CINEMA IN ENGLISH

This English-taught course is part of the MA course in English, American and Postcolonial Literatures and the Joint Degree in English and American Studies. It offers a multimodal approach to literary classics that have been adapted to films.

At the end of the course students will be able to read and interpret films and the semiotic relationship between the texts in the programme and their cinematic adaptations.

Advanced knowledge of oral and written English (≥ C1).

“Film Adaptation of British Historical Novels, Stories, and Dramas”

In this MA course module, we will analyze three key works of English literature and their cinematic adaptations, exploring the dynamic relationship between literature and film.

Our first focus will be W.M. Thackeray’s “The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon,” a satirical novel set in the eighteenth century and itself an adaptation of the eighteenth-century picaresque. We will then discuss Stanley Kubrick’s film “Barry Lyndon”, examining how the film transforms the narrative through stunning visuals and sound.

Next, we will explore Joseph Conrad’s novella, “The Point of Honour: A Military Tale,” set amidst the Napoleonic Wars. We will analyse Ridley Scott’s adaptation, highlighting the translation of themes from text to screen and the director’s approach to the novella, inspired by Kubrick’s approach to historical movies.

Finally, we will engage with Alan Bennet’s play, "The Madness of George III", and Bennet’s adaptation for the screen for the film, "The Madness of King George", directed by Nicholas Hytner. We will consider a contemporary (late twentieth-century) interpretation of the eighteenth century, which shows, thorugh Bennet's and Hytner's witty works, an ironical interpretation of modern Britain too.

Texts:
W.M. Thackeray “The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon” ( https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4558/4558-h/4558-h.htm )
Joseph Conrad, “The Point of Honour”: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17620/17620-h/17620-h.htm )
Alan Bennet, "The Madness of George III" (Faber & Faber) BALI E8 BEN/Mad

Videos:
Stanley Kubrick, “Barry Lyndon” (MGM) dvd or blue-ray
Ridley Scott, “The Duellists” (Paramount) dvd or blue-ray
Nicholas Hytner, "The Madness of King George" (FIlmfour) dvd

A final, 2-hour-long written exam with questions about all the assigned films and the critical texts.

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The written test will consist of three parts, with each part focusing on the texts and the corresponding film adaptations included in the programme. Each section will be graded on a scale from 0 to 10, where a score of 6 is considered passing and a score of 10 is deemed excellent. The total score from all three sections will be combined to determine the final result out of 30 points.

Lectures, screenings, and class discussion.

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