The Anatomy of Action Cinema 4219-RS251
In the first part of the course we will be focusing on several case studies showcasing both particular themes and theoretical apparatus typical for the analysis of action cinema texts. In the second part of the course, the students will be expected to share their research plan and findings, on the basis of which they will be writing a research paper (8-15 pages). Throughout the semester we will be also practicing key skills in research and academic writing such as formulating research questions, planning work, working with sources etc.
Selected topics:
- 80s action cinema
- Transnational cinema
- Spy movies
- Superhero cinema
- Monster and/or disaster movies
- Hybrid movies
- Remakes, reboots and sequels
- Crisis cinema
Type of course
proseminars
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Upon completing this course a student:
1. KNOWLEDGE
* has a knowledge of the different action genres and their historical development
* recognises key motifs and textual devices of action cinema
* is aware of the ideological and cultural functions of action narratives in American culture
2. SKILLS
* is able to formulate critical arguments concerning movies and TV shows
* is able to use a range of theoretical apparatuses in analyses of individual texts
3. SOCIAL COMPETENCES
* is aware of the cultural relevance of action cinema
* is able to organize research findings in clear written and oral forms
Assessment criteria
Since this is an intensive seminar (8 ECTS), the amount of work required, both in-class and outside it, is more substantial than in an average elective course. Apart from independent research, which students will conduct under the instructor’s guidance, the seminar requirements include:
* active seminar participation 20%
* in-class presentation of the final project 20%
* annotated bibliography 20%
* research paper 40% (draft 25%, final version 15%)
Bibliography
Barna Donovan, William. Blood, Guns, and Testosterone: Action Films, Audiences, and a Thirst for Violence. Scarecrow Press, 2010.
Bogle, Donald. Toms, Coons, Mammies, Mulattoes, and Bucks . Continuum, Fourth Edition, 2001.
Dunn, Stephane. Baad Bitches and Sassy Supermamas: Black Power Action Films. University of Illinois Press, 2008.
Edgerton, Gary, and Brian Geoffrey Rose (eds.) Thinking Outside the Box: A Contemporary Television Genre Reader. University Press of Kentucky, 2005.
Elsaesser, Thomas. The Persistence of Hollywood. Routledge, 2011.
Gallagher, Mark. Action Figures: Men, Action Films, and Contemporary Adventure Narratives. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
Grant, Barry Keith. Film Genre Reader VI. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012.
Jones, Nick. Hollywood Action Films and Spatial Theory. Routledge, 2015.
McDonald, Paul, and Janet Wasko. The Contemporary Hollywood Film Industry. Malden, Mass. and Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.
Miller, Toby. The Contemporary Hollywood Reader. Routledge, 2009.
Mittell, Jason. Genre and Television: From Cop Shows to Cartoons in American Culture. Routledge, 2004.
Morris, Meaghan, Siu Leung Li, Stephen Chan Ching-Kiu (ed.). Hong Kong Connections: Transnational Imagination in Action Cinema . Duke University Press, 2005.
Neale, Steven, and Murray Smith (eds.) Contemporary Hollywood Cinema. Routledge, 1998.
O’Brien, Harvey. Action Movies: The Cinema of Striking Back. Wallflower, 2012.
Tasker, Yvonne (ed.). The Hollywood Action and Adventure Film. Wiley Blackwell, 2015.
Tasker, Yvonne. Spectacular Bodies: Gender, Genre and the Action Cinema. Routledge, 1993.
Purse, Lisa. Contemporary Action Cinema. Edinburgh University Press, 2011.
Readings might be changed at a later date.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: