February 3 THE BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, directed by Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925, b/w, 75 minutes, silent, with musical score by Edmund Meisel.

Eisenstein's most successful film, POTEMKIN has often been voted one of a few all-time masterpieces of cinema. In brilliant black and white photography, and with breathtaking editing, it tells the story of the 1905 unsuccessful riot in the Black Sea port of Odessa.

February 10 MOTHER, directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin, USSR, 1926, b/w, 90 minutes, silent with music track.

Based on Gorki's novel, Pudovkin has created a stirring film on the education of an exemplary Russian mother, Pelageya Vlasova, during the unsuccessful uprisings of 1905. Beautiful black and white photography, and strong emotional editing.

February 17 EARTH, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko, USSR, 1930, b/w, 90 minutes, silent.

A masterpiece by Russian film maker Dovzhenko, EARTH portrays the conflicts in farming communities as they changed from private to collective ownership. The Russian landscape and its people are shown with great visual beauty.

February 24 THE MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA, directed by Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929, b/w, 90 minutes, silent.

Another classic of the Russian silent cinema, THE MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA is a brilliant formal experiment, highlighting camera work and editing through a montage of documentary shots.

March 3 BALLAD OF A SOLDIER, directed by Grigori Chuchrai, USSR, 1959, 87 minutes, in Russian, with English subtitles.

An award-winning feature of the late fifties, this film tells of the adventures of a young soldier on a brief leave from the fighting lines of World War II. The film is noted for its visual poetry.

March 10 MY NAME IS IVAN, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, USSR, b/w, 1962, 84 minutes, in Russian, with English subtitles.

The first feature by Andrei Tarkovsky, whom many consider one of the greatest filmmakers of all times. The film shared the grand prize of the 1962 Venice Film Festival. In beautiful black and white photography, it tells how a young child gets mixed up in the fighting of World War II. The film constitutes a remarkable break with the bland and simplistic style of socialist realism of films from the Stalinist era.

March 17 ANDREI RUBLEV, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, USSR, b/w and color, 1966, 146 minutes, in Russian, with English subtitles.

Tarkovsky's early master work, originally released only for the foreign festival circuit and not shown in the USSR until 1971, is a reflection on art and society, based on the life story of the historical figure Andrei Rublev, the 15th century icon painter. In eight episodes, spanning the period 1400 to 1423, the film tells of the journey of three artists, all monks, from their monestary towards Moscow, and of the conflicts they encounter.

March 31 SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS, directed by Sergei Paradzahnov, USSR, 1964, color, 99 minutes, in Ukranian with English subtitles.

Paradzhanov is the most spectacular representative of regional filmmaking which has played a major role in Soviet cinema. SHADOWS is a film about Ukrainian folk life and folk art. Some say that its great beauty and appeal place it second only to POTEMKIN.

April 7 ASHES AND DIAMONDS, directed by Andrzej Wajda, Poland, 1958, b/w, 108 minutes, in Polish with English subtitles.

ASHES is Wajda's most famous film of the fifties. In brilliant black and white photography, it tells the story of a young man in search of his identity during the first days following World War II. Starring Zbigniew Cybulski, one of the most popular actors of Polish cinema until his tragic death in 1967.

April 14 THE KNIFE IN THE WATER, directed by Roman Polanski, Poland, 1962, b/w, 90 minutes, in Polish with English subtitles.

Polanski's first feature film, THE KNIFE IN THE WATER was an immediate popular and critical success. A somewhat morbid love story, it thematically hints at the rottenness of Poland's party elite, and contains all the elements of Polanski's later style, above all his skill in building suspense stories.

April 21 WALKOVER, directed by Jerzy Skolimovski, Poland, 1965, b/w, 77 minutes, in Polish with English subtitles.

Skolimovski himself plays the lead in his second feature of largely biographical overtones. He portrays a young boxer who, on his return from the military, has trouble with his identity, refuses a job in a factory and spends his time as a boxing hustler. The film suggests that social ills are at the root of the young man's problems.

April 28 DAISIES (SEDMIKRASKY), by Vera Chytilová, Czechoslovakia, 1966, 76 minutes.

One of the major works of the Czech New Wave and a radical experiment in feminist humor, DAISIES has held cult status ever since. In Czech with English sub-titles.

NOTE: We will be screening a video copy of this film.

May 5 BLACK PETER (CERNY PETR), directed by Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia, 1963, black and white, 89 minutes.

The first feature by Milos Forman who in 1969 emigrated to the United States where he directed such classics as ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and AMADEUS. A critical look at the conflicts young people experienced during communist Czechoslovakia, especially as they related to work and the relationship with older people. The film met with the displeasure of the communist authorities but was released and won the 1963 Czech Critic's Prize.

May 12 SHOP ON MAIN STREET (OBCHOD NA KORZE), directed by Jan Kadar and Elmar Klos, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 124 minutes, in Czech with English subtitles.

The first Czech film to win an academy award as best foreign film, this film tells of the persecution of Jews under Slovakian fascism in World War II. With outstanding performances by Ida Kaminska, Hana Slivkova, and Jozef Kroner.

Spring 1997

Instructor: Dr. Renate Fischetti

Office Hours: Mon 3-5, or by appointment

Office: AC 138

Tel.: 455-2003/2109

E-Mail: fischett@umbc.edu

The course is an introduction to the major schools of East European Cinema, including classical and contemporary Soviet cinema, the Polish School, and the Czech New Wave.

The course is structured around an introductory lecture, a discussion of the readings, the screening of the film, and a discussion of the film. The discussions will focus on close readings of the films in cultural contexts. Guidelines for this analysis will be issued by the instructor. A handout with such guidelines, and an additional handout listing basic film terms will be issued to all students.

Film analysis is not difficult. It requires careful watching and familiarity with basic film terms. To facilitate this process, students who are new to film analysis may want to read chapter III, "The Language of Film: Signs and Syntax," in HOW TO READ A FILM by James Monaco (on reserve in the Library). In addition, new students may wish to view a video copy of BASIC FILM TERMS: A VISUAL DICTIONARY which has been placed on reserve with AV Services (ACIV, Room 114. ext. 2461). The film is 15 minutes long, a bit outdated, but still quite useful in illustrating the basic film terms.