Paris on Film

In this course we will focus on the representation of Paris in French cinema. In the first part of the course we will study different time periods and cinematic styles: the Poetic Realism of the 1930s (Marcel Carné’s Hotel du Nord), the New Wave of the late 1950s and early 1960s (Agnès Varda’s Cléo de 5 à 7), and the banlieue films of the 1990s (Mathieu Kassovitz’s La Haine). In the second part of the course we will look at influences and novelties in 21st century films, including Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, Cédric Klapisch’s Paris, and Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in Paris. We will also examine a few representations of Paris in American cinema, such as Minelli’s An American in Paris (1951) and Woody Allen's Midnight in Pari/s (2011). (FREN 0220, 0221 or FREN 0230, or by waiver) 3 hrs lect/disc +2 hrs. screenings