If American movies can still be characterised as constructing a dominant image of the United States (not only for the American people themselves but also for much of the rest of the world), then filmmaking might be counted as one of the most influential and productive forces in the US culture industries.
This module aims to consider this idea through examination of the work of US directors, actors, writers, and other key figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Katharine Hepburn, and Robert de Niro, and of others who partly or largely have worked outside Hollywood such as Spike Lee, Kelly Reichardt, and Courtney Hunt. Arguably, many of these figures have had a significant role in mapping the space of America in the popular imagination. While critically studying and interrogating the notion of the auteur, this module covers a breadth of US film history, including the western, screwball comedy, film noir, thrillers, and horror.
Module Supervisor's Research into Subject Area
Professor Geiger is a well-known expert on US cinema with a range of publications in the field, including Facing the Pacific: Polynesia and the US Imperial Imagination, and American Documentary Film: Projecting the Nation. He is co-editor of Film Analysis: A Norton Reader, which is used on film and media courses worldwide.
This module aims to consider this idea through examination of the work of US directors, actors, writers, and other key figures such as Charlie Chaplin, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Katharine Hepburn, and Robert de Niro, and of others who partly or largely have worked outside Hollywood such as Spike Lee, Kelly Reichardt, and Courtney Hunt. Arguably, many of these figures have had a significant role in mapping the space of America in the popular imagination. While critically studying and interrogating the notion of the auteur, this module covers a breadth of US film history, including the western, screwball comedy, film noir, thrillers, and horror.
Module Supervisor's Research into Subject Area
Professor Geiger is a well-known expert on US cinema with a range of publications in the field, including Facing the Pacific: Polynesia and the US Imperial Imagination, and American Documentary Film: Projecting the Nation. He is co-editor of Film Analysis: A Norton Reader, which is used on film and media courses worldwide.