Course details

Name: ENFL - 251

Title: SPECIAL TOPIC: THE MUSICAL

Section: 01

Semester: Fall - 2024

Credits: 3

Description:
This course considers one of the most entertaining, vibrant and distinctive of film genres--the musical. Few genres match its stylistic and performance virtuosity, making study of musicals especially useful for those aspiring to work in the media. We address questions including: What qualifies as a musical? How do filmmakers make them? How do musicals relate to Broadway, vaudeville, radio and various dance traditions? How can we study fans and critical reception of musicals? We examine "genre" in terms of its visuals and sounds, typical stories and themes. Also significant will be how musicals represent and convey messages about gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexuality and nation. Musical styles cover everything from "the Great American Songbook" to operetta, rock'n'roll and beyond. The songs, dances, stories and styles of the musical tell us about ourselves and our social histories, from the Great Depression of the 1930s through WWII, the upheavals of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, key facets of transnational culture, and even our world today. We consider the musical's subgenres, see how they change over time and learn from close analysis of film narrative, spectacle and style. We study key filmmakers, songwriters, choreographers, and of course, the stars--since the genre emphasizes performance, we will think about the influential singers, dancers, comics and actors who are among the most talented in screen history and what their star images signify. Our history spans from the classical era to more recent variations and innovations; while Hollywood receives emphasis, global examples might include India's "Bollywood", Mexican cabareteras and European art cinema.



Last updated on 2024-04-15 By Lykidis Alexios (lykidisa)

Schedule: Friday From 9:45 am To 12:30 pm

Graduation requirements:

• Genre Study (Film)

Teaching Faculty: Staff English Dept. (staff)

Is course canceled: No