FAVh005 Cinema of USSR 1945-1991

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
4/0/2. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Jaromír Blažejovský, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Mgr. Marek Mrázek (assistant)
Mgr. Zdeňka Pitrunová (assistant)
Guaranteed by
PhDr. Jaromír Blažejovský, Ph.D.
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 14:00–20:40 C34; and Thu 17. 10. 14:00–20:40 C34, Thu 31. 10. 14:00–20:40 C34, Thu 14. 11. 14:00–20:40 C34, Thu 12. 12. 14:00–20:40 C34, Thu 19. 12. 14:00–20:40 C34
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 16 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
This course offers an introduction to cinema of the former U.S.S.R. from the end of the Great Patriotic War to the end of the U.S.S. R. The attention will be focused on changes of political context, key periods, typical genres and auteur personalities, including the production of republic studies.

Main objectives can be summarized as follows:
to understand relationships between ideology, the party leadership and the film industry in U.S.S.R.
gain spectator experience with production of Soviet studios
get acquainted with the work of outstanding personalities of Soviet author film
reveal ideological stereotypes as well as subversive undertones in selected films
broaden the knowledge base for historical comparisons in the context of (post)socialist countries.
Learning outcomes
After finishing this course, students will have been able to:
be oriented in Soviet film production 1945-1991
differentiate this production according to national cinemas
appreciate author work of important filmmakers
analyze ideological content present in the official production
identify subversive messages.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to Soviet cinema
  • 2. A brief overview of Soviet cinema till 1945
  • 3. Soviet cinema in late Stalinism (1945-1953)
  • 4. The thaw (1953-1964): Grigori Chukhray, Mikhail Kalatozov, Mikhail Romm, Marlen Khutsyev
  • 5. Poetic cinema: Sergei Paradzhanov, Yuri Ilyenko, Tengiz Abuladze, Emil Loteanu
  • 6. Epic cinema: Sergei Bondrachuk, Yuri Ozerov
  • 7. The classics: Sergei Gerasimov, Grigori Kozintsev, Yuli Raizman
  • 8. Jubilee year of 1967 and banned films
  • 9. Official projects, Leniniana
  • 10. Vasily Shukshin
  • 11. Lenfilm Studio: Gleb Panfilov, Ilya Averbakh, Dinara Asanova
  • 12. Andrei Tarkovsky, Andrei Konchalovsky, Nikita Mikhalkov
  • 13. Larisa Shepitko and Elem Klimov
  • 14. Caucasian cinema
  • 15. Baltic cinema
  • 16. Central Asia cinema
  • 17. Genre movies, comedies and action films
  • 18. Perestroika
Literature
  • HORTON, Andrew and Michael BRASHINSKY. The zero hour : glasnost and Soviet cinema in transition. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1992, xiv, 287. ISBN 0691019207. info
  • BERNARD, Jan. Národní kinematografie Sovětského svazu. Praha: Československý filmový ústav, 1989, 332 s. URL info
  • 4 filmové povídky. Edited by Galina Kopaněvová - Vasilij Makarovič Šukšin - Aleksandr Aleksand. 1. vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1982, 247 s. URL info
  • FOMIN, Valerij Ivanovič. Symfonie filmového plátna : Emil Loťanu, Jurij Iljenko, Otar Ioseliani, Bulat Mansurov, Tolomus Okejev, Gleb Panfilov, Vasilij Šukšin. 1. vyd. Praha: Panorama, 1979, 323 s. URL info
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussion, film screenings.
Assessment methods
Exam: annotated filmography of 24 watched fims for a group discussion.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: filmové projekce.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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