Robots, Mutants, and Monsters:
Envisioning Science in Cinema
Spring 2013
Course # AHSE 2199A, Sec. 01, 2 credits
Mondays and Thursdays, 10:50am - 12:30pm
Campus Center Rm 214
Instructor: Dr. Maruta Vitols
[email protected]
Phone: 781-292-2300
Office hrs. Mondays 1:00pm -2:30pm and by appointment,
Milas Hall, Rm 362
Throughout the history of cinema, filmmakers have experienced both fascination with and fear of
technology. Contemporary scientific advancements have inspired countless cinematic
representations that express cultural excitement, ethical concern, and social anxiety regarding such
innovations as artificial intelligence and nuclear engineering. By placing such films as Metropolis
(1927), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and The Matrix (1999) in their historical and cultural
contexts, this course will consider multiple approaches to the representation of science on screen.
Course Objectives:
· To familiarize students with influential science fiction films
· To identify major themes that characterize this genre
· To examine the historical relationship between science fiction cinema and contemporary political
and social concerns
Learning Objectives:
· To encourage an appreciation of cinema as an art form and as a vehicle for public discourse on
cultural issues
· To cultivate students’ ability to critically think and analyze visual media
· To develop and refine students’ written and oral communication skills
Required texts:
Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing about Film. 8th Edition. NewYork: Pearson Longman,
2011.
The required text is available for purchase online (check Amazon for used copies or to download the
Kindle version), and is also on reserve at the Olin College Library. The remainder of the required reading
will be available online as PDF files on BlackBoard (http://courses.olin.edu).
CLASS SCHEDULE:
WEEK ONE
Thursday, January 24th: Introduction – Why Study Genre Cinema and What Makes a Film “Science
Fiction”?
Screening (in-class): A Trip to the Moon (Georges Méliès, 1902, France)
1
WEEK TWO
Monday, January 28th: The 1920s: Evil Scientists and Nazism: Fiction Meets Reality
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
Screening – Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927, Germany)
Reading: Peter Dolgenos, “The Star on C.A. Rotwang’s Door: Turning Kracauer on Its Head,” Journal of
Popular Film and Television (Vol. 25, No. 2, 1997), 68-75.
Thursday January 31st: The 1930s: Back to the Future?
Screening – Things to Come (William Cameron Menzies, 1936, United Kingdom)
Reading: Tim Travers, “The Shape of Things to Come,” Film & History (Vol. 6, No. 2, May 1976), 31-41.
WEEK THREE
Monday, February 4th: The 1950s: Atomic Anxiety and Monsters from the Id
JOURNAL ONE DUE (Required)
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
Screening - Them! (Gordon Douglas, 1954, U.S.)
Reading: Cyndy Hendershot, “From Trauma To Paranoia: Nuclear Weapons, Science Fiction, and
History,” Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature (Vol. 32, No. 4, December 1999),
73-91; Margaret Tarratt, “Monsters from the Id,” in Film Genre Reader III, ed. Barry Keith Grant (Austin:
University of Texas, 2003), 346-365.
Thursday, February 7th: IN-CLASS DEBATE: How to Interpret Siegel’s Film?
Screening – Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, 1956, U.S.)
Reading: Bryan E. Vizzini, “Cold War Fears, Cold War Passions: Conservatives And Liberals Square Off
in 1950s Science Fiction,” Quarterly Review of Film & Video (Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2008), 28-39.
WEEK FOUR
Monday, February 11th: The 1960s: Interrogating Inner and Outer Space
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
Screening – 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968, U.S. and United Kingdom)
Reading: Dominic Janes, “Clarke and Kubrick’s 2001: A Queer Odyssey,” Science Fiction Film &
Television (Vol. 4, No. 1, 2011), 57-78.
Thursday, February 14th: The 1970s: Fearing Feminism
JOURNAL TWO DUE (Required)
Screening – Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979, U.S.)
Reading: Robert Torry, “Awakening to the Other: Feminism and the Ego-Ideal in Alien,” Women’s Studies
(Vol. 23, No. 4, September 1994), 343-363.
Candidates’ Weekend 1 (2/15 – 2/16)
WEEK FIVE
Monday, February 18th: NO CLASS (Presidents’ Day)
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
Tuesday, February 19th: (Olin Monday): The 1980s: Postmodernism and the Blurring of Boundaries
Screening – Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982, U.S.)
Reading: Jenna Tiitsman, “If Only You Could See What I’ve seen with Your Eyes: Destabilized
Spectatorship and Creation’s Chaos in Blade Runner,” Cross Currents (Vol. 54, No.1, Spring 2004),
32-47.
Thursday, February 21st: The 1990s: Race Relations, Representation, and the Real
Screening – The Matrix (The Wachowski Brothers, 1999, U.S.)
Reading: Adilifu Nama, “R is for Race, Not Rocket: Black Representation in American Science Fiction
Cinema,” Quarterly Review of Film & Video (Vol. 26, No. 2, March 2009), 155-166.
2
Candidates’ Weekend 2 (2/22 - 2/23)
WEEK SIX
Monday, February 25th: The 2000s: Ominous and Indispensable Technocracy
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
Screening – Minority Report (Steven Spielberg, 2002, U.S.)
Reading: Mark Garrett Cooper, “The Contradictions of Minority Report,” Film Criticism (Vol. 28, No. 2,
Winter 2003/2004), 24-41.
Thursday, February 28th: NO CLASS (Olin recovery day)
Candidates’ Weekend 3 (3/1 – 3/2)
WEEK SEVEN
Monday, March 4th: The 2010s: Virtualities and Dreamscapes
JOURNAL THREE DUE (Required)
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
Screening – Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010, U.S.)
Reading: Mark Fisher, “The Lost Unconscious: Delusions and Dreams in Inception,” Film Quarterly (Vol.
64, No. 3, Spring 2011), 37-45.
Thursday, March 7th: NO CLASS (Maruta at a media conference in Chicago)
See a current science fiction film playing in movie theaters and write a 1- 2 page analysis of the screening
to be discussed in-class on March 11th (this paper will count as one of the Film Review assignments, i.e.,
5% of your final course grade).
WEEK EIGHT:
Monday, March 11th: A Science Fiction Future?
SHORT FILM DUE (Optional)
ANALYTICAL ESSAY DUE (Optional)
FILM REVIEW DUE (Optional)
In-class discussion of contemporary science fiction cinema
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Grading and Course Requirements:
1) Time Period Presentations - 15%: At the beginning of each class session, student
groups (TBD) will present to the class a description of the time-period in question (for
example, the 1960s), providing a succinct and salient review of the major political and
cultural events of that era. The goal is to provide the class with a socio-political context for
the film about to be discussed.
2) Leading class discussions/activities - 20%: Following the time period presentation in
each class session, student groups (TBD) will lead a discussion or relevant activity that
addresses that day’s assigned screening and reading(s).
3) Journal entries - 20%: All students are required to write periodic 2-page long journal
entries where they will respond to their assigned readings, screenings, and class
discussions/actvities. The journal entries are meant as a space for students to explore their
own ideas and to make sense of the material covered in this course. They are meant as a
learning tool to complement in-class work, and to allow students to see their own
development as critical spectators. Students will be asked to turn in their journal entries
3
three times, and this part of the grade will depend upon two factors: first, the completion of
the assignment (i.e., writing journal entries that address the assigned readings and
screenings, as well as the class discussions or activities); second, the effort put into writing
something thoughtful and reflective. Do not summarize the reading or the plot of the films!
Utilize this opportunity to “digest” the material at hand and relate it to your own experience
and understanding. Journal entries are due in class on: February 4th, February 14th,
March 4th. For each day that your assignment is late, I will deduct 10 points from your
assignment grade. Exceptions will be made in the event of a medical emergency or the
death of an immediate family member. More information about the journal assignments will
be distributed in class in a detailed handout.
4) Class participation and Attendance - 5%: Since classroom discussion is a key
component in this course, all students are expected to attend class regularly, to arrive on
time, and to actively participate in the discussions and activities. Unexcused absences and
chronic tardiness are unacceptable and will adversely affect your final grade. If you have
more than three unexcused absences, your final grade for this course will automatically
decrease by 15 points. If you arrive more than 15 minutes after the beginning of class, it
will count as an unexcused absence. If you need to miss class due to illness, a family
emergency, or for religious observances, you must contact me beforehand via e-mail or
make prior arrangements with me in class. Even if you miss class, you are responsible for
all information discussed in class. All readings and screenings MUST be completed
BEFORE class to allow for richer discussions (unless otherwise noted).
AND ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHOICES (COMBINATIONS ARE ACCEPTABLE), AS LONG IT
ADDS UP TO A TOTAL OF 40%:
5) Film Reviews - 5% each: Write a 1 to 2-page review of any of the science fiction films
listed in the filmography handout (ie., one review/film). Reviews may be turned in to the
instructor on Mondays during this course. [NOTE: One film review will be obligatory
for all students - see above, Thursday, March 7th]
6) Film Presentations - 10%: Give two separate ten-minute presentations (schedule TBD)
on any of the science fiction films listed in the filmography handout (i.e., one presentation/
film)
7) Analytical Essay - 20%: Write a 5 page analytical essay that compares and contrasts a
science fiction novel with its film adaptation; DUE MARCH 11TH
8) Make your own short sci-fi film - 20%: Using the generic conventions that we’ve
discussed in class, write, produce, and direct your own short (15-30 min.) science fiction
film, DUE MARCH 11TH
Assignments must be turned in to the professor in class or may be e-mailed to the professor as a PDF file
before the start of class. For each day (i.e., 24-hour period) that your assignment is late, I will deduct 10
points from that part of your assignment grade. Exceptions will be made in the event of a medical
emergency or the death of an immediate family member. You will be graded on the quality and clarity of
your analysis, and how convincingly you make your argument. Points will be taken off for grammatical
and typographical errors when applicable. Be sure to properly cite all sources, and include a bibliography
when applicable. All journals, reviews, and essays must be double-spaced and use Arial 10 point font.
4
Grading Policies:
Olin College grading policies will be used. For details, please consult the Student Handbook: http://
www.olin.edu/student_life/pdfs/StudentHandbook.pdf.
The following grading scale will be used:
Grade
A
A-
Assessment Description
Excellent
B+
B
B-
3.3
Good
C+
C
C-
IF
IL
IP
3.0
2.7
2.3
Fair
D+
D
EG
F
I
Point Value
4.0
3.7
2.0
1.7
1.3
Poor
Experimental Grading
Failing
Incomplete (temporary
grade)
Incomplete Failing
Incomplete/Leave of
Absence
(temporary grade)
In Progress (temporary
grade)
1.0
n/a
0.0
n/a
0.0
n/a
n/a
L/
Leave/No Record
n/a
NR
No Credit for Pass/No Credit
Option
n/a
NC
NG
No Grade Reported by Instructor
(temporary grade)
NPP
NR
P
PP
R
TR
W
No Passionate Pursuit
Recognition
(internal designation)
No Record
Pass
Passionate Pursuit Recognition
Course Repeated
Transfer Credit
Withdrew from Course
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Assignment Return Policy:
Whenever possible, assignments will be returned and feedback will be given to students in class (usually
within a week of submission). Student papers will be retained for one semester (Fall 2013), after which
they will be destroyed.
Academic Integrity:Students, faculty, and staff are all expected to be aware of and abide by the Olin
Honor Code. Simply put, don’t plagiarize, cheat, or lie. I’m much more interested in reading about what
YOU think than having you cut and paste from someone else’s work. All students are expected to
complete the assignments for this class on an individual basis unless otherwise noted. You are
encouraged to consult your student handbook or speak to me if you have any questions regarding
academic integrity.
5
Technology Policy:
Attending class means that both your body and your mind are present. Turn off all cell phones, iPods,
iPads, and other digital devices BEFORE you enter the classroom. They must remain off during the entire
class period. Laptops and Kindles will be allowed on a probationary period only for use during the class
discussion to access readings and take notes (if students abuse these privileges, computers and Kindles
will no longer be permitted in class). Students are not allowed to take notes on iPads or iPhones. All
violators of this policy will be required to leave for the rest of the period, resulting in an “absence” for
attendance that day.
Contact:
You are welcome to contact me about minor class issues over e-mail. Your e-mails must identify you and
must be written clearly and with civility. I will usually respond to most e-mails within 24 hours during the
work week. If you need to contact me about your course performance, grades, or other important matters,
you are urged to see me personally during my office hours or to make an appointment with me.
*SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR*
6