Second and third year undergraduate courses

Britain Through the Lens

HT52077A

This course looks at the changing ways in which experiences, identities and social issues have been represented on the screen in Britain, in order to explore the social and cultural history of Britain in the twentieth century and the ways in which social ‘problems’ are identified and responded to by different groups in society. Topics and films may vary from year to year but they will normally focus on Britain from the 1940s to the end of the twentieth century. Between the 1920s and the 1950s cinema-going was the main form of leisure for large sections of society; films have been a key aspect of the media since before the Second World War. The way in which films reflect and highlight popular attitudes and preoccupations, as well as generating views that film makers regard as desirable will be critically analysed. The course will involve a knowledge of the issues dealt with in specific films and an ability to place these issues in an historical context; an analysis of the films themselves in terms of themes, representations and treatment of subjects. Students will therefore, be familiar with the historical context and the particular analysis of the films.

There will be weekly film screenings on Wednesday afternoons 2pm-4pm. If you play sport on Wednesday afternoons you will be able to watch the film in the library at a different time.

Mode of assessment

3 hour written examination

Learning outcomes

LEVEL 2

• An ability to analyse a limited number of British films in their historical context. This will involve a knowledge of the period of the films.
  
  
• Some understanding of the changing ways in which particular identities, experiences and certain issues are represented on screen.
  
  
• A limited appreciation of how some social problems are identified and responded to by particular groups in society.
  
  
• An awareness of different views of films and some ability to assess these views.
  
  
• Some ability to evaluate different arguments of historians over social changes and experiences in Britain during the period covered by the course.
  
  
• An ability to communicate orally and in writing the above learning outcomes.

LEVEL 3

• An ability to analyse British films in their historical context. This will involve a detailed knowledge of the period and of the films.
  
  
• An understanding of the changing ways in which experiences, identities and social issues are represented on screen.
  
  
• An appreciation of how social problems are identified and responded to by different groups in society.
  
  
• An ability to criticise different views of films
  
  
• An ability to evaluate differing arguments of historians over social changes and experiences in Britain during the period covered by the course.
  
  
• An ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally, the above learning outcomes. The students will be helped to achieve this through a series of essays and seminar presentations during the course. These will not be formally assessed in order that the emphasis will be on the learning process rather than the final outcomes, which they will be expected to have achieved by the end of the year.

Introductory (Summer) reading list

Anthony Aldgate and Jeffrey Richards, Best of British: Cinema and Society from 1930 to the Present (1999) 791.430942 RIC (Probably the most useful place to start).

J Ashby and A Higson, British Cinema Past and Present (2000) 791.430942BRI

Bruce Babington British Stars and Stardom (2001) 791.430942BRI

J Curran and V Porter (eds) British Cinema History (1983) 791.430942 BRI

A Higson (ed) Dissolving Views: Key Writings on British Cinema (1996) 791.430942 DIS