the general American socio-cultural "scene" during the 70s. The final project, which MUST be word-processed/typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins, will be worth approximately 25 per cent of your final grade. If your paper is late, I will still accept it but for reduced credit and only if you have made arrangements with me in advance.

For your protection, I would advise you to make and keep a copy of the final project (whether a photocopy, a computer print-out, or stored as a computer file) until you receive the original back from me.

I will base the remaining 10 per cent of your final grade on items related to your role as a "good citizen" in this seminar (informed participation, general attitude, etc.).

Regular attendance is a must. You will be allowed a maximum of TWO unexcused absences during the semester. Your final grade will drop by one notch (e.g., from a B to a B-, from an A- to a B+) for each additional unexcused absence. Absences arising from major medical problems, jury duty, family emergencies, observance of religious holidays, military / public-safety obligations, etc., should be discussed with me in advance whenever possible and may require documentation. Please read UMass-Amherst's policy on class absence for more information about excused absences.

Please be forewarned that I have a near-pathological aversion to handing out "incompletes." I will give such non-grades only under the most extreme of circumstances (such as illness or your own death) and even then grudgingly. Otherwise, any missing work will be averaged into the final grade.

---

GENERAL SCHEDULE (subject to change, of course):
[The movie information links below connect to the Internet Movie Database]

Sep. 4	        Introduction
		Readings: Cook, Preface, Ch. 1; Lev, Introduction, Appendix 1

Sep. 6 & 11	Hippies & other alienated souls
		Readings: Cook, Ch. 2 & 8, pp. 67-76, 108-110, 162-172; Lev, Ch. 1
		Screening: Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Sep. 13 & 18	Westerns
		Readings: Cook, Ch. 9, pp. 89-98, 172-182
		Screening: McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

Sep. 20 & 25	Blaxploitation
		Readings: Cook, pp. 259-283; Lev, Ch. 8
		Screening: Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)

Sep. 27 &	Youth & teens
  Oct. 2	Readings: Cook, pp. 37-39, 133-141; Lev, Ch. 6
		Screenings: Film School Generation; American Graffiti (1973)

Oct. 4          Cops, vigilantes, gangsters, & fugitives
		Readings: Cook, pp. 144-147, 182-197; Lev, Ch. 2
		Screening: Mean Streets (1973)

      ***** NOTE: Monday schedule on Tues., Oct. 9 *****

Oct. 11 & 16    Cops, vigilantes, gangsters, & fugitives (cont'd)
		Reading: Cook, pp. 141-143
		Screening: The Sugarland Express (1974)

Oct. 18 & 23	Horror films
		Readings: Cook, pp. 25-33, 39-40, 103-108, 220-238
		Screening: The Exorcist (1973) 

Oct. 25 & 30	Comedies
		Readings: Cook, pp. 122-127, 205-209, 283-299
		Screening: Young Frankenstein (1974)

        ***** NOTE: An exam is scheduled for Thur., Oct. 25 *****

Nov. 1		Conspiracy & disaster
		Readings: Cook, Ch. 7, pp. 33-37, 40-44, 115-119, 197-205, 
                   251-257; Lev, Ch. 3
		Screening: All the President's Men (1976)

        ***** NOTE: NO CLASS on Tues., Nov. 6 & Thur., Nov. 8 *****

Nov. 13         Conspiracy & disaster (cont'd); War & military
                Reading: Cook, Ch. 10
		Screening: Vietnam Experience (1987)

Nov. 15 & 20	War & military (cont'd); Feminisms
		Readings: Cook, pp. 110-115; Lev, Ch. 7, pp. 156-164
		Screening: Coming Home (1978)

        ***** NOTE: HOLIDAY on Thur., Nov. 22 *****

Nov. 27  	Feminisms (cont'd)
		Reading: Lev, pp. 142-156
		Screening: Girlfriends (1978)

Nov. 29 &       Musicals
  Dec. 4	Readings: Cook, pp. 54-57, 209-220	
                Screening: Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Dec. 6 & 11	Science Fiction; Avant-garde films
		Readings: Cook, pp. 44-51, 57-61, 238-251, Ch. 12; Lev, Ch. 10
		Screening: Dark Star (1974)

Dec. 13		Documentaries
		Readings: Cook, Ch. 11; McNally (distributed in class)
		Screening: Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

Changes in the above schedule may arise with the addition or substitution of other films and/or reading assignments. In addition, I plan to show excerpts from numerous other films to supplement the readings and lecture/discussion material. Finally, the 14 appendices in Cook's book (e.g., "Average Weekly Attendance," "Major Academy Awards") should prove helpful throughout the semester.

---

A STATEMENT ABOUT COPYRIGHT:
Many of the materials created for this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. This includes, but is not limited to, the syllabus, lectures and course notes. Except to the extent not protected by copyright law, any use, distribution or sale of such materials requires the permission of the instructor. Please be aware that it is a violation of university policy to reproduce, for distribution or sale, class lectures or class notes, unless copyright has been explicitly waived by the faculty member.

Copyright (c) 2007 Martin F. Norden

Go to Marty Norden's home page