course description | grade distribution | required texts | course policies

In its challenge of commercial filmmaking, art cinema is not always necessarily concerned with issues of aesthetic experience and artistic production. However, over the last four decades, the work of German-born auteur Herzog (Aguirre: The Wrath of God; Fitzcarraldo; Lessons of Darkness; Grizzly Man), of British filmmaker Greenaway (The Draughtman's Contract; The Belly of an Architect; The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover; Prospero's Books) and of American director Schnabel  (Basquiat; Before Night Falls; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) has been at the forefront of probing the role of art and aesthetic experience in cinema and society. In their often uncompromising and provocative films, these directors have recurrently investigated the transformative power of the aesthetic—its promise to displace conventional meanings as much as its ability to manipulate people’s minds and emotions. This seminar will examine the most important films of Herzog, Greenaway, and Schnabel, situate their work in historical and film historical contexts, and theorize their concern with art and the aesthetic from various points of view.

Materials marked "ARES" in the course schedule are available from the Automatic Reserve System at Washington University. Login and password to be announced in class.

All other books are available for purchase at the Washington University Bookstore

• Paul Cronin, ed., Herzog on Herzog. (ISBN-10: 0571207081 / ISBN-13: 978-0571207084)
• Rudolf Arnheim, Film as Art. (ISBN-10: 0520248376 / ISBN-13: 978-0520248373)
• Noël Carroll, The Philosophy of Motion Pictures. (ISBN-10: 1405120258 / ISBN-13: 978-1405120258)
• Stephen Davies, The Philosophy of Art. (ISBN-10: 1405120231 / ISBN-13: 978-1405120234)

Class participation is an important aspect of this class, and excessive absences will therefore aversely affect the final grade

Course evaluations will be available at the end of the semester at: evals.wustl.edu

Academic Integrity: Students are bound by the University policy on academic integrity in all aspects of this course.  All references to ideas and texts other than the students' own must be so indicated through appropriate footnotes, whether the source is a book, an online site, the professor, etc.  All students are responsible for following the rules outlined in the document regarding the University academic integrity policy: http://www.wustl.edu/policies/undergraduate-academic-integrity.html

Special accommodations for students with disabilities. Students seeking disability-related accommodations and guidance from the University must contact the Center for Advanced Learning Disability Resources, Cornerstone (DR) upon enrollment or once diagnosed.  Unlike high school students, college and graduate students are expected to identify themselves and to make specific requests for accommodations by notifying DR. Eligibility for accommodations is determined on an individual basis. Requests must be supported by professional documentation and must be renewed each semester. DR will guide students (undergraduates, graduate students, and prospective students) through each step of this process. Instructors will maintain strict confidentiality regarding disability issues and related accommodations, and will refer students directly to http://disability.wustl.edu/.