FAVMPa050 Historical Poetics of Cinema

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Radomír D. Kokeš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Pavel Skopal, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Pavel Skopal, Ph.D.
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The objective is to deepen the knowledge of methodological procedures and theoretical concepts that students have acquired in the course of the bachelor study and acquainting with new concepts which will enable them to solve different research problems.
The course will focus on concepts, programs and specific research projects related to the tradition of the so-called historical poetics of cinema.
Contact lectures will be devoted to the introduction to the topic and selected topics that are not supported by the obligatory and recommended literature.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will have been able to: critically evaluate and use a range of theoretical concepts to formulate a good research hypothesis, be oriented in the theoretical and methodological literature related to the presented research areas, prepare and realize a relevant research project from the area of historical poetics of cinema.
Syllabus
  • Areas to be introduced, explained and analysed in the wider context of both contemporary debates and the epistemic possibilities of the historical poetics of film, with students regularly turning in 'reading cards' (see below):
  • E1: Research traditions of poetics (of cinema) E2: Theory and history of thinking about film style E3: The nature, tools and functions of systems analysis E4: The Poetics of Popular Narrative E5: The Poetics of Modernist Narrative E6: The Poetics of Film Reflection: Authorship and Criticism E7: The Poetics of Genre
  • Instruction for combined students: Instruction proceeds by having students read a pair of texts each week, for which they develop and turn in three days before the seminar "reading cards," a model of which is provided in the class materials and which allows them to reflect on each text in several sections and perspectives. Within these reading cards, I also add passages concerning ambiguities in the text and other issues, which allows the following class to focus the discussion of the texts on these issues and to explain the text in light of them. This regular hand-in also applies to combined study, although they are not expected to attend the regular full-time classes, although they are welcome to attend or join online (this is also why the plan is to place classes in the afternoon). In any case, they will receive a full audiovisual recording of each class, and each class will also take into account their reading cards and their questions, so they will receive the same service as full-time students. There will be two Saturday meetings during the semester as part of the Combined Studies class, where I will discuss with them any additional questions they may have about the texts, the lectures, and more general topics, so that they can get feedback in person as well. In doing so, the reading materials and the reading cards follow the structure of the Master's circuits on the topic.
Literature
  • BUTLER, Jeremy G. Television Style. New York: Routledge, 2009.
  • BURNETT, Colin. The Invention of Robert Bresson. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2016.
  • MITTELL, Jason. Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling. New York: New York University Press, 2015.
  • BORDWELL, David. Poetics of cinema. New York: Routledge, 2008, xii, 499. ISBN 9780415977784. info
  • O'BRIEN, Charles. Cinema's conversion to sound : technology and film style in France and the U.S. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005, xi, 200. ISBN 0253217202. info
  • Early cinema : space, frame, narrative. Edited by Thomas Elsaesser - Adam Barker. Repr. London: BFI Publishing, 1997, 424 s. ISBN 0851702457. info
  • BORDWELL, David. On the history of film style. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997, x, 322. ISBN 0674634292. info
  • SALT, Barry. Film style and technology : history and analysis. 2nd. expand. ed. London: Starword, 1992, 351 s. ISBN 095090662X. info
  • BURCH, Noël. Life to those shadows. Edited by Ben Brewster. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990, 317 s. ISBN 0520071441. info
  • THOMPSON, Kristin. Breaking the glass armor : neoformalist film analysis. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1988, x, 361. ISBN 0691067244. info
  • BORDWELL, David. Narration in the fiction film. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1985, xiv, 370. ISBN 0299101746. info
  • BORDWELL, David, Janet STAIGER and Kristin THOMPSON. The classical Hollywood cinema : film style & mode of production to 1960. New York: Columbia University Press, 1985, xv, 506. ISBN 0231060556. info
  • BAZIN, André. Co je to film? Praha: Československý filmový ústav, 1979. info
Teaching methods
Required ongoing reading, development of reading cards, and participation in Q&A Saturday meetings.
Assessment methods
Regular submission of reading cards, which will become the basis for evaluation.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Kurs je určen k absolvování v 1. semestru studia.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021, Spring 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
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