Taught In English

There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

Czech Film History
Lecturer: Barbora Holubová

Course Description:
This course will focus on the history of Czech / Czechoslovak film. It shall cover the entire path from the invention of cinema through the twentieth century until the current period. The trends of the Czech film will be put into context, not only with world film production, but especially with the period´s social and cultural milieu.
The basic facts of the cinematographic production in the Czech lands will be examined, but will more closely focus on the most important films and persons of it. The main focus will be given to screening of the extracts of the films as well as the whole pieces and discussion over it.
Special attention will be paid to a particular time of the Czech film - the New Wave of the 60s. Special lessons will be dedicated to 3 film forms - animated film, documentary film and film for children.
Course Learning Objectives:
The students should get a general overview of the development of the Czech film in the twentieth century and shall know the main personages and works of its most important expressions. By the end of the course they will be able to analyze and interpret the mutual relation between film art and social development.

Requirements:
A general interest in world film is expected. The course will be based on active participation. The lecturer will help students to follow cinema programs and inform them on major film events in the Czech Republic in spring 2008.
Readings will be assigned weekly and discussed subsequently.

Assessment:
Class attendance
(mandatory; 2 absences will be tolerated) and active participation: 20%
Mid-term essay - an analyze of one of the listed films: 20%
Final Paper - an essay on the work of one of the members of the New Wave (including the presentation in the class): 30%
Final written test: 30%

Bibliography:
Brož, Jaroslav: The Path of Fame of the Czechoslovak Film, Prague 1967
Czech Animated Film 1934-1994; Ministry of Culture of CR, KF a.s. Prague and Studios Zlín 1994.
Hames, Peter: The Czechoslovak New Wave; University of California Press 1985.
Liehm, Antonín, J.: Closely Watched Films; Int. Arts and Science Press, Inc. 1974.
Škvorecký, Josef: All the Bright Young Men and Women; Toronto 1971.
Štoll, Martin: Hundred years of Czech documentary film (1898-1998) : a brief history
of Czech non-fiction film, Praha : Malá Skála, 2000.

Weekly Structure of the Course:
1st week:
The invention of the cinematography and the historical stimulations for it. The silent era in the Czech lands. Jan Kříženecký, the father of the Czech film.

2nd week:
The coming of the sound. The main tendencies of the period. Gustav Machatý, Josef Rovenský and others.

3rd week:
The War era. The Czech film in the context of the Protectorate policy.

4th week:
The post-war film, the changed conditions of the Czechoslovak film artists with the new political order.

5th week:
The Czech documentary film in the twentieth century. Its protagonists and main issues in the course of the time. Its relation to the fiction film.

6th week:
The Czechoslovak New Wave. The preconditions for its arise, the connexion with the European film of the time.

7th week:
The protagonists of the New Wave and their masterpieces. (Jan Kadár, Elmar Klos, Evald Schorm, Věra Chytilová and others)

8th week:
The protagonists of the New Wave and their masterpieces. (Miloš Forman, Ivan Passer, Jiří Menzel, Jan Němec and others)

9th week:
The 70s. The new social climate and the consequences for the cinema. The comedy.

10th week:
The 80s. The New Wave generation (Jiří Menzel, Věra Chytilová and others).

11th week:
The animated film. The main techniques, the principal personages and works of the Czech animated film. Jan Švankmajer.

12th week:
The film for children in the Czech cinema of the 20th century.

13th week:
The 90s. The new condition in the democratic society, the end of the state subsidized cinematography.

14th week:
The new century and the Czech film. Its current tendencies.
Presentations of the final papers.

15th week:
The final test. Comments on the final papers.