Mexican National Cinema

This course (CRN 49961) explores how Mexican cinema, from the arrival of sound in the 1930s 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. 

 

Tues. and Thurs. from 12:30 – 1:50 pm (G58 Literatures, Cultures, & Ling). 

Pre-req: SPAN 228 or permission by instructor.

Instructor: Mónica García Blizzard