Course Syllabus
Hist
4359, Sec. 05A
Latin
American History through Film
T/W/Th 1:00-4:00
JO 4.614
Professor
Contact Information
Dr. Monica Rankin
JO 5.204
(972) 883-2005
Mobile: (972) 822-5375
Office Hours: T 4:00-5:00 or by
appointment
Course Description
This
course will examine Latin American history through the lens of film. We will
move chronologically and thematically, viewing approximately one film per class
period and completing readings that correspond to the film and/or the
period/theme in question. We will
address the films from two perspectives.
First, we will examine the historical context of each film’s content and
evaluate the film as an expression of the historical context. Second, will examine each film as a primary
source and an expression of the time period in which it was produced.
Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes
Students
will gain an overall understand of the narrative history of Latin America from
the era of conquest (roughly 1400s) to present through the lens of historical
films. Students will demonstrate their
ability to interpret and analyze historical films alongside historical essays
and by incorporating the films into classroom discussions and written
assignments as both descriptive narratives, but also as sources that are reflective
of their producers and historical context.
Required Textbooks and Materials
Recommended
Textbook:
John
Charles Chasteen, Born in Blood and Fire (W.W. Norton, 2006) ISBN:
0393976130
Articles/Chapters on Reserve:
The
following readings are available through the McDermott Library E-Reserve
system, accessible via the following link:
Course
Password:
Grading Policy
The
grading in this course is based on weekly discussions, weekly notes, book
reviews, and a final project. The
breakdown of the grading is as follows:
|
Attendance/Participation |
100
points |
|
Daily
Journal Reports |
100
points |
|
Final
Project |
200
points |
|
Total |
400 points |
Course & Instructor Policies
No
late assignments will be accepted and there is no make-up policy for in-class
work. I will NOT accept final versions
of any assignments as e-mail attachments.
All
assignments for this class are mandatory.
Materials used in this course have been carefully selected for their
scholarly value, but some audiences may take offense at topics of a sensitive
nature. There will be NO substitutions
of readings, films, documents, presentations, and/or other course requirements
to suit personal preferences. There are
NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.
Assignments
Class
Participation:
This is a discussion-heavy course and all students are expected to participate
in class discussions. Generally we will
conduct class discussions for the first hour of class. Those discussions will focus on the film
viewed in the previous class meeting, plus relevant readings and lecture
material. Please arrive to class ready
to participate in class discussions. You
may refer to your daily journal reports during these discussions.
Daily
Journal Reports: You
will prepare a daily journal report for each non-textbook reading assignment in
this course (all readings except the Chasteen text). Each response should
provide a brief summary followed by your historical/cultural analysis of the
film and outside readings assigned. No
late assignments will be accepted and no make-ups will be allowed for the daily
journal reports. Instead, I will drop
your two lowest journal scores at the end of the semester. General suggestions for analyzing films are
listed below. Journals will be due at
the end of daily discussions.
Some
suggestions for analyzing films:
Some
Useful Resources for Analyzing Films:
Internet
Movie Database (IMDb): Provides reviews, production information,
plot summaries, cast lists, etc. for foreign and domestic films.
Latin
American Video Archive: Internet
database of over 9,000 films produced by and about Latin Americans and Latinos.
http://www.latinamericanvideo.org/
H-Film: Web-based
scholarly discussion group organized by H-Net and dedicated
to encouraging scholarly discussion of cinema history and uses of the media.
NOTE: I do NOT accept late work of any kind except
in the most extreme emergencies. I will
NOT accept e-mail attachments for final versions of journal entries or exams. Students MUST turn in a paper copy of all
assignments to me.
Final
Project: For the final project in this
course, you will be divided into groups of 3 or 4 and as a group you will
script a brief historically-based film or documentary on any topic of your
choice that relates to the history of Latin America. All film topics for the final project must be
approved in advance. You should plan to
produce a film that will be 10 – 20 minutes in length. On exam day, we will meet at our usual time
and each group will either provide a live performance of their film or they
will show a pre-filmed version to the class.
The script production description (description of how each scene was
staged to communicate the desired message), and analysis must be turned in at
that time. We will discuss the final
projects in more detail as the semester progresses.
Academic Calendar:
The
following schedule outlines the topics and reading assignments for each
class. This schedule is subject to
change. Any changes made to the schedule
and/or any other course requirements will be announced in class and will be
posted on the course website: www.utdallas.edu/~mrankin.
|
|
|
May
25
|
Introduction
to Latin America Latin
America in the Age of Conquest Film:
The Mask of Zorro |
|
|
|
May
26
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 1 (May 25 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #1 Chasteen,
Introduction, Chapter 1 Colonial
Latin America Film: The
Bridge of San Luis Rey |
|
|
|
May
27
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 2 (May 26 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #2 Chasteen,
Introduction, Chapter 2 Latin
America in Transition: The Independence Era Film: The
Mission |
|
|
|
June
1
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 3 (May 27 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Readings #3, 4 Chasteen,
Chapters 3-4 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Era of Caudillos in 19th Century Latin America Film: Camila |
June
2
Readings Textbook |
Class
Discussion/Journal 4 (June 1 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #5 Chasteen,
Chapters 5-6 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Mexican Revolution on Film Film:
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself |
June
3
Readings: Textbook |
Class
Discussion/Journal 5 (June 2 Films + the following readings) Reserve
Readings #6 Chasteen,
Chapter 7 |
|
|
|
|
|
Peron,
Evita, and Populism Films: Evita:
The Woman Behind the Myth
Eva Peron |
|
|
|
June
8
Readings: Textbook |
Class
Discussion/Journal 6 (June 3 Films + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #7 Chasteen,
Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
Poverty
and Corruption in 20th Century Latin America, Pt. 1 Film: Los
Olivdados (The Forgotten Ones) |
June
9
Readings: Textbook |
Class
Discussion/Journal 7 (June 8 Films + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #8, 9 Chasteen,
Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
Poverty
and Corruption in 20th Century Latin America, Pt. 2 Film: La
Ley de Herodes (Herod’s Law) |
|
|
|
June
10
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 8 (June 9 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Readings #10 Chasteen,
Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Cuban Revolution and Latin America, Pt. 1 Film: Cuban Story |
|
|
|
June
15
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 9 (June 10 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #11 Chasteen,
Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Cuban Revolution and Latin America, Pt. 2 Films: Fidel |
|
|
|
June
16
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 10 (June 15 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #12 Chasteen,
Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Cold War and the Fallout of the Cuban Revolution, Pt. 1 Film: When
Mountains Tremble
|
|
|
|
June
17
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 11 (June 16 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #13 Chasteen,
Chapter 8 |
|
|
|
|
|
The
Cold War and the Fallout of the Cuban Revolution, Pt. 2 Film: Salvador
|
|
|
|
June
22
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/Journal 12 (June 17 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Readings #14 Chasteen,
Chapter 9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Rise of Military Dictatorships Films: The Official Story |
June
23
Readings: Textbook: |
Class
Discussion/No Journal Due (June 22 Film + the following readings) Reserve
Reading #15 Chasteen,
Chapters 9-10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Drugs
and Immigration in Contemporary Latin America Film: Maria Full of Grace |
|
|
|
June
24
|
Final
Projects Due |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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