for those of you who have been curious, i will happily send the list of films
that i choose. or, rather, that myself and the other professor chooses (she
is a music professor). unfortunately, the class is not geared directly
towards sound/film and music (and East Tennessee State University is a rather
conservative school, with imitations ingrained in the students' minds about
what they are willing to learn from). Hence, those suggestions which are more
easily accessible are the ones which I will be going with (which is why I
gave you my two as "Clockwork Orange" and "Reservoir Dogs", since they are
understandable in an immediate sense as well as allowing a degree of
entertainment for the students; this is also due to budgetary constraints,
since there is no film studies here per se, except partially through the
English major, and we are in the midst of a cash crisis which does not allow
the purchasing of films in any number).
Which leads me to my own follow-up question, and perhaps a topic for
discussion. Outside of film theory/studies students, who are quite willing to
look at anything (as am I, of course), how do you folks go about introducing
"radical" examples of film in classes? To what degree do you feel its is
necessary for students to have a basic film vocabulary, or music vocabulary,
to approach this topic successfully in class? Is there a need, in your
opinion, to progress through popular films (using Reservoir Dogs as an
example which, in a quick poll, 90% of the students who will be taking the
class have NOT seen) and make them aware of what they are listening to (in
that case, should I stoop low enough and use any of the Star Wars films....
lol..... which I will NOT be doing), or perhaps partially popular films (I'm
thinking about Kurosawa... the moments of silence in "Ran" always struck me
as being amazing in their absence and power, or "Leningrad Cowboys Go
America" by Kaurismaki, which always struck me as a poetic use of popular
culture amongst a Beckett outlook on life; and the suggestion of "The Jazz
Singer" was something that alreay occured to me, but was rejected as being
too difficult for the students, and "Birth of a Nation" was also rejected, in
favour of "Citizen Kane" for visual vocabulary, though perhaps I'm going to
be able to show "Triumph of the Will", which puzzles me in its acceptance)?
The aim of the class which I will be teaching is to "introduce" an "artistic
experience" to the students, most of whom grew up in middle-class, white,
conservative Christian homes here in Tennessee, and thought "Seven" and
"South Park" were radical art, if they saw them. In that sense, and because
the class is being team-taught, a compromise has been reached whereby the
choice of films is meant to also reflect the history of music (chafing
slightly under the fact that "Name of the Rose" is going to be used because
of the renaissance music in it).
Any comments? And, of course, any criticisms or continuations of this thread
welcomed.
Scott Koterbay
Department of Art and Design/Department of Philosophy
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN
In a message dated 12/8/99 8:15:11 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
<< i would cast a vote for Antonioni's Red Desert. i dont know if the sound
used in the film fits in with some of the more "scored" work and compiled
songs towards which you seem to be inclined. Also, in terms of creating
atmosphere, the terrific soundtracks to Touch of Evil and Vampyros Lesbos.
Runners-up include Jarmusch's Dead Man and Wenders' Wings of Desire.
i am curious if any of this discussion on this list re: films and sound
will extend beyond reading recommendations (though that was the original
request) and into the matter itself (though i am not sure what form this
would take or in which direction it would go)
and i for one would like to know what films you do eventually choose.
ken g >>
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