HIST 393: Topics in Film and History

HIST 393-001: War on the Silver Screen
(Spring 2027)

01:30 PM to 02:45 PM TR

Horizon Hall 4001

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Section Information for Spring 2027

HIST 393 - 001: War on the Silver Screen

This course will consider core historical concepts like patriotism, citizenship, sacrifice, American exceptionalism, and constructions of race and gender as they have been depicted, debated, and reflected upon at the movies. Specifically, we will examine military history through the motion picture camera lens, by analyzing treatments of war and the military on film. We will primarily consider American military history, but non-American films may be examined when we consider global conflicts like World War Two. The films will primarily be feature-length (fictional) films, but documentaries, television treatments of war, and state-sponsored propaganda may also factor into our analysis. Students can expect to watch at least one feature-length film each week, in addition to reading history and film criticism about each film and its historical subject(s). I will reserve films on DVD for no-fee screening in Fenwick Library when possible, but students should expect to incur fees to stream films online. As such, it is critical that students have reliable Internet and hardware to do this work. 


Assessment will consist of in-class discussion, discussion board prompts, homework assignments, a research paper, and in-class exams. Students’ active participation in class is required. Skills developed in the course include formal and informal writing, textual analysis, discussion participation, and critical thinking. 

Tags:

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Study of historical periods or topics from perspective of feature films and documentaries. Notes: Topics available in advance from the department. May be repeated when topic is different. A maximum of 6 credits may be applied to the BA in history. Offered by History & Art History. May be repeated within the term for a maximum 6 credits.
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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