LS 773 - American Film and Society, 1955-1975

(3.00 cr.)

From 1955 to 1975, the American film industry released many films focusing directly on social problems and political themes. Often considered "controversial," these movies represent the high point of twentieth-century American liberalism: they assumed that artful presentations of issues such as racism, materialism, and militarism would help prompt discussions that would eventually lead to a more perfect society and a more peaceful world. Students examine several popular, if rather didactic, films. With the help of selected critical readings, students consider how the values and attitudes of these films, with all their sociological trimmings, contributed to the cultural environment students inhabit today.