This week

We'll be finishing up by watching IN THE LOOP this week. I will collect final essays tomorrow. There have been some email problems this past week but everything seems to be coming through now. I will be online later tonight, until about midnight, if anyone wants any last minute help...

Miscellaneous

It was mentioned on the syllabus that we would be watching some comedies featuring Simon Pegg. Since that didn't happen I thought it would be nice to taste some of his earlier work- a television show from the 90's called Spaced (written and starring Simon and Jessica Hynes-also from Shaun of the Dead- and also featuring Nick Frost (Ed) from Shaun)

Here is the link with all the episodes to Spaced:

http://www.hulu.com/spaced

Another actor in Shaun of the Dead, Dylan Moran (David) had created his own comedy in the early 2000's called Black Books featuring Bill Bailey (Hot Fuzz) Its really amazing and includes several cameos from popular british comedians including Simon Pegg and Martin Freeman (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and Nick Frost. The main characters also feature in Run Fat Boy Run.

Here is the link with all the episodes to Black Books:

http://www.hulu.com/black-books

Both shows are seriously funny and I can't recommend them enough!

I also just came across a trailer for an upcoming Ken Loach film Looking for Eric :

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/lookingforeric/

cheese

Second Essay: Guidelines

CONTEMPORARY BRITISH CINEMA
Second Essay Guidelines

Due date: Friday, April 30 in class.
No late papers will be accepted. Print copies must be turned in unless alternate arrangements are made with the instructor’s approval.

The essay should be 6-7 pages in length, between 1200-1500 words.
You need to use at least three outside sources. All sources, whether print, or web-based, must be cited properly (Either MLA or Chicago Manual of Style). You should also have either footnotes or endnotes (or cite sources in parentheses after each example), as well as a Works Cited/Bibliography page. If you aren’t sure how to do this, go to the Writing Center or look online for assistance; both the MLA and Chicago Manual have websites with easy to access guidelines.

Your sources may include reviews or interviews, as well as scholarly articles.

All topics must be approved by the instructor first! The best way to find a good topic is to work on formulating thesis statement (or several) and submit them via email. Do this no later than one week before the paper due date (that is, Friday, April 23rd).
A topic is not a thesis statement. A topic might be “Heritage imagery in WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT”; a thesis statement is more along these lines: “Despite being a claymation creation, THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT utilizes a number of visual and thematic tropes that place it squarely in the category of Heritage Cinema.”

Topics:
The topic is open, within some parameters. Your topic must be based on a film we have viewed in class during the second half of the semester (that is, after the first essay was due). You may approach this in one of several ways:

1) Analysis of the film via a specific topic (e.g., The significance of the color green in ATONEMENT).
2) Discussion of the film via consideration of the filmmaker or writer’s body of work; you still need a specific topic here (e.g., Images and Themes of Social Isolation in the films of Lynne Ramsay).
3) Analysis of the film via discussion of a specific movement or trend in cinema, or in terms of cinema’s response to a particular social issue (e.g., Privatization of government institutions, Americanization of British culture, etc.). Again, you must have a very specific topic.

Revise, revise, revise. This is the key to producing a good essay. Clarify your intent and meaning, use the best examples you can, eliminate superfluous or overly descriptive information. You want to show how well you understand the ideas we’ve discussed in class, and how well you “read” and respond to cinema.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me or make an appointment to discuss your essay with me. Please also feel free to ask questions here in the blog.

Lets Talk About Ratcatcher!

Please. But you first.

Did anyone notice that the red head (second from the right) was in the Full Monty?

Discussion: Morvern Callar

The response to this film seemed fairly positive. I'd like to hear any thoughts or ideas that we did not cover yet in class. I'd also like everyone to consider how the reading on "Internal Decolonization" applies to this film and also to Trainspotting. Obviously both films are very focused on location, landscape and place, but deal with these topics very differently. What are the differences? Similarities?

Do Danny Boyle's films seem to be generally concerned with location or landscape?

How/why is location or landscape important to a discussion of British cinema in general? How does the article apply to such a discussion?

Assignment due March 19th!

Sorry I forgot to remind you all of this in class today, but it is on the syllabus: You are to see one contemporary British film (1984 or later) and write a 500 word response to be turned in March 19 in class. Please don't just try writing about a film you saw months or even years ago; watch something now and write about it, informed by your coursework.

The following British films are on reserve in the library if you wish to watch them:

Brazil
Morvern Callar
Secrets and Lies
Life is Sweet
A Zed and Two Noughts
Ratcatcher

The library may have other contemporary British films available, or feel free to partake of any films showing in Boston at the moment, such as The Kendall Square Cinema (which currently is showing the excellent Oscar nominee An Education), or The Brattle Theatre (which is showing some classic Merchant-Ivory heritage films tomorrow), or the Coolidge (showing The Last Station directed by Michael Hoffman, a British co-production starring Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy, also with Oscar nods for Mirren and Plummer)

You can also rent from Netflix or a video store, too, or visit your local library, which normally have excellent video selections.

Danny Boyle

English director Danny Boyle was already well-respected (as the critically accliamed television director of Mr. Wroe's Virgins) before Shallow Grave was released, but this film attracted international renown. It was quickly followed by Trainspotting, which became an immediate cult and mainstream hit, being based on Irvine Welsh's bestselling novel. His collaboration with English cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (who worked on a number of Dogme films) began with the box office smash 28 Days Later and has continued with Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours.

Clearly there are many thematic similarities to be found many of his films (urban decay, loyalty in relationships, drug use, found money, degradation of the self). Boyle also has cast a number of actors in more than one film, including Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston and Keith Allen. I'd love to hear your thoughts on these themes or trends in any of the films of Boyle's you've seen.

Presentation schedule

March 19 (Trainspotting): Erin Whitson, Megan Doak, Alyssa Hayward

March 26 (Ratcatcher): Anthony Scrocca, Erica Duran, Rose Tarman

April 9 (Lawless Heart and All or Nothing): Nikki Chin and Darcy Sly, Greg Moore, Kaileen Powers

April 16 (The Navigators): Katie Cavacco, Sara Marhamo

April 23 (Wallace & Gromit): Karen Schoucair, John Nguyen, Kyle Hebert

April 30 (Atonement): Adrianna Charles, Shawna Plumer, Alexandra Emerson and (and In the Loop): Nathan Paige, Doug White, Geoff Wells, Rouen Chan

Study Guide for Exam!

This is what you should be studying for the mid-term exam on Friday:

Go over the reading materials. There won't be terribly specific memorization questions re: names and dates but you should be familiar with general concepts and ideas discussed, as well as basic definitions of terms we have been using (like heritage cinema, British Expressionism, etc.)

Go over the lecture notes; these are somewhat based on the readings but include additional material you may be tested on.

Be sure you have seen all of the films viewed in class.

Take a look at the blog discussions about films.

Be on time for class. No one will be allowed to leave the room during the exam.

Late Essay Policy

There are a number of you who were not in class and did not turn your essays in on Friday, and you have not communicated with me regarding why you were absent or when your essays will be forthcoming.

I do not accept late papers without extenuating circumstances. Missing class on the due date does NOT automatically confer a one-week extension. This policy was inadvertently left off the syllabus so I am communicating it here.

Anyone who has not turned in their essay yet may have until tomorrow (Monday) at NOON to turn them in via email. You will still have points deducted for lateness. You MUST cut and paste the entire body of the essay INTO the email; if I get an attachment I can't open, it counts as a zero. You MUST also follow up with a printed copy turned into my mailbox (location given on syllabus).

NO ESSAYS will be accepted after noon tomorrow.

My thanks to those students who were legitimately ill and still managed to turn their essays in by the deadline.

James Ivory at the Brattle March 5-6

Very exciting! The Brattle will be hosting one of the most well-known directors of British heritage films. Do try to attend some of this event or at least one of the films if you can. Viewing these sumptuous films on the big screen is an irreplaceable experience.

(from the Brattle's press release)
The Brattle Theatre will be hosting award-winning director James Ivory, who will be honored at the 10th Annual Brattle Film Foundation Oscar Party and Fundraiser on Sunday, March 7, 2010. Ivory will be in attendance at the cocktail party and silent auction fundraiser preceding the awards ceremony telecast. The evening will launch a complete year of events in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Brattle Theatre as a non-profit organization.

A Weekend of Events
The Oscar Party with James Ivory will be supported by a number of special events throughout the weekend. The Brattle Theatre will screen the Oscar-winning films A Room With A View, Howard’s End and The Remains of the Day on Friday March 5 and Saturday March 6, 2010.

In addition, the Brattle will welcome the legendary film director to the Brattle stage for an extended discussion about his long and storied career. An Evening With James Ivory will take place at the Brattle Theatre on Saturday March 6 at 7:00 P.M. and will be a ticketed event.

About James Ivory
Award-winning director James Ivory is one of the founders of Merchant Ivory Productions, along with producer Ismail Merchant and writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Since 1965 the company has been involved with over 50 films including The Bostonians, Maurice and Jefferson in Paris as well as Oscar-winners A Room With A View, Howard’s End and The Remains of the Day. Merchant Ivory's films have been praised for some of the most reliably romantic, beautiful, emotional and transporting films in the world. Over the years their films have been recognized by almost every major film awards organization internationally.

Weather

It is possible that snowstorms will force the cancellation of classes this week.
If that happens, YOUR ESSAYS ARE STILL DUE ON FRIDAY.
I would accept them via email, with hard copies placed in my mailbox on Monday.

Derek Jarman

I've found a couple of items of interest regarding filmaker Derek Jarman.

One, a review of a new book called Derek Jarman's Angelic Conversations.

And this blog post by actor Clint Catalyst, who is starring in a new film premiering at Sundance, called Delphinium, about Derek Jarman's childhood and early artistic life. As is the way of filmmaking these days, Delphinium also has a Facebook page.

The title of the film comes from the last line of the text for Jarman's film Blue: "I place a delphinium, blue, upon your grave." Jarman was a passionate gardener (Derek Jarman's Garden is a fascinating and beautiful book) and discusses flowers often in his book Chroma.

Jarman was strongly influenced by various experimental filmmakers, especially Pier Paolo Pasolini and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, as well as Maya Deren, Max Ophuls, and Jean Cocteau.

Essays: Bibiographic information

Below is the bibliographic information from the reading packet.

Reminder: ALL essays are due in class on Friday. Don't miss class because you still need to print it out, etc.
Manage your time so that it's ready, or you can email me a copy and hand in the print out later that day if absolutely necessary. Everyone must hand in a printed copy.

I am willing to continue to offer assistance via email but you will need to contact me before Thursday, as I will be traveling and email will not be as easily accessible.

Some tips:
1) 1000 words is not very much, so don't waste valuable word count space with unnecessary biographic information or plot summaries, unless they are absolutely crucial to your topic.
2) Be as focused and specific with your topic as possible. If you want to write about thematic or production elements, choose ONE, don't try to cover several in one short essay.
3) Let the film text be your primary reference point. Close analysis of scenes is virtually impossible if you have only seen the film once, so make the effort to view it as many times as you can.
4) Make sure you thoroughly proofread your essay before handing it in; that does not just mean running a spellcheck on it; read carefully for usage or grammar errors.


Bibliographic information for citations:

"The Long Memory: History and Heritage"
"The Mirror Crack'd: Britsh Expressionism" (An Excess of Perception, and Nightmare Visions)

all from from British Film by Jim Leach (Cambridge University Press, 2004)

"The Wrong Sort of Cinema" by Sheldon Hall
"Internal Decolonisation?" by Martin McLoone

Both from The British Cinema Book, edited by Robert Murphy (British Film Institute, 2008)

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

This is certainly the most well known of Peter Greenaway's films (which include A Zed and Two Noughts, The Draughtsman's Contract, Drowning by Numbers, The Belly of an Architect, The Pillow Book, Prospero's Books, 8 1/2 Women, and others).

I'd like to see some more discussion happening on this blog! Remember this counts towards your participation grade. No need to wait for me to start a discussion or post; anyone can initiate their own at any time.


So: since we didn't have time to discuss this film much after the screening, here is the place to weigh and share your thoughts and get a conversation happening.

ETA: (a comment it won't let me post for some reason)
The visual excess of the film is certainly an aspect that makes it overwhelming to view the first time, especially when the narrative, though simple, is not always straightforward. I think this is one of those films that certainly benefits from repeated viewing, if only to be able to fully absorb its visual and aural complexity.

Michael Gambon has made a career playing very difficult roles; not long before this film he tackled a very demanding and much acclaimed role in Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective (extended mini-seriea amde for BBC TV). More recently, he performed one of the farmer's voices in Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Now on Reserve: Derek Jarman's Chroma

I have placed a copy of Derek Jarman's excellent book CHROMA on reserve for your use in the library. It is a fascinating book on color, in very unorthodox format: it contains scrupulously researched history (on pigments, art, cinema, and popular culture), poetic interludes, and personal meditations and meanderings. Jarman wrote most of the book while he was suffering from AIDS, and finished it shortly before he died.

A review of the Derek Jarman retrospective at the Barbican Theatre appeared in Spike Magazine. A comprehensive bibliography of articles on Jarman appears here.

Jarman is one of the most important contemporary filmmakers in Great Britain, if not the world. He was visionary, pioneering, experimental and often overtly political. He was an important artist in the New Romantics group of filmmakers, who worked primarily in 8mm and showed their work at alternative venues and exhibitions. More discussion of his work appears in the Cathode Ray Tube blog.

Reading Quiz and Essay Guidelines

There will be a quiz based on the reading assigned for this week in class on Friday, so be sure you're prepared.

Also, here are some guidelines for the first essay which is due soon.

Length: Approx. 1000 words, no more than 1200
Format: Typed, standard citation format (MLA or Chicago Manual of Style)


Topic: open, but it should be a specific topic on one of the films we have watched so far in class. It should have an analytical focus on one specific aspect or theme of the film. You may and should refer to outside source material to help illustrate your ideas, but don't focus too much on this (this will be a greater emphasis in your second longer essay). Try to write on something that intrigues you about the film you choose. Do some free writing to explore what you have to say about it.

Since this is a relatively short essay, every word counts, so don't waste space quoting outside sources at length. I;m far more interested in your own original ideas and analysis.

Make sure your topic is focused and specific. Maybe you're interested in the portrayal of nostalgia in HOPE AND GLORY. But this is a very general topic. What about this interests you? The nostalgic feel of the film? The portrayal of the past as romantic, or as naive?
Maybe you found the portrayal of women or gender roles to be particularly interesting; what about these portrayals is interesting? How are older women portrayed as compared to teenagers and pre-teen girls? Are women mainly defined through their relationships to men, or with other females? How is motherhood portrayed?

Ask yourself plenty of questions in the preliminary stages of exploring your topic so that you can solidify and clarify it in a solid thesis statement, which introduces your essay.

You're encouraged to ask for help with your essay. You can visit the Writing Center in the Liberal Arts office in the Tower Bldg. Or you can email any questions or drafts to me and I;d be happy to give you feedback and help you.

Hope and Glory comments?

Perhaps after reading the article on Boorman in the packet, you have additional comments on the film? I know I particularly appreciated the ongoing hints of Boorman's larger interests as a filmmaker. For example, in the opening segment, Bill (Sebastian Rice Edwards) is playing with his toy figures, pretending to be Merlin the wizard during the time of King Arthur: clearly a reference to Boorman's epic film (and perhaps his most ambitious), Excalibur. I also enjoyed the frequent use of diegetic music: people playing, singing and the use of record players, to provide a soundtrack of popular music without resorting to an actual artificial soundtrack.

Anyone else have any comments or thoughts on the film, or on John Boorman, or on the portrayal of the war?

Reading Packets Ready!

There is a small reading packet required for this course. It's now available for purchase at the Print House on Huntington Avenue.

Please get the packet as soon as possible, and no later than next week as you will have a reading assignment due for next Friday.

My Beautiful Laundrette

So, after having some time to think about this film and reflect on it, I'd love to hear any additional thoughts anyone has, or if anyone wants to share anything they have found out about it, please feel free to post it here.

Some relevant topics for discussion might include the portrayal of racism, the cultural hybridity of the film, or the portrayal of homosexuality. of course discussion of production elements such as direction, performance, script, design, sound or image are also welcome.

Welcome to Modern British Cinema!

This is a blog created for the Modern British Cinema course being taught at the Masschusetts College of Art in spring 2010.