English 110: Introduction to Film and Media



EN 391-01: Film Authors (Coen Brothers)Spring 2020Kathryn (Brenna) WardellCRN 22682Office phone: (256) 765-5752T/R 11am-12:15pm; Bibb Graves 303Office hours: M/W 10am-11:30am (o); F 10am-2pm (v)Office location: 108 Willingham HallEmail address: kwardell@una.edu“Coen Brothers movies are not always what life looks like, but it's definitely what life feels like.” (Oscar Isaac)A sleepless screenwriter with writer’s block; a pregnant police chief investigating a murder; three convicts who become singing sensations; an Irish gangster caught in a romantic triangle during Prohibition; a stoner who just wants to get his rug back: these are just a few of the memorable characters in the films of Ethan and Joel Coen. Creating films that cross multiple genres, including genres as diverse as the noir, the musical, the screwball comedy, and the western, since 1984’s Blood Simple the Coen Brothers have surprised, delighted, and confused critics and audiences.We’ll examine the forces that shaped the Coen Brothers, from their interest in genres such as film noir and screwball comedy to their affection for writers and directors such as Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Alfred Hitchcock. Through our consideration of the work of the Coen Brothers we will gain a more profound understanding of their central place in contemporary culture while simultaneously tracing the development of film and film studies in the late 20th and 21st centuries.Student Learning Outcomes (EN 391)Students attain a broad knowledge of diverse media forms and their influence on film and learn various critical approaches to film through a focus on the films of the Coen Brothers. Students gain the confidence and ability to speak in a sophisticated and critical fashion about the films of the Coen Brothers and film generally.Students can produce a close reading of a Coen Brothers film that addresses both the form and the content of the text in the construction of an argument about the text’s meaning.Students develop effective written communication skills and recognize and identify key concepts in the arts, sciences, and humanities to provide a broad perspective on the human condition.Required Texts: The Brothers Grim (Scarecrow Press) by Erica Rowell and Coen Brothers (Virgin Film Series) by Eddie Robson, select PDFs (see Canvas), and a notebook for screening notes, in-class exercises, and other work. I will also ask students to do group presentations on chapters from The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers by Mark T. Conard (this is available as a downloadable ebook from Collier Library’s website). Resources: You can access a number of the films in DVD form through the Collier Library website. As far as watching them online, the best source appears to be Amazon Prime. Screenings: You are required to attend the in-class screenings, taking extensive notes on the texts screened in your notebook. Pay close attention to how the events unfold on screen and why each media text takes its own specific form. If you are absent during a screening, you must make arrangements to see the film/TV text at the library/at home. Note: some texts screened in part or in full may be R-rated, as this course is developed with a mature audience in mind—see me if this will be an issue for you.Evaluation: Course grades will be based on:Classroom and online participation20%Notebook w/screening notes, exercises, etc.15%Screening Report 10%Shot list with written analysis20%Essay20%Presentation and write-up 15%100%Participation and notebook (and screening notes): Success in the course relies on your attendance and active participation. I expect you to arrive on time and prepared for each day’s work. Two late appearances = one absence; arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early = one absence. Arriving unprepared (without textbooks or assignments) will result in your being counted absent. You are required to read the assigned material and ensure that you pose at least one discussion question/comment each week on Canvas on our discussion board. Post online no later than the Sunday at the end of that week (post under the appropriate week – i.e., week 2 questions/comments under the week 2 link). You do not need to post during week one. Ensure that you bring these questions/comments (and others) to class and actively engage in discussion. You should also bring your notebook to class every day and devote a section of that notebook to your screening notes and in-class work. The screening notes should be extensive—at least one full page of notes for each film that we watch in class (note: bullet point notes do not count). I will assess the notebooks (which you can turn in as a hard copy or online) at the end of the term.Screening Report: You will write up one formal screening report using your screening notes from one of the films we watch in full in class. See Canvas for further details.Shot list and analysis (with thesis): You will choose a scene/sequence of 5 minutes or less from one of the films we have screened in part or in full in this class and generate a shot list of at least 3 pages in length. Based on your work on the shot list you will write a focused analysis of at least one full page on your chosen scene/sequence. This analysis should be driven by a thesis statement that is derived from the discoveries you made while constructing the shot list and it should relate this scene/sequence from the film and the film itself to the formal and narrative aspects of the films of the Coen Brothers. See Canvas for further details and examples. Essay: You will write an essay of a minimum of 4 full pages in length in response to one of the films we have screened/will screen in full in class. The essay will be in Times New Roman 12-point font with 1-inch margins and in MLA format with a works cited page. You must work with at least 4 academic sources (our textbooks can count as two of these, if you desire), citing the sources in your essay (in-text citations) and in your works cited page. You can locate academic journal articles online through the Collier Library website. The essay should be thesis-driven. See Canvas for further details. Presentation: You will sign up to do a short 10-minute in-class group presentation on one or more of the readings from The Philosophy of the Coen Brothers by Mark T. Conard (you can find the ebook of this text at our Collier Library website). I will pass round a handout so that your group can select your chosen presentation slot and the part of the text, along with the chapter(s) from that part of the text, which is/are your focus. Following the presentation, you will create a write-up of at least one full page that discuses how your group chose the part of the text and chapter(s) from it, how you prepared your presentation, a short summary of your presentation’s main points, and some words on what you might do with the knowledge you gained in working on this topic for your presentation – i.e., do you plan to write further essays focused on the ideas from this part of the text and its topic, create a film based on the ideas or formal techniques discussed in your section of the text, or watch other films of the kind you discussed. A copy of the presentation sheet and details on the write-up can be found on Canvas. Attendance and Classroom Policies: We will meet twice each week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Attendance is required and checked daily. You must attend all class meetings and participate in all discussions. If you plan to be absent on a given day you must contact me in advance to arrange make-up work/exams, if allowed. The following attendance policy is straightforward and non-negotiable:UP TO FOUR absences excused, no questions asked (and no need to provide an excuse), although absences of any number impact your in-person participation grade. A SIXTH absence, for any reason, will result in the automatic deduction of one-third a letter grade from your final grade (e.g., from an A to an A-), and the SEVENTH will result in a full letter grade deduction (e.g., from an A to a B). On the EIGHTH absence the student will automatically receive a failing grade for the course. Absent students are responsible for any missed work.All work for this class is due to me at the beginning of class or at the time specified on the syllabus. If for any reason you cannot get work to me, please contact me as soon as possible to alert me to your difficulty. I will drop you by a letter grade for each day work is outstanding; work that is more than 4 days late (this includes weekends) will not be accepted and will receive no credit. Please note that arriving late, leaving early, and engaging in discourteous behavior such as sleeping, conducting personal conversations during class, leaving cell phones turned on, texting, or disrespecting other people’s opinions will not be tolerated. Such behavior will result in your being counted absent. I reserve the right to remove electronics or other material that cause distractions; removed material will be returned at the end of the class. If you plan to keep your laptop on during screenings and presentations, please dim the screen and move to the back of the class/side of the class so as not to disturb other students.Email Policy and assignment information: Contact me with questions regarding the class at the email above—just make sure you provide your class name/class time and the nature of your inquiry. Note: I do not usually have access to email on evenings/weekends/holidays and I will not respond to questions that can be answered by checking the syllabus. No assignments, including major papers, will be accepted via e-mail, though it may be used to get work in to meet a deadline if there is a problem with Canvas. In cases of that nature you are allowed to email the work to me and it is then your responsibility to find a way to post the work to Canvas and then follow up with an email to me to let me know that you have done so.Instructor Conduct: If for some reason I am late, and there is no notice on the door, please wait for a minimum of 15 minutes. If you take issue with an implementation of course or university policy, please see me after class, during office hours, or schedule an appointment. If we are unable to resolve the issue, or if you feel uncomfortable bringing the problem to my attention, please contact the English Department.?The Center for Writing Excellence: This is a free tutorial service to help students meet the demands of university writing. The tutors offer personalized assistance on all writing projects. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Commons building.? For information, consult the website: : The UNA 2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog outlines the University’s policy regarding academic honesty (pg. 55, 69).? Guidelines on avoiding plagiarism can be found in Section R2 of A Writer’s Reference (417-421), and at . The English Department’s web page outlines the department’s stand on plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty.? Students must submit a signed copy of the “Plagiarism Awareness Form” (available on the departmental website and on our Canvas site) BEFORE any work is graded.? If you plagiarize or cheat in other ways on ANY ASSIGNMENT, you will receive a failing grade for the assignment.? If you plagiarize or cheat on more than one assignment, you will receive a failing grade for the course and be referred to University officials.?Academic Honesty: Students of the university academic community are expected to adhere to commonly accepted standards of academic honesty. Allegations of academic dishonesty can reflect poorly on the scholarly reputation of the University including students, faculty and graduates. Individuals who elect to commit acts of academic dishonesty such as cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with university policy.??Incidents of possible student academic dishonesty will be addressed in accordance with the following guidelines:The instructor is responsible for investigating and documenting any incident of alleged academic dishonesty that occurs under the instructor's purview.If the instructor finds the allegation of academic dishonesty to have merit, then the instructor, after a documented conference with the student, will develop a plan for disciplinary action. If the student agrees to this plan, then both instructor and student will sign the agreement. The faculty member will forward a copy of the signed agreement to the Office of Student Conduct for record-keeping purposes.If the student disagrees with the instructor's proposed plan for disciplinary action and wishes to take further action, he/she is responsible for scheduling a meeting with the chair of the department where the course is housed to appeal the proposed disciplinary plan. The department chair shall mediate the matter and seek a satisfactory judgment acceptable to the faculty member based on meetings with all parties. If a resolution is reached, the disposition of the case will be forwarded to the Office of Student Conduct. If a resolution at the departmental level is not reached and the student wishes to take further action, he/she is responsible for scheduling a meeting with the dean of the college where the course is housed to appeal the proposed disciplinary plan. The college dean shall mediate the matter and seek a satisfactory judgment acceptable to the faculty member based on meetings with all parties. If a resolution is reached, the disposition of the case will be forwarded to the Office of Student Conduct. If a resolution at the college level is not reached and the student wishes to take further action, he/she is responsible for scheduling a meeting with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (VPAA/P) to appeal the proposed disciplinary plan. The VPAA/P shall mediate the matter and seek a satisfactory judgment acceptable to the faculty member based on meetings with all parties. After reviewing all documentation, the VPAA/P may, at his/her discretion, choose either to affirm the proposed action, to refer the case to the Office of Student Conduct for further review, or to dismiss the matter depending on the merits of the case. The final disposition of the case will be disseminated to appropriate parties, including the Office of Student Conduct.If a student is allowed academic progression but demonstrates a repeated pattern of academic dishonesty, the VPAA/P may, after consultation with the Office of Student Conduct, assign additional penalties to the student, including removal from the University.?Withdrawal Policy: Instructors should refer to the Academic Calendar for specific dates regarding withdrawal. Students who choose to withdraw from the course may do so, but they are solely responsible for handling any appropriate paperwork.? Students who do not follow procedures properly often remain on class rosters and receive failing grades for the course. The following statement is from pages 70-72 of the 2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog published by the University:?A student may withdraw from a course with a grade of W up to and including the Friday that falls one week after the designated midterm date by bringing a completed withdrawal slip (signed by the instructor) to the Registrar’s office or sending an email to Registrar@una.edu. This email must be sent from the student’s UNA Portal account. After that deadline and up to the Wednesday that falls two weeks prior to the last day of class, a student may withdraw from a course with a grade of WP (withdraw passing) or WF (withdraw failing) assigned by the instructor. During the final two weeks of class, withdrawal is not permitted except in extraordinary circumstances. Permission of both the instructor and department chair is required, and the instructor will assign the grade of WP or WF.Students should review the listed exceptions and notes to this rule as printed in the 2019-2020 UNA Catalog.?Disability Accommodations: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the University offers reasonable accommodations to students with eligible documented learning, physical and/or psychological disabilities. Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008, a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities as compared to an average person in the population. It is the responsibility of the student to contact Disability Support Services to initiate the process to develop an accommodation plan. This accommodation plan will not be applied retroactively. Appropriate, reasonable accommodations will be made to allow each student to meet course requirements, but no fundamental or substantial alteration of academic standards will be made. Students needing assistance should contact Disability Support Services (256-765-4214).?Title IX: The University of North Alabama has an expectation of mutual respect.? Students, staff, administrators, and faculty are entitled to a working environment and educational environment free of discriminatory harassment. Both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the State of Alabama regard sexual harassment as a form of sex/gender discrimination and, therefore, as an unlawful discriminatory practice.? This includes sexual violence, sexual harassment, domestic and intimate partner violence, stalking, gender-based discrimination, discrimination against pregnant and parenting students, and gender-based bullying and hazing.Faculty and staff are required by federal law to report any observations of harassment (including online harassment) as well as any notice given by students or colleagues of any of the behaviors noted above.? Retaliation against any person who reports discrimination or harassment is also prohibited. UNA’s policies and regulations covering discrimination and harassment may be accessed at una.edu/titleix. If you have experienced or observed discrimination or harassment, below are some resources to contact.??Confidential Reporting:If a reporting party would like the details of an incident to be kept confidential, the reporting party may speak with:Student Counseling Services ??????????? 256-765-5215University Health Services ?????????????? 256-765-4328Women’s Center? ????????????????????????????? 256-765-4380Rape Response?? ??????????????????????????????? 256-767-1100 (hotline)/256-765-0025 (office)Safe Place (domestic violence)????????? 256-767-6210 (hotline)/256-767-3076 (office)?Formal Reporting: If a reporting party would like the University to investigate an incident, the reporting party may speak with:UNA Police??????????????????????????????????????? 256-765-4357Title IX Coordinator?????????????????????????? 256-765-4223?ScheduleAll dates in this schedule are due dates. You should finish the readings and assignments by class time. Check Canvas for PDFs. Note: readings from The Brothers Grim are abbreviated as BG and readings from Coen Brothers are abbreviated as CB. This schedule may change during the course of the term.Week One: R 1/9Course overview and discussion of syllabus. Read The Brothers Grim: Introduction (ix-xi) Chapter 1: Blood Simple: a Photo (1-36) and Appendix: Winks and Nods (345-352) and Coen Brothers: Introduction and Early Life. Week Two: T 1/14Review the above. Read CB: Blood Simple and PDF of Paul Schrader’s “Notes on Film Noir” (see Canvas). R 1/16 Begin Blood Simple (1984, 97 minutes). Discussion. Week Three: T 1/21Continue Blood Simple. Discussion. R 1/23Continue Blood Simple as needed. Set up BG Chapter 2: Raising Arizona. Discussion.Week Four: T 1/28Read BG Chapter 2: Raising Arizona: A Baby (37-67) and CB: Raising Arizona. Discussion.R 1/30Discussion. Presentation slot 1.Week Five: T 2/4 Read BG Chapter 3: Miller’s Crossing: A Hat (69-102) and CB: Miller’s Crossing. Discussion. R 2/6 Discussion. Presentation slot 2.Week Six: T 2/11Read BG Chapter 4: Barton Fink: A Head (103-137) and CB: Barton Fink. Begin Barton Fink (1991, 117 minutes).R 2/13Continue Barton Fink. Discussion. Presentation slot 3. Week Seven: T 2/18Read BG Chapter 5: The Hudsucker Proxy: A Circle (139-170) and CB: The Hudsucker Proxy. Discussion. R 2/20Discussion. Presentation slot 4.Week Eight: T 2/25Read BG Chapter 6: Fargo: Snow (171-205) and CB: Fargo. Discussion. R 2/27Shot List and analysis due. Discussion. Presentation slot 5.Week Nine: T 3/3 Begin Fargo (1996, 98 minutes). Discussion.R 3/5Continue Fargo. Discussion. Presentation slot 6.Week Ten: T 3/10 Read BG Chapter 8: O Brother, Where Art Thou?: A Song (243-276) and CB: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Discussion. R 3/12 Discussion. Presentation slot 7. Week Eleven T 3/17 Read BG Chapter 7: The Big Lebowski: A Bowling Ball (207-241) and CB: The Big Lebowski. Begin The Big Lebowski (1998, 117 minutes). Discussion.R 3/19 Continue Lebowski. Discussion. Presentation slot 8.Week Twelve: No class – Spring BreakWeek Thirteen: No class, but keep up on the work belowT 3/31Read BG Chapter 9: The Man Who Wasn’t There: A Flying Saucer: (277-308) and CB: The Man Who Wasn’t There. Consult PowerPoint (online).R 4/2 Consult PowerPoint (online). Week Fourteen: T 4/7Read BG Chapter 10: Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers (309-343) and CB: Intolerable Cruelty. Discussion. R 4/9 Discussion. Presentation slot 9. Week Fifteen: T 4/14Read CB: A Serious Man. Begin A Serious Man (2009, 109 minutes). DiscussionT 4/16Continue A Serious Man. Discussion. Presentation slot 10. Week Sixteen: T 4/21 Essay due. Continue A Serious Man as needed. Discussion. R 4/23 Discussion. Turn in Screening Report no later than Friday, 4/24, at 5pm(note: this is the last week for our online discussion board)Week Seventeen:T 4/28Presentation write-ups due today. Review our work this term.R 4/30Study day – no class.No final exam: just turn your notebook in to me no later than Monday, 5/4, at 5pm. You can turn in a hard copy at my office (and pick it up there after 5/8) or upload it at the link at Canvas. ................
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