107-267 The Cinema of Martin Scorsese

Usually 12.5 points of first-year cinema studies.

Through a case study of the films of director Martin Scorsese, this subject examines the role played by a director's body of work in the study of the cinema, its history and theory. The subject asks students to consider the way the study of a director can promote rich readings and understandings of film culture. Since the 1970s, Martin Scorsese has emerged as a key figure of New Hollywood Cinema. His creative output as producer and director has had a significant influence upon a new generation of filmmakers. Through a detailed analysis of Scorsese's narrative fiction and documentary films including Raging Bull, The Age of Innocence, A Personal Journey and My Italian Voyage, students will explore the work of earlier films, such as Peeping Tom, The Searchers, The Bandwagon and The Leopard, which Scorsese has championed and which surround and inform his work. In addition, the course evaluates the dramatic impact Scorsese's films have had on contemporary film and television culture from the film repertoire of Tarantino to the modern gangster culture represented in the television series The Sopranos. Expanding on the discourse that auteurism initiated in the 1950s-60s, this subject emphasises the dynamic interaction existing between film history, filmmakers, and film culture past and present, as well as its critical and theoretical implications.

• be skilled in critical thinking and analysis;

• possess effective written communication skills;

• have an understanding of social, ethical and cultural context.

A 1000 word take home exam (40%, due during semester), a 3000 word research essay 50% (due in the examination period), and tutorial participation 10% (assessed weekly).

• L Stern, The Scorsese Connection. Indiana University Press 1995.
• M Nicholls, Male Melancholia and the Mob: The Films of Martin Scorsese. Pluto Press 2003.