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This course addresses the myriad and often conflicting ways that sex and sexuality have been represented throughout the history of Western cinema, with an emphasis upon Hollywood and American independent film.
This course addresses the myriad and often conflicting ways that sex and sexuality have been represented throughout the history of Western cinema, with an emphasis upon Hollywood and American independent film. We begin with early representations of sex and bodies and consider the significant impact and legacy of the Motion Picture Production Code, a ‘morality code’ that was enforced in the United States from the mid-1930s to the 1960s. We then move on to a diverse range of films and genres including comedy, horror, the musical, exploitation film and art film. We will explore ideological, social, ethical and artistic debates within film studies, while also addressing some important subgenres, historical trends, and specific films and filmmakers. Throughout this course you will be challenged to think about the ways that the (re)presentation of sex on screen might be used to confront, titillate and shock audiences, as well as how film might be used as a mouthpiece for marginalised communities or as a social barometer. You will also be asked to engage with some important movements within cinema studies and the broader study of gender and visual culture. Please note that while some of the films covered are joyful, others are far more challenging. Guidance will be provided throughout the course. Topics for 2024 will include the following: the teen sex film; the 'celluloid closet'; cult cinema and transgression; queer filmmaking and 'homo pomo'; the mainstreaming of porn; the rape-revenge film; sex in pre-Code cinema.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:1) analyse and problematize some of the ways that issues of sex and sexuality have been represented, explored and expressed in American and European cinema;2) outline and appraise connections between diverse films and critical writing on sex, sexuality, identity, embodiment, spectatorship, and authorship; 3) make arguments about how diverse genres and cinematic modes engage with shared themes in different ways;4) evaluate and make arguments about how films express complex meaning through cinematic form and content; and5) apply skills in visual and critical analysis, film methodologies, and digital research practices to a range of cinematic texts in a variety of contexts.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
Any 15 points at 100 level from CINE or CULT, orany 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
CINE223
CINE101, CINE102, CINE104
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Erin Harrington
Rachel Williamson
Please check the course LEARN page for further details and updates.
Please note that this course requires in-person engagement for students to succeed, and it is not designed to be taken by distance. Many of the films shown in our in-person screening sessions will not be able to be sourced by students offsite, and students are required to be present and contribute in person to fulfil participation requirements. Lectures and workshops have a strong discussion component. ECHO recordings of lectures are offered as study resources and are not a replacement for consistent in-person attendance.Provisional film list (subject to change)It Follows (2014)Madam Satan (1930)Inside 'Deep Throat' (2005)American Pie (1999)Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)Velvet Goldmine (1998)But I'm a Cheerleader! (1999)Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)Tangerine (2015)Promising Young Woman (2020)The Lost Daughter (2021)Shortbus (2006)Assorted short media
Domestic fee $844.00
International fee $3,950.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
This course will not be offered if fewer than 20 people apply to enrol.
For further information see Humanities .