C L A S S I C S C U LT U R A L S T U D I E S F I L M S T U D I E S F I L M S T U D I E S Cary Grant: Hollywood’s Most Versatile and Elusive Star C ary Grant made himself into a Hollywood master- piece, but he did not arrive fully formed. Dubbed “the best and most important actor in the history of the cinema” by critic David Thomson, Grant was born into poverty in England, and it took 14 years for him to go from the British music hall stage to Broadway and finally to Hollywood. His first short film performance in Singapore Sue was actually a study in awkwardness. But from there, he grew—first as a leading man opposite Mae West and Marlene Dietrich and then, starting with The Awful Truth (1937), as a magnificent star in his own right. He is remembered incorrectly as always “playing Cary Grant” when, in fact, he was one of the most versatile actors of his era. He could be hilar- iously over-the-top (Arsenic and Old Lace), urbane and sophisticated (North by Northwest), and cold and sadistic (Suspicion, Notorious), all while maintaining his own special quality. In this course, through clips and features, we will examine Grant’s films from his first to his last and all points in between. You will immerse yourself in the work of one of Hollywood’s greatest artists, a man who was simultaneously genial and unknowable and who made timeless films with some of the best directors of the age, including Leo McCarey, Howard Hawks (Only Angels Have Wings), George Cukor, and, especially, Alfred Hitchcock. m ic k lasa ll e Film Critic, Hearst Newspapers Mick LaSalle is the author of Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood, Dangerous Men: Pre-Code Hollywood and the Birth of the Modern Man, The Beauty of the Real: What Hollywood Can Learn from Contemporary French Actresses, and Dream State: California in the Movies. He writes for the San Francisco Chronicle and other Hearst newspapers. FLM 145 Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:00 pm (PT) 7 weeks, June 29 – August 10 1 unit, $400 Refund Deadline: July 1 Grade Restriction: No letter grade Course Format: On-campus Exploring French New Wave Cinema W hat is your greatest ambition in life?” asks Jean Seberg’s character in Breathless. “To become immortal, and then die,” the celebrated author replies. This famous exchange from Jean-Luc Godard’s iconic film resonates more than ever with the destiny of the French New Wave. More than 60 years after its birth, the legendary cinematic movement has indeed become immortal just as its last icons have begun to disappear: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, and Agnès Varda, among others. Through themes of love, death, pleasure, and tragedy, these films allow us to examine core components in our lives that remain as relevant for us today as they were in French society of the 1960s. We will explore emblematic films by New Wave directors, such as Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol, and Rivette, as well as a few of their lesser-known treasures. Through discussions on each week’s film, we will engage in debates on topics such as the nuances of love, representations of gender, the notion of the auteur, autobiography, aesthetics, and literary influences. You will develop skills in film analysis, learning to identify elements of mise en scène, while exploring interpretation of film narratives and more general social issues in French society at the time. All films can be rented or streamed instantly through the Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime, or other online platforms. e r ic k a k n u dson Independent Scholar Ericka Knudson has taught courses on French film, media, and New Wave cinema at Harvard, published articles on cinema and literature, and co-authored Cultivating Creativity through World Films. She received the Certificate of Distinction and Excellence from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning multiple times. Knudson received a PhD in film studies from the University of Paris. FLM 147 Mondays, 6:30 – 8:20 pm (PT) 5 weeks, July 24 – August 21 1 unit, $290 Refund Deadline: July 26 Course Format: Live Online “ 23 R EGIS T R AT IO N F O R AL L C O UR S ES B EGINS ON MONDAY, MAY 22, AT 8:30 A M (P T ) R EGIS T ER O NL INE AT C O NT INUINGSTU DIES.STA NFORD.EDU