Postgraduate Course: Film-Philosophy (CLLC11149)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures | 
College | College of Humanities and Social Science | 
 
| Course type | Standard | 
Availability | Not available to visiting students | 
 
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) | 
Credits | 20 | 
 
| Home subject area | Common Courses (School of Lit, Lang and Cult) | 
Other subject area | None | 
   
| Course website | 
None | 
Taught in Gaelic? | No | 
 
| Course description | Film-Philosophy has become one of the most important developments in contemporary film theory and uses approaches from philosophy to study film. The Film-Philosophy course gives an introduction to core philosophical concepts through film examples and also explores the possibility that films themselves have the ability to present unique philosophical thought. Philosophy here is broadly defined and includes the continental theory tradition. No background in philosophy is necessary to take this course. | 
 
 
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites | 
 | 
Co-requisites |  | 
 
| Prohibited Combinations |  | 
Other requirements |  None | 
 
| Additional Costs |  None | 
 
 
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15  Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1) 
  
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Learn enabled:  Yes | 
Quota:  None | 
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Web Timetable  | 
	
Web Timetable | 
 
| Course Start Date | 
12/01/2015 | 
 
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) | 
 
 Total Hours:
200
(
 Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
 Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 22,
 Formative Assessment Hours 5,
 Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
147 )
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| Additional Notes | 
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) | 
 
  Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| No Exam Information | 
 
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes 
* Students will be aware of major philosophical concepts as they are presented through cinema. 
* Students will be able to apply philosophical approaches to the criticism and analysis of film. 
* Students will understand how film can be seen as philosophy. 
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Assessment Information 
Essay: 4000 Words (100%) 
 
Formative assessment: Presentation 
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Special Arrangements 
| None |   
 
Additional Information 
| Academic description | 
Not entered | 
 
| Syllabus | 
Indicative topics and films (subject to change): 
 
The Turn to Philosophy in Film Theory: Philosophy Through Film and Film as Philosophy  
Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kauffman, USA, 2008) 
 
Film and Aesthetics 
Marketa Lazarová (Frantisek Vlacil, 1967) 
 
Film, Ethics and Morality I: Fiction 
Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen, 1989) 
 
Film, Ethics and Morality II: Documentary 
The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn, 2012) 
 
Gilles Deleuze and Film Theory 
Red Desert (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) 
 
Film and Phenomenology 
Blue (Derek Jarman, 1993) 
 
The Haptic Turn in Film-Philosophy 
Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, 2000) 
 
Film and Emotion: The Paradox of Fiction 
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007) 
 
Film and the Philosophy of Mind 
Upstream Colour (Shane Carruth, 2013) 
 
Film and Scepticism 
Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010) 
 
Film-Philosophy and Stanley Cavell: Comedy 
The Awful Truth (1937) 
 
Film-Philosophy and Stanley Cavell: Melodrama 
Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper, 1942) 
 
The Problem of Evil 
The Devils (Ken Russell, 1972) 
 
Film and Existentialism 
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975) 
 
Philosophers on Film 
Derrida (Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, 2002) 
Zizek! (Astra Taylor, 2005) 
Examined Life (Astra Taylor, 2008) 
Waking Life (Richard Linklater, 2001) 
 
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| Transferable skills | 
* Advanced skills of critical analysis 
* Presentation skills 
* Time management 
* Cultural and philosophical awareness 
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| Reading list | 
* Carel, Havi and Greg Tuck (2011) New Takes in Film-Philosophy. London: Palgrave MacMillan. 
 
* Carroll, Noël and Jinhee Choi (eds.) (2006) Philosophy of Film and Motion Pictures. Malden, MA and Oxford: Blackwell. 
 
* Frampton, Daniel (2006) Filmosophy. London: Wallflower. 
 
* Gaut, Berys (2010) A Philosophy of Cinematic Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 
 
* Litch, Mary M. (2010) Philosophy Through Film. London and New York: Routledge. 
 
* Livingston, Paisley and Carl Plantinga (2009) The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film. London and New York: Routledge. 
 
* Rowlands, Marc (2003) The Philosopher at the End of the Universe. London: Ebury Press.  
 
* Sinnerbrink, Robert (2011) New Philosophies of Film: Thinking Images. London: Continuum. 
 
* Smith, Murray and Thomas Wartenberg (eds.) Thinking Through Cinema: Film as Philosophy. Malden, MA and Oxford: Blackwell. 
 
* Wartenberg, Thomas E. (2007) Thinking on Screen: Film as Philosophy. London and New York: Routledge.¿ 
 
* Wartenberg, Thomas E. and Angela Curran (eds.) (2005) The Philosophy of Film: Introductory Text and Readings. Malden, MA 
and Oxford: Blackwell. 
 
 
 
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| Study Abroad | 
Not entered | 
 
| Study Pattern | 
2 hour screening followed by 2 hour seminar | 
 
| Keywords | FP | 
 
 
Contacts 
| Course organiser | Dr David Sorfa 
Tel:  
Email: David.Sorfa@ed.ac.uk | 
Course secretary | Ms Ersev Ersoy 
Tel: (0131 6)50 5565 
Email: Ersev.Ersoy@ed.ac.uk | 
   
 
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© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh -  29 August 2014 3:39 am 
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