FLM 227 - Melodrama

1 course unit

Melodrama is a form of popular storytelling that puts its characters in dramatic situations in which the stakes are nothing less than the victory of good over evil. This course will focus on the prominence of melodrama in narrative film, particularly popular American film, to reveal the flexibility of what some scholars argue is more than a genre but is actually one of the dominant modes of filmmaking from its inception. The course focuses on films that are often classified as “women’s films” and “social problem films” but also includes films that could be classified as action films or “men’s melodramas” - and so there will be a lot of discussion about issues of gender and race. We will also consider how these topics are illustrated through melodrama’s aesthetics, such as music, dramatic editing, and symbolic use of setting.
Attendance at weekly screenings is required.
Meets general academic requirement HU.