Soviet Cinema of the 70s & 80s – New Heroes and Heroines *



This course will focus on new character archetypes in Soviet cinema during the Brezhnev era – a period of economic and cultural stagnation. Many films of this period demonstrate an antihero/antiheroine, neither negative nor positive, who deconstructs the Soviet norm of behavior, lifestyle, and perspective. Students will watch films that belong to popular culture, as well as films outside the mainstream. Films of the prominent directors G. Panfilov, P. Todorovsky, N. Mikhalkov, G. Danelia, A. German, R. Balaian, and others, will be screened. The course incorporates readings that complement the film content, as well as detailed analyses of the cinematic works, and will feature two film screenings weekly.