Charles University, Faculty of Arts East and Central European Studies

Fall 2022

Politics, Visuality, and Experimentation: Czech and Slovak Cinema from the 1950’s to Present

Instructor: Mgr. Nick Hudáč, Ph.D.
Time: Monday; 17:30-20:40
Room: MB429 (Kinosál)
Office: Katedra filmových studií, Filozofická Fakulta 406 Office hours: Friday 13:00-15:00 and by appointment Email: Nick.Hudac@gmail.com

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Bounded by the Germanic Empires to the West, the Russian Empire and Soviet Union to the East, Hungary and the former Ottoman holdings to the South, the Czech and Slovak lands have long been a site of conflict and creation. This course will explore the incredi- bly rich cinematic tradition of thought provoking and entertaining films produced in the areas of the Czech Republic (the primary area of focus), and Slovakia from the years fol- lowing World War II up until the beginning of the 21st century. In addition to watching films, we will also be discussing cinema theory and approaches to “reading” films, not only as movies, but also as multi-faceted cultural artifacts. To this end, our readings will contain primary source materials on cinema history, historical research, film theory, and literature intended to broaden our understanding of Czech and Slovak culture, cinematic and otherwise.

While this syllabus gives a fairly accurate portrayal of the material we will cover, addi- tional material may be assigned (and assigned material may be dropped or altered) at any time as the semester progresses, in order to better suit the needs and interests of the class.

COURSE GOALS:

Throughout the semester, this course will teach students how to discuss and analyze films, while also applying film and cultural theory to a variety of visual media. Students will also gain a deeper appreciation of Czech and Slovak cultural history through the dis- section and analysis of Czech and Slovak films. Students will also learn how to compose complex analyses of films and structure these analyses in a logical, concise manner, using primary and secondary sources to advance their argument in a proper academic fashion.

CLASS STRUCTURE:

The seminar will be almost entirely discussion-based, with a mandatory screening at- tached. This semester, the course will be broken into two classes- during the first we will have an introductory lecture based on the week’s keywords (basic concepts, historical background information, and other assorted theory) and theme. We will then have a partial screening of the week’s selected film, with my commentary during the screening to point out important scenes, moments, or techniques. The second class of the week will be mostly discussion based, where we will discuss the film we just saw, as well as building our discussion on other films we have previously seen. ALL FILMS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON GOOGLE DRIVE FOR STUDENTS TO WATCH IN THEIR OWN TIME.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance and active class participation is a must, as are all screenings. As outlined in ECES’s attendance policy:

Regular and punctual class attendance is mandatory for all students. Absence of 180 minutes is allowed. Three or more absences (90 minutes each) lower the grade automati- cally (A to A-, A to B+ in case of 4 absences etc.) CELL PHONE USAGE DURING THE LECTURE AND/OR SCREENING IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN. Students caught using their cellphones, tablets, etc. during any portion of lecture will lose their participation grade for that class. While social media and staying connected with friends and family is certainly important, focus on this during our class time disrupts the class and reduces the quality of the educational experience.

Final Test or Paper Policy: Completing the final test or paper is required. Failure to sub- mit the final test or paper according to the deadline will result in a letter grade F for the entire course.

For further details, please see the Attendance Policy at the ECES website under “Aca- demic Policies and Procedures:” http://eces.ff.cuni.cz/.

PAPERS:

One of the key skills taught in a college education is the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, while thinking critically about the material at hand.

Students are expected to complete two short midterm essays (3-5 pages each), and a longer final paper (7-8 Pages) on the topic of their choosing. Paper topics must be dis- cussed with me at least one week prior to their due date to ensure that we are all on the same page. Papers that do not meet the minimum length requirements or exceed them by 3 or more pages will be penalized. Students are always welcome to meet and discuss pa- per topics with me at any time, or via email.

Academic dishonesty: cheating and plagiarism will be treated in the appropriately severe manner. When writing papers, always use your own words and concepts; if quoting or ap- propriating from any outside sources (be they the Internet, books, articles, etc.) and/or scholars, always indicate that you are quoting and provide sources (Chicago Manual of Style footnotes, preferably). If you are unsure how to properly site a particular source, please ask me for advice. I’m always delighted to help.

TEXTS:

All required reading materials for this course, either required or optional, will be availa- ble in electronic form. To enhance our discussion of the texts in question, students are en- couraged to bring their laptops or own photocopies of the texts to class. Readings that are marked “Required” will be the main focus of the week’s lecture and discussion; students who are interested in the subject are encouraged to read the “Supplemental” selections in order to get a deeper understanding of the critical theory or historical context of the week.

GRADING FORMULA

The grading breakdown for the course is as follows: Participation - 20%
2 Midterms - 25% each (for a total of 50%)
Final Paper - 30%

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Week 1 Let’s Start at the Beginning: Or, What IS Central Europe? Screening: Jiří Menzel, Closely Watched Trains. (CZ)
Keywords: Central Europe, History, Ethnicity

Required Readings:
Milan Kundera, “The Tragedy of Central Europe”
Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities, “Introduction” p.1-7, Supplemental Readings:
Tony Judt, Borderlands, “The Coming of the Cold War” pp. 140-149

Week 2 What is ‘National’ Cinema, and How Do We Talk About It? Screening: Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos – The Little Shop on Main Street (SK) Keywords: Nationalism, Movie Making

Required Readings:
James Monaco, How to Talk About Film, Chapter 2 “Art and Technology” (selected excerpts) Ľubica Mystríková, The Cinema of Central Europe, “Obchod na korze, A Shop on the High Street” pp. 97 – 105
Supplemental Reading:
Andrew Higson, Film and Nationalism “The Concept of National Cinemas” Pp. 52-67

Week 3 Politics and Form
Screening : Věra Chytilová, Daises (CZ)
Keywords: Formalism, Subversion, Gender

Readings:
Peter Hames, The Czechoslovak New Wave “Věra Chytilová” p.183-201 Zdena Skupinová, „Sedikrásky / Daisies” p. 129-136
David Bordwell, Film History: An Introduction, p.406, 428. Supplemental Reading:
Egon Bondy, Selected Poems
Vaclav Havel, et al. “Charta 77”

Week 4 Puppets and Nations
Screening: Jiří Trnka, Old Czech Legends (CZ)
Keywords: Mixed Media, Puppetry, Animation

Readings:
Fernand Leger, “The Machine Aesthetic: Geometric Order and Truth”
Pyotr Bogatryev- “Czech Puppet Theatre and Russian Folk Theatre