Module overview
Linked modules
FILM1001 or FILM2006 or FILM1027 or FILM1020
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- work productively with others and give an effective oral presentation that informs its audience and generates further debate.
- work independently, making effective use of library resources and demonstrating efficient time management.
- select, organise and deploy ideas and information in order to formulate cogent arguments and express them effectively in written .
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the different definitions and critical approaches to ‘Film Noir’
- the significance of iconic stars associated with the genre, such as Edward G Robinson, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck.
- the significance of the historical context of America / Europe in the 1940s and 50s, including the relationship between the US government and Hollywood.
- a range of case-studies in Film Noir and Neo-Noir
- the contribution made by exile / émigré filmmakers in shaping Film Noir.
- borderline examples of the genre, combined with psychological horror, mystery and western genres, melodrama, etc.
- issues of sexuality, gender, ethnicity, crime and post-war readjustment
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- discuss the development of the term ‘Film Noir’ and give examples of differing critical approaches to its understanding as well as the problematic nature of the term itself.
- analyse ways in which critics have dealt with the ‘genre’ thematically, culturally and formally and highlight the value of each approach.
- make connections between American Film Noir and its European and global counterparts.
- discuss the significance of the European influence upon Film Noir in terms of directors and other film personnel as well as the issue of cultural influence.
- evaluate and draw upon a range of academic and filmic sources in order to formulate, structure and justify your own arguments.
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- demonstrate the ability to listen to, contribute to, and lead discussion in group environments of varying sizes.
Syllabus
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Preparation for scheduled sessions | 20 |
Tutorial | 1 |
Demonstration | 20 |
Lecture | 10 |
Seminar | 10 |
Follow-up work | 20 |
Completion of assessment task | 69 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Frank Krutnik (1991). In a Lonely Street: Film Noir, Genre, Masculinity. Routledge.
James Naremore (2008). More than Night: Film Noir and its Contexts. University of California Press.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Assessments designed to provide informal, on-module feedback • advice on essay topics and plans • guidance on seminar leading and feedback on performanceFormative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Group and individual presentation
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback:
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: Yes
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Essay | 50% |
Essay | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Coursework | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External