Moodle@Warwick

This core module will build on what students have learned about Hollywood in first year modules (such as Film History and Screen Technologies) by expanding their knowledge about Hollywood in what has been deemed its ‘classic’ period. The module will illustrate important aspects about the industrial system that dominated Hollywood filmmaking from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, including style, genre, and stars. By first focusing on Hollywood as an industry, examining the practices and cultures of film production, the module will then consider its ideological influence by promoting specific American values and traditions through political issues and ideology, such as race and ethnicity. The module will conclude by examining various shifts that led to the post-classical era, preparing students for the optional module, Postclassical Hollywood and the third year core module, Film Aesthetics. 

This is a survey module, taught through a selection of topics as opposed to a purely historical approach to this period of filmmaking. Classical Hollywood encompasses thousands of films, hundreds of stars, multiple genres, big studios, small production companies, various technological and industrial transformations, and socio-cultural alterations within American society. It is impossible in one term to cover every aspect of this period of filmmaking; however, this module will survey important contexts that will help students reach set learning outcomes.