Uday Chandra [Semester-Year]

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PLSC 2xx: Film and Politics

Films may uphold traditional values or set new social trends; they may legitimate certain political
attitudes and behaviors in society; or, they may criticize the existing structure of politics and society.
Can films be political? Can they be political even without intending to be so? Can we study politics
through film?

To answer these questions over the semester, we will watch a selection of old and new classics from
across the world. While this course is not a comprehensive survey of film and politics, it nonetheless
serves to introduce students to a wide range of films and political perspectives. We will focus on
both the content and form of these films. Cinematic narratives, directorial techniques, and acting
styles will all help us make sense of the political issues raised explicitly or implicitly in films.
The political analysis of films should not, however, prevent their enjoyment and appreciation. Our
focus in this course will be on thinking creatively about politics and society. By the end of the
semester, you will not only watch films differently, but think about politics in entirely new ways.
Course Requirements
Analyzing films is fun as well as serious. While this is an introductory course, you will be expected to
commit at least five hours per week on it. We will watch a film and read approx. 50-100 pages per
week to help us grapple the issues raised by the film. Pay close attention to narrative structure,
acting, dialogues, sets and anything else that strikes you as relevant. Be prepared to discuss both the
form and content of the assigned films in class. Lastly, remember that enthusiastic and active
participation in class holds the key to success.
This course will have its own blog, and every student is expected to read and contribute to the blog
every week. The basic rule for blog posts is to respond to any part of the previous post and then add
one’s own questions, comments, criticisms, etc. Doing so will help us maintain a conversation thread
and discuss the films more effectively.
Grading
Grading for this course will be based on two 800-1,000 word film reviews (10% each) 6-8 page
papers (20% each), a final exam (20%), and regular blog posts and class participation (25%).
Note that the total adds up to 105 rather than 100 per cent. This is not an error, but a deliberate
attempt to reward those who participate enthusiastically in the course. Please be aware that these
rewards are available only to those who attend class regularly: unexcused absences, without good
medical or personal reasons, will not be tolerated, and even one such absence shall lead directly to a
grade of “F” for this course. For those in regular attendance, the following numerical criteria will be
used to compute the final grade:
Above 85: A 75-84.5: A- 65-74.5: B+ 55-64.5: B
45-54.5: B- 35-44.5: C+ 25-34.5: C 20-24.5: C-
15-19.5: D Below 15: F
Course Material
We will not read any books in this course, but you must purchase a course packet [CP]. Additional
readings marked [O] are available online.
All films will be screened in [Building-Room] on Sundays at 3pm. Light refreshments will be
provided. If you cannot make it to a film screening for some reason, please let me know. All films
for this course are available on reserve in the library.

Course Schedule

Week 1: An Introduction to Film and Politics - What Should We Study?

Jennifer Hyland Wang, “A Struggle of Contending Stories”: Race, Gender,

Week 2
Citizen Kane (119 mins)
To Kill a Mockingbird (129 mins)
Nigel Andrews, “The Mark of ‘Kane’” [O]
Susan King, “How The Finch Stole Christmas: Q&A with Gregory Peck” [O]

Week 3
The Triumph of the Will (120 mins)

Life is Beautiful (116 mins)

Susan Sontag, “Fascinating Fascism” [O]

Ruth Ben-Ghiat, “The Secret Histories of Roberto Benigni's

FILM REVIEW #1 DUE

Week 4
The Battle of Algiers (121 mins)
The Grand Illusion (114 mins)
Donald Reid, “Re-viewing the Battle of Algiers with Germaine Tillion” [O]
James J. Sheehan, “Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion” (with introductory
essay) [O]

Week 5
Modern Times (87 mins)
Naya Daur (173 mins)
Stephen M. Weissman, Chaplin: A Life [O]
Meghnad Desai, excerpts, Nehru’s Hero Dilip Kumar in the Life of India [R]

PAPER #1 DUE

Week 6
Gandhi (191 mins)
Song of the Little Road (115 mins)
Anant Patwardhan, ““Gandhi”: Film as Theology” [O]
Ashish Rajadhyaksha, “Satyajit Ray, Ray’s Films and the Ray-Movie” [O]

Week 7
Mackenna’s Gold (128 mins)
Dances with Wolves (181 mins)
John H. Lenihan, Showdown: Confronting Modern America in the Western Film, pp. 3-89 [R]

Week 8
City of God (130 min)

Slumdog Millionaire (120 mins)

Howard Winant, “Racial Democracy and Racial Identity: Comparing the United States and Brazil,”
in Michael Hanchard (ed.), Racial Politics in Contemporary Brazil (Durham, 2005), pp. 98-115 [R]

Katherine Boo, Beyond the Beautiful Forevers (New York, 2012), Chapter 1 [R]

FILM REVIEW #2 DUE

Week 9
Hotel Rwanda (121 mins)
Constant Gardner (129 mins)

Mahmood Mamdani, When Victims Turn Killers: Colonialism, Nativism, and

Week 10
The Lives of Others (136 mins)
The Reader (124 mins)

Thomas Lindenberger, “Stasiploitation: Why Not? The Scriptwriter's Historical Creativity in "The
Lives of Others” [O]
Judith Butler, “Hannah Arendt’s Challenge to Adolf Eichmann” [O]

PAPER #2 DUE
Week 11
Erin Brokovich (131 mins)
Michael Clayton (119 mins)

Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (New York, 2006), pp. 1-31, 100-
09, 282-334 [R]

Week 12
Rashomon (88 mins)
Psycho (109 mins)
Karl G. Heider, “The Rashomon Effect” [O]
David Steritt, Psycho Analyzed [O]

FINAL EXAM