Understanding the Arts through Literature and Cinema

"The things we learned in the courses I took were interesting and thought-provoking. After taking these courses I now look at movies and literature from a different perspective. The classrooms were warm and inviting and the professors were passionate about teaching..”

- Annie Kline, 2012

Course Description

A two-course curricular option for students wishing to develop their appreciation of film and literature. Both courses meet daily, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

What is Great Literature?
Peter Conolly-Smith

Students attempt to answer this question by examining a number of literary works, seeking to determine what differentiates great literature from mere entertainment. They analyze selected scenes from Shakespeare and examples of his poetry, as well as works by writers such as Keats, Shelley, Emerson, Poe, Melville, Stevenson, Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Through readings, class discussion, film clips, and short essays, students enhance their ability to write, speak, and think effectively about literature.

The Art of Moving Pictures
Mark Christopher

In this course students explore film as a serious mode of artistic expression and a rich source of cultural information while taking into account its role as a phenomenally popular form of entertainment.  Students learn the basics of film language through brief lectures, discussions, and screenings of a variety of film clips, short films, and feature films. Each class gives participants the opportunity to compare and contrast the cinematic elements at work. Students come away having increased their visual literacy and having heightened their knowledge of the methods filmmakers use to tell stories visually. They gain full comprehension that cinema is an art of “moving pictures.”  Students keep a daily film journal and work on final projects which are presented orally with film clips (readily available) to support their explorations and discoveries.  

Instructor(s)