RJ_71 American and Russian Musical Movie

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2010
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Vladimír Franta, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jiří Gazda, CSc.
Department of Slavonic Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: doc. PhDr. Jiří Gazda, CSc.
Timetable
Mon 18:20–19:55 A21 stara
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 8 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The subject tends to remind students of famous musical movies. It cares equally about classic and more modern films. The attention focuses in American and Soviet (USSR) production. These both used to influence each other in a way (The export of American culture made no less important impact on Russian society then e.g. Russian artistic immigration to US or Russian dramatic school as such). Each of lessons will follow one of the selected decades of the 20th century. After a brief historic survey for the particular time period students will get acquainted with fragments of most significant pieces of the genre, which should be analyzed after that. The musical comedy will be introduced in the artistic, societal (musical quotations in audiovisual advertisements) politic and even the ideological light. Fairly attractive should become the approach to biographies of well remembered celebrities and stars, authors or composers that gained their direct inspiration from West and East. The subject ends in colloquium.
Syllabus
  • 1. Genesis of musical and its place in systematic of genre; Song as an iconic signature of Hollywood and Mosfilm… 2. Basic information on film theory: in sight/out of sight; diegetic/non-diegetic; synchrony/asynchrony; immanence/ transcendence etc. 3. GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937): Musical film with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers presence – some allusions on Russian facts; American musicals of 30th. 4. IRVING BERLIN (1888-1989): Russian roots of American popular music; From ragtime to musical of 60th inspired by soviet facts. 5. COLE PORTER (1891-1964): „Musical specialist on Soviet Union”; Musical Can-Can and soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev on his visit to Hollywood. 6. ISAAK DUNAJEVSKIJ (1900-1955): Inspiration by American jazz and American musical movies; Allusion on some American facts; Early Russian stars; Soviet musical films of 30th. 7. LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990): Russian Jews, high class Art, showbusiness; West Side Story and Natalia Wood; Limits of genre and their transgression; Reality of American musical theaters. 8. Russian artistic elites in Hollywood: Mikhail Vavich; Sergei Rahmaninov … 9. Communicative strategy of Soviet comedy: Lyudmila Gurchenko, Andrei Mironov etc. 10. American and Soviet understanding in time of II WW: War musicals or musicals about War. 11. LEONID BYKOV (1928-1979): „…wars pass over, music remains.“ 12. American and soviet sharing of topics: Mary Poppins; USSR in American popular songs; USA in Soviet popular songs; Soviet musical of 80th. 13. Hindsight after early talkies; Singing in the Rain; Musical mania.
Literature
  • Osolsobě, Ivo: Muzikál. Bratislava, 1968.
  • Tarakanova, M. E.: Istorija sovremennoj otečestvennoj muzyki. Moskva 2005.
  • OSOLSOBĚ, Ivo, dr. Muzikál je když... Praha: Supraphon, 1967. info
Teaching methods
Students are encouraged to debate. They are supported equally in an individual or in the collective activity. Students can perform their ideas via various papers or exposes. It should form a path, as it is believed, towards self-creativity enabling to ground better one’s own position. The continuous feed-back helps to correct the semester handout of the subject.
Assessment methods
The course has a form of a lecture and a class discussion. In order to pass the colloquium it is necessary to submit the paper in the amount of 5-15 pages. No other task will be required except the student’s presence in class that should not descend beyond 70%.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008, Spring 2009.
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