This course explores how Mexican cinema, from its beginnings at end of the 19th century through 21st century production, has commented on and participated in major social and national processes such as the Mexican Revolution, the (re)construction of national identity, modernization, as well as the negotiation of changing conceptions of class, gender, and race. We will analyze canonical, landmark films as well as lesser-known works to explore how a variety of directors and genres have engaged the country’s national imaginary through time. As film is an industrial art form, we will examine the significance of historical and political conditions in addition to global economic structures in shaping the types of Mexican films produced for over a century. Students will acquire a competence in Mexican film history through exposure to its various periods, the ability to speak and write about film analysis in Spanish in both technical and narrative terms, as well as a familiarity with critical approaches and studies on Mexican cinema.

 

T/TH 9:30 – 10:50 am;G58 Literatures, Cultures, & Ling

CRN 49961

Instructor: Mónica García Blizzard