Missouri Western State College

Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences

ENG 210-08/09 Approaches to Literature: Film Literature

Section 08 meets Monday 3:30-6:20 MC205

Section 09 meets Wednesday 2:00-4:50 MC205

Spring 2000

---

Basic Information

Instructor Information

Dr. Karen U. Fulton, Professor

Communication

Tel: 271-4317(work) 1-660-582-8830 (home)

e-mail: fulton@griffon.mwsc.edu

Office Hours

Office: 208K SS/C Building

9:30-11 and 2-3 M, 10-11WF; other times by appointment

Required Texts

Dick, Bernard F. Anatomy of Film, 3rd edition. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998

King, Stephen. "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" in Different Seasons, New York, Penguin, 1982

Schaeffer, Peter. Amadeus. New York: Harper & Row, 1980.

Other Required Supplies

Access to word processor with spell-checker or a typewriter and a good dictionary

A 3 ring-binder and a supply of notebook paper for class use. Materials will be distributed to you already punched; responses or analyses completed on torn, spiral bound or ripped paper will be penalized.

---

Course Objectives and Means

English 210 fulfills Category IV General Studies requirements. These goals can be found on http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/genstud.asp. All English 210 sections provide practice in reading poetry, prose fiction, and drama.

General 210 Objectives:

1. Recognize the major characteristics of literary genres.
2. Discuss literature, orally and in writing, with assurance.
3. Appreciate literary works which are encountered.
4. Understand the different ways in which literary themes may be treated in literature.

Objectives for Film Literature:

1. Recognize major characteristics of the various film genres and the literature on which the films are based as well as the literature the films generate.
2. Discuss films and film literature orally and in writing with assurance.
3. Appreciate filmed literary works which you encounter.
4. Understand the different ways in which a literary theme may be treated in film.

General 210 Means:

1. Read poetry, fiction, and drama.
2. Investigate various methods of approaching and understanding literature.
3. Write papers, including themes and essay examinations.
4. Read a variety of literary works in which a chosen theme is dominant.

Film Literature Means:

1. View various film productions, read works on which films have been based, read a variety of criticism generated by film.
2. Investigate various methods of approaching and understanding films and their literature.
3. Complete written assignments which deal with the films viewed as well as papers and essay examinations.
4. Read a variety of critical and creative works on film or from which films have been made.

   ---

Course Policies

Attendance Policy

Attendance will be recorded at each session through responses distributed and usually completed during the same class session. The responses will be graded (see grading policies); the resulting points make up one third of the final total. On those occasions where responses are not done, students will complete and sign a rating sheet at the end of the hour.

Academic Honesty Policy

It is required that students submit their own work. Students who are guilty of plagiarism or cheating in any form will automatically receive a zero for the assignment involved and will place themselves in jeopardy of failing the course.

Student Disability Policy

Students who have a disability which might prevent their maximum performance in the class should make this known to the instructor immediately so that provisions may be made for any assistance needed.

College Behavior Policies

• No cell phones, pagers, beepers or other electronic equipment are allowed in the classroom.
• Class begins at the time stated. Students who are not here when work is distributed will not be allowed to complete it and will receive a grade of zero for the assignment.
• A sleeping student will be required to leave and will receive an absence for the day.
• Conversation should be confined to times you are in group. Conversation and whispering during the film is distracting to other students; therefore you will be required to leave. During the instructor's presentation of material, you should be listening and taking notes; it is rude (as well as distracting) to talk, whisper, etc. during this part of the class.
• When questions are asked, listen carefully so that questions and answers do not have to be repeated.
• All work is due on time and in the format specified. If it does not conform to specifications, it will be penalized.
• Class is not over until it is dismissed. It is your responsibility to pick up the material for the next class.
• You are responsible for any material handed out in class by the next class--you must be able to recall it and apply it.
• You are expected to take notes during the film to aid your ability to recall significant points. Lights are kept on at low level to make this possible.

Grading Policies

The class grade is computed on the basis of 300 points divided into thirds.

• Responses and Analysis 10 pts@ 100 pts
• Two short papers 50 pts@ 100 pts
• Tests 100 pts
  • A mid-term @30 pts [30 pts
  • A final examination @70 pts 70 pts]
    • 10 points survey
• Total points possible 300 pts

Final grades are determined on a 10% scale; above 270 total points constitutes an "A" (300 minus 30 = 270 etc. ) This final score will be lowered because of absences or late work.

Opportunity to earn a maximum of 15 points extra credit are given during the second half of the semester.

---

Course components

Responses

• Responses must be mechanically clean and formatted in structured paragraphs to receive full credit. Lack of paragraph form or errors in grammar and mechanics will result in deductions from the score.
• Each response is worth 10 points for a semester total of 110 points. The lowest score will be dropped for each student at the end of the semester.
• Responses completed on torn, spiral bound, or ripped paper will be penalized by a 2 point deduction from the grade.
• Some responses are due after we view the film. Sometimes a short scene or shot is replayed foolowed by a question asking you to interpret and analyze specific components of the scene covered in the reading assignment. Sometimes response prompts are distributed before viewing the movie so you can look for materials as you view the film. In both cases, names of movies, actors, directors, characters, etc. must be spelled correctly to receive full credit.
• Occasionally responses take place at the beginning of the hour; these ask for a response to material distributed at the previous class or assigned reading. Film-based materials are distributed one week ahead. At the end of the first class, "Citizen Kane", material will be distributed. You are responsible for studying the assignment so that you can respond to questions prior to viewing the film.
• Occasionally, there will be a take-home response given at the end of the hour and due at the beginning of the next session.

Short papers

• You will write two short papers (maximum 1000 words). These writings will give you a chance to reflect upon what you have viewed and to compose a full-length statement of your ideas.
• Topics for these papers will be assigned., but you will be given several options to choose from.
• Papers must be word processed or typed. Preparing your work on a computer with spell checker makes for an easier job; however, a cleanly typed copy is acceptable.
• These papers are expected to be in essay format with complete sentences, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. When you are quoting, summarizing or paraphrasing reviews or other material, you must properly source such material within the paper and document such material in MLA style at the end.
• Each short paper is worth 50 points; a total of 100 points is possible.
• Due Dates:
  Paper 1: Section 08 February 28/Section 09 February 23, 2000

  Paper 2: Section 08 April 17/Section 09 April 12, 2000

Examinations

• The mid-term exam (due March 6/March 8, 2000) will be a take-home examination due at the beginning of the hour. The midterm will be worth 30 points.
• The final exam will consist of three parts:
  1. A take-home component which will be based on reading and viewing a film. On the question will be distributed to section 08 on 5/1/00 and to section 09 on 4/26/00. This question will ask you to make use of your reading of a text on which the film is based. Your answer is due at the final examination period (Section 08 5/10/00 and Section 09 5/8/00--both at 2pm).
  2. An in-class short answer examination (Section 08 5/10/00 and Section 09 5/8/00 at 2 pm) in response to clips of various films, and
  3. An all-or-nothing survey of the class (worth 10 points).

     ---

Go to Main Page