Course: Film history

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Course title Film history
Course code KHI/VDFI
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminary
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 3
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course unspecified
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Koumar Jiří, PhDr. Ph.D.
  • Veselý Martin, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
Course content
Programme: Part I: 1. The beginnings of the world cinematography (technological preconditions, the earliest works, the development of the film industry) 2. The beginnings of cinematography in the Czech lands (Ponrepo, Kříženecký, etc.) 3. The silent film era 4. Sound film and its development to the outbreak of the Second World War 5. Film and its exploitation by the totalitarian regimes 6. The post-war developments in the world film 7. The main stages of Czech post-war cinematography Part II: 1. The history in film (basic characteristics, typology, research of the issue) 2. The development of Czech "historical" film 3. All followed by selected examples based on analysing particular film achievements, e.g.: - "Hussite film" - the issue of the Hussite movement on the film screen - The "Dark Ages" in Czech historical film - The French Revolution in film - The personalities of fine arts on the film screen, etc.

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified, unspecified, unspecified, unspecified
Learning outcomes
The course is comprised of two mutually interlinked circles. The first level focuses on general presentation of the main stages of development of both Czech and global cinematography. With regard to the scope of the course, this aim is realized selectively, with main attention being paid to the most significant and representative works of cinematography, while students will not only be passive receivers of information and viewers but will be intentionally steered towards analysing the presented works. The second significant circle is, with regard to the historical focus of the given study field, focused on the analysis of employing historical issues in film. A work of cinematography (especially the "genre" of historical film) is partially followed as a fact which has been fundamentally influencing the general view of the historical development and significant historical phenomena and events. The presentation of and following the most outstanding achievements of cinematography mainly originating from the Czech lands serve as points of departure to analysing the process of how the filmmakers treat and can treat historical subjects. Students are made to follow the conditionality of treating historical reality in a historical film from cultural, political, social and economic aspects.
The graduates are able to present the main stages of development in both Czech and world cinematography. They are able to reliably describe the main trends in the general development; they know and are capable of basic evaluation of fundamental cinematographic works. They can classify them in the context of the overall development from the points of chronology and regions. They have detailed idea about the basic literature and institutions pursuing the development in the field of cinematography. The graduates also perceive a work of cinematography as a historical source. Apart from its aesthetic qualities, they can depart from a wider context in order to analyse the factors which influenced the cinematographic work (as well as the reflections of the historical realities contained in it). They are steered towards the attempts at recognizing the influence of an individuality and aesthetic intention of the creators of a particular work and the more general elements of either social or political order of the contemporary society. They thus perceive an achievement from the field of film as a product of historical development of a given society. The students are moreover able to participate in a debate, a discussion on a selected work of cinematography in an informed and erudite way and can meaningfully steer the ensuing discussion.
Prerequisites
None

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
Students are required to regularly watch film scenes and are asked to continuously provide topical information from the world of both Czech and world cinematography.
Recommended literature
  • BORDWELL, David - THOMPSONOVÁ, Kristin. Dějiny filmu. AMU Praha, 2014.
  • KLIMEŠ, Ivan - RAK, Jiří. Film a historie I. - IV. in: Film a doba, 1988/č.3,6,9,10, Praha, 1988.
  • KLIMEŠ, Ivan. Kinematografie a stát v českých zemích 1895-1945. Praha, 2016.
  • KOKEŠ, Radomír D. Rozbor filmu. Brno, 2015.
  • KOKEŠ, Radomír D. Světy na pokračování. Brno, 2016.
  • kol. autorů (ed. L.Ptáček). Panorama českého filmu,. Olomouc, 2000.
  • kol. autorů (ed. P.Kopal). Film a dějiny. Praha, 2005.
  • MONACO, James. Jak číst film. Svět filmu, médií a multimédií. Praha 2006.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester