Look Closer: The Power of Cinema in Political Culture
Author(s): Michael Fitzgerald
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2021
Look Closer: The Power of Cinema in Political Culture is a brief treatment of cinema and US politics and government designed to guide and supplement courses in American studies, cinema studies, and communication studies as well as political science. It provides a foundation and framework for students to apply their intelligence and judgment to the study of American cinema. It is devised to sharpen critical thinking and discourse about the relationship among culture, popular culture, and political culture as reflected and affected by Hollywood movies and television series.
Look Closer: The Power of Cinema in Political Culture
Table of Contents
Chapter One Understanding America and American Politics Through Cinema
· Chapter Introduction
· Culture, Political Culture, and Political Choice
· Film, Form and Culture
· Political Hollywood and Government in America
· Close Analysis: V for Vendetta
· Guide to Cinematic and Cultural Analysis
Chapter Two Cinematic America
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: The Breakfast Club
· Assigned Cinema: Easy Rider, Thelma and Louis, American Beauty
· Chapter Summary & Conclusion
Chapter Three Hollywood and the First Amendment
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Films
· Close Analysis: Good Night, and Good Luck
· Assigned Cinema: All the President’s Men, Absence of Malice, The Post
· Chapter Summary & Conclusion
Chapter Four Cinematic Politics
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: The Last Hurrah
· Assigned Screening: Primary Colors, Wag the Dog, The Ides of March,
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Five Cinematic Government
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis and Comparison: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
· Assigned Screening: The West Wing, House of Cards and Scandal
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Six Cinematic Justice
· Chapter Introduction: Vigilantes, Superheroes, Lawmen, and Lawyers
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: Dirty Harry
· Assigned Screening: Batman Begins, Criminal Minds, Michael Clayton
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Seven Cinematic War
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: Sands of Iwo Jima (2007)
· Assigned Screening: Apocalypse Now, We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Eight National Security Cinema
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: Shooter (2007)
· Assigned Screening: Enemy of the State, 24, Homeland
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Nine Cinema and American Political Culture Revisited
Features
· Embed a poll question(s) for each chapter
· Include a pass/fail Analysis Exercise for each chapter
· Links to Official Trailer for each assigned film/TV Series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neY2xVmOfUM
· Links to Film Focus Sheets for each assigned film/TV Series (see next page)
· Link to UTK-Digital Media Catalog for each assigned film/TV Series
· Examples of Icons
Look Closer: The Power of Cinema in Political Culture is a brief treatment of cinema and US politics and government designed to guide and supplement courses in American studies, cinema studies, and communication studies as well as political science. It provides a foundation and framework for students to apply their intelligence and judgment to the study of American cinema. It is devised to sharpen critical thinking and discourse about the relationship among culture, popular culture, and political culture as reflected and affected by Hollywood movies and television series.
Look Closer: The Power of Cinema in Political Culture
Table of Contents
Chapter One Understanding America and American Politics Through Cinema
· Chapter Introduction
· Culture, Political Culture, and Political Choice
· Film, Form and Culture
· Political Hollywood and Government in America
· Close Analysis: V for Vendetta
· Guide to Cinematic and Cultural Analysis
Chapter Two Cinematic America
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: The Breakfast Club
· Assigned Cinema: Easy Rider, Thelma and Louis, American Beauty
· Chapter Summary & Conclusion
Chapter Three Hollywood and the First Amendment
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Films
· Close Analysis: Good Night, and Good Luck
· Assigned Cinema: All the President’s Men, Absence of Malice, The Post
· Chapter Summary & Conclusion
Chapter Four Cinematic Politics
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: The Last Hurrah
· Assigned Screening: Primary Colors, Wag the Dog, The Ides of March,
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Five Cinematic Government
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis and Comparison: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
· Assigned Screening: The West Wing, House of Cards and Scandal
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Six Cinematic Justice
· Chapter Introduction: Vigilantes, Superheroes, Lawmen, and Lawyers
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: Dirty Harry
· Assigned Screening: Batman Begins, Criminal Minds, Michael Clayton
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Seven Cinematic War
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: Sands of Iwo Jima (2007)
· Assigned Screening: Apocalypse Now, We Were Soldiers, Saving Private Ryan
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Eight National Security Cinema
· Chapter Introduction
· Notable Cinema
· Close Analysis: Shooter (2007)
· Assigned Screening: Enemy of the State, 24, Homeland
· Chapter Summary and Conclusion
Chapter Nine Cinema and American Political Culture Revisited
Features
· Embed a poll question(s) for each chapter
· Include a pass/fail Analysis Exercise for each chapter
· Links to Official Trailer for each assigned film/TV Series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neY2xVmOfUM
· Links to Film Focus Sheets for each assigned film/TV Series (see next page)
· Link to UTK-Digital Media Catalog for each assigned film/TV Series
· Examples of Icons