University of the West of England

MODULE SPECIFICATION

(Revised November 2002)

Code: UACPCN-30-3 Title: Cinema, Sexuality and Gender Version: 4

Level: 3 UWE credit rating: 30 ECTS credit rating: 15

Module type: Standard

Owning Faculty: Creative Arts Field: Culture and Media Studies Field Leader: J Arthurs

Valid from: April 2008 Discontinued from:

Contributes towards: Awards up to BA (Hons)

Pre-requisites: Any level 2 Film Studies module except UACPAK-30-2 Video Documentary

Co-requisites: None

Excluded combinations:

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:

• A critical understanding of the ways in which the politics of representation operate in cinema

with specific reference to issues of gender and sexuality (assessed through component A and component B).

• The ability to produce detailed analyses of film texts which evidence an awareness and understanding of theoretical debates in the field (assessed through component B).

• An understanding of the interrelationship between film texts and the historical contexts in which they are produced and consumed (assessed through components A and B)

Syllabus outline:

The module will explore theories of cinematic spectatorship in relation to gender, race, and sexuality. It will pay particular attention to the relationship between genre and gendered pleasures and anxieties, such as e.g. comedy and sexual transgression, film noir and the instabilities of masculinity.

The history and politics of sexuality in film will also be examined in relation to changes in socio-cultural debates and regulatory regimes. These might include e.g. Hollywood and the production code, the BBFC and the history of film classification in the UK, pornography and new technologies, and feminist debates on pornography.

Teaching and learning methods:

A variety of learning strategies are encouraged by this module. It will be taught through a combination of:

• Lectures. Introducing key ideas, either explaining significant cultural and historical shifts in the production/consumption of films, or introducing central critical debates.

• Screenings. Generally chosen to complement the relevant week’s lecture material.

• Seminars. Devoted to investigation of critical reading, and practice in textual analysis. Seminars will also open up wider issues for discussion, according to students’ own interests.

• Regular Readings, which are designed to underpin and help develop critical and analytical skills.

• Group-Based Presentations, which also form part of the assessment.

Indicative sources:

Barker, M, Arthurs, J The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception.

and Harindranath, R. (London: Wallflower Press, 2001.)

Benshall, H. America on Film: Representing Race, Class and Sexuality in the Movies.

(London: Blackwell, 2004.)

Butler, A. Women’s Cinema.(London: Wallflower Press, 2002.)

Humm, M. Feminism and Film, (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1997.)

Krutnik. F. In a Lonely Place: Film Noir, Genre and Masculinity, (London and New York:

Routledge, 1991.)

Mayne, J. The Woman at the Keyhole: Feminism and Women’s Cinema, (Indiana

University Press, 1990).

Stacey, J. Star Gazing; Hollywood Cinema and Female Spectatorship, (London and New

York: Routledge, 1994).

Straayer, C. Deviant Eyes, Deviant Bodies. (Columbia University Press, 1996.)

Russo, V. The Celluloid Closet, (New York: Harper and Row, 1985.)

Williams, L. Hard Core: Power, Pleasure and the Frenzy of the Visible, (London: Pandora

1990.)

Assessment

Weighting between components A and B(standard modules only) A: 30% B: 70%

ATTEMPT 1

First Assessment Opportunity

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Oral Presentation 30%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Essay (3000 words) 35%

2. Essay (3000 words) 35%

Second Assessment Opportunity (further attendance at taught classes is/is not required)

Component A

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Seen exam (1 hour) 30%

Component B

Description of each element Element weighting

1. Essay 5-6000 words 70%

SECOND (OR SUBSEQUENT) ATTEMPT: Attendance at taught classes is not required.

Specification confirmed by …………………………………………………Date ……………………………

(Associate Dean/Programme Director)