"French Film History" introduces students to major technological,
social, and artistic events in the French cinema.  The class
allows in-depth study of major directors and influential movies,
while relating their narrative strategies to their historical
context and critical milieu.

I.  Growth of Cinema; Silent Era
      A.  Technological, Economic, and Narrative Beginnings
      B.  Major Figures, from Lumiere to Dali
      C.  Art Movements:  French Impressionism and Surrealism
II. 1930s and the Coming of Sound
      A.  Sound Technology and Narrative Style
      B.  Poetic Realism
      C.  Authorship:  Jean Vigo, Rene Clair, Marcel Carne, and
            Jean Renoir
III.  World War II and Post-War Years
        A.  Nazi Occupation, New Institutions
        B.  Tradition of Quality
IV.  French New Wave
        A.  Major Economic and Aesthetic Factors
        B.  Cahiers Directors:  Francois Truffaut, Eric Rohmer, 
               Jean-Luc Godard
        C.  The Left Bank Group:  Agnes Varda, Alain Resnais,
               Jean Rouch
V.  Post-New Wave Cinema
        A.  May '68 and Political Cinema
        B.  Major Figures of the 1970s, 1908s, and 1990s
        C.  French Production after 2000