British Institutions on Screen 3301-KB147
The aim of the course is to discuss contemporary pop-cultural depictions of British Institutions and practice film analysis.
The classes are divided into three groups: background information on the selected political institutions (contemporary role of the monarchy, the Crown-government relations, the image of political parties and politicians, etc.); introduction of the basic tools and methods of film analysis (character analysis, narrative analysis, genre, mise-en-scène, etc.); analysis of selected titles (character analysis); students’ presentations.
The analysis of the source texts (films and TV series) allows for the multidisciplinary approach, combining the elements of culture, film, politics and history studies.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
1. KNOWLEDGE
Students will have
- broadened their knowledge of the British Institutions and their interrelationships,
- greater awareness of the importance of cultural symbols and their role in interpreting works of culture, including popular culture
- expanded their knowledge of the pop-cultural depictions of the British Institutions
- broader knowledge of the terminology used in Cultural Studies, with particular emphasis on their use in the field of English Studies.
2. SKILLS
Students will
- be able to present the cultural context of the selected films and TV series
- be able to compare the pop-cultural image to the actual political figure and explain the chosen genre or convention,
- have learned and practiced vocabulary used in film analysis,
- have acquired skills needed while conducting research, e.g. defining the issue, stating the thesis, and employing methodology,
- be able to present the acquired knowledge in a logical, clear, and concise manner.
3. SOCIAL COMPETENCE
Students
- feel responsible for their work and respect the work of others,
- have the need to express themselves in a precise, logical way in order to communicate effectively.
Education at language level B2+.
In class discussions students acquire skills of expressing their thoughts in a clear, coherent, logical and precise manner, with the use of language which is correct grammatically, lexically and phonetically.
Assessment criteria
Presentation of selected scenes; attendance, preparation for the classes, participation in discussions.
Two absences are allowed. If classes take place online, attendence is confirmed when the camera is on.
Retake: presentation.
Bibliography
Filmography
The title list will be discussed with the group:
The Audience. Dir. Stephen Daldry, 2013.
The Crown. Creat. Peter Morgan, 2016-.
The Deal. Dir. Stephen Frears, 2003
Diana. Dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel. 2013.
House of Cards. BBC, 1990.
The Iron Lady. Dir. Phyllida Lloyd, 2011.
King Charles III. Dir. Rupert Goold, 2017.
Love Actually. Dir. Richard Curtis, 2003.
“The National Anthem”. Black Mirror. Series 1, 2011.
The Queen. Dir. Stephen Frears, 2006.
“A Scandal in Belgravia”. Sherlock. Series 2. BBC, 2012.
The Special Relationship. Dir. Richard Loncraine, 2010.
Spencer. Dir. Pablo Larraín. 2021.
Selected secondary sources
(the most relevant chapters and websites will be made available to students):
Brown, Tom and Belen Vidal. Biopic in Contemporary Culture. Routledge, 2014.
Bastin, Giselle. "Filming the Ineffable. Biopics of the British Royal Family."
a/b: Auto/Biography Studies. Volume 24, 2009 - Issue 1.
Bordwell, David, Kristin Thompson. Film Art. An Introduction. McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Cheshire, Ellen. "A Royal Affair. The Majesty of Royal Representations."
Bio-pics: A Life in Pictures. London: Wallflower, 2015.
Gianetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. Pearson, 2014.
Leach, Jim. British Film. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Lembo, Ron. Thinking through Television. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Oakland, John. British Civilisation. An Introduction. 7th ed. Routledge, 2010.
“A Reference Guide”. College Film & Media Studies.com.
Turpin, Colin, Adam Tomkins. British Government and the Constitution. Cambridge University Press, 2007.
“Yale Film Studies”. Film Analysis Web Site 2.0.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: