CINE 34200 The Films of the Coen Brothers

This course will focus on the varied cinema of the Coen Brothers. By screening not only notable works by this filmmaking duo but also the films that inspired them, students will gain an understanding of how Joel and Ethan Coen have both drawn on the conventions of established film genres but also reinvented them. The course will focus on the following films and genres: Comedy (Raising Arizona, The Hudsucker Proxy & O Brother Where Art Thou?), Crime (Miller’s Crossing, Fargo & The Big Lebowski), Film Noir (Blood Simple & The Man Who Wasn’t There), and Western (True Grit & No Country For Old Men). Alongside those films we will screen such films as His Girl Friday, Sullivan’s Travels, True Grit, The Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, etc. While the course will focus primarily on the narrative and directing styles of the Coens, it will also look at the other craft areas (cinematography, editing, music, etc.) as many of the films feature the same contributors.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

ENGL 17000.

Offered

Fall/Spring/Summer.