Monday 12:30-2:20pm Denny 303
Wednesday 12:30-2:20pm Thomson 101
EAST ASIAN GENRE FILMS
The course inquires how film genre develop, and especially how they inspire and mutate when crossing national borders. East Asian film industries have been deeply enmeshed in Hollywood’s global reach, yet they also offer an alternative, with different generic themes, conventions, and histories. The course examines films made in Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, and the PRC to better understand the formation and flow of international film genres.
Of special interest is the concept of “minor cinemas.” East Asian cinemas cannot compete with well-funded industries such as Hollywood. While emulating some blockbuster practices with some success, East Asian films must also create their local niche. To explore these issues, the course will focus on three genres usually associated with Hollywood, namely gangster films, science fiction, and the western.
The course structure emphasizes interaction. The lecture materials will be made available online ahead of the class meetings, which will focus on discussion.
The course assignments include:
- Films to watch (typically two films each week)
- Occasional readings (currently only one assigned for the whole quarter)
- Pre-recorded lectures to watch (typically two lectures of about an hour each every week)
- Short written responses to the films and pre-recorded lectures
- Three video mini-essays (details TBA).
SYLLABUS (subject to change)
Genre and society: the gangster movie
Film: Brother ブラザー (Japan, 2000)
Film: Monga 《艋舺》 (Taiwan, 2010)
Genre classification: science fiction
Film: Double Vision 《雙瞳》 (Taiwan, 2002)
Film: Save the Green Planet! 지구를 지켜라! (Korea, 2003)
Film: 2046 (Hong Kong, 2004)
Film: The Wandering Earth 流浪地球 (PRC, 2019)
Reading: “What is Generally Understood by the Notion of Film Genre” by Rick Altman
Asian westerns
Film: Yojimbo 用心棒 (Japan, 1961)
Film: Let the Bullets Fly 《讓子彈飛》 (PRC, 2010)
Film: The Good, the Bad, and the Weird 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 (Korea, 2008)