Universität Wien

180091 KU The Philosophy of Film Noir (2021W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Continuous assessment of course work
REMOTE
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

NOTE: The first session will be an online-session in Moodle. Please do not come to the lecture hall. You will have access to our Moodle-room from October 11th.

  • Monday 11.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 18.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 25.10. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 08.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 15.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 3D, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Monday 22.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 29.11. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 06.12. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 13.12. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 10.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 17.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 24.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital
  • Monday 31.01. 18:30 - 20:00 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The protagonist of DETOUR (US 1945) says it all: “That’s life: Whichever way you turn, fate sticks out a foot to trip you.” Fatalism as an existential theme finds its expression in American film noir.

This course is an introduction to the film aesthetics of a subgenre named FILM NOIR. Based on six exemplary films we will explore the philosophical aspects of this style in crime cinema. Our central text this term will be Robert B. Pippin’s FATALISM IN FILM NOIR, it is thus fatalism and fate that will concern us most. But relevant to our ethical concerns is also the ‘elbow room’ or leeway granted to agents … so the requirements of a genre and the believability of fictional characters will also be a recurring topic in our discussions.

This KU will be held in a classroom in a hybrid format. If you are a member of the following groups according to § 13c STStR(1), you are asked to contact the instructor of this course at the very beginning of term. You will be able to fulfill the requirements of the continuous assessment and an equivalent of our discussions in a digital environment instead:
1. Risk group members as defined by the COVID-19 Risk Group Ordinance of the Minister of Health;
2. Students who work as health and nursing staff;
3. Students who live in the same household with persons as per 1 and 2 or who care for persons as per 1;
4. Students with restrictions on freedom of travel (regional / national) or in isolation (quarantine) at the time of the examination / provision of the partial service;
5. Students who are subject to supervision and cannot attend on site due to school / kindergarten closings etc.

NOTE: The first session will be an online-session in Moodle. Please do not come to the lecture hall. You will have access to our Moodle-room from October 11th.

Assessment and permitted materials

Your (online) attendance is part of your final grade, you will be expected to hand in short written papers and participate in class discussions.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Erasmus students beware: This course is taught in German! You may write your assignments in English or French, but must be prepared to discuss matters in German, since most of your colleagues in the group will be German speakers.

The minimal requirement for completing this course is that you hand in seven assignments which are titled AUFGABE (= task) in Moodle. You will then be graded based on your submissions and your participation in our weekly class discussions. If you decide to write a BA paper in this course, the AUFGABEN-assignments will be reduced to four. You will, however, have to hand in a short exposé and a preliminary structure of your BA thesis during term instead.

By registering for this course, you tacitly agree to having all your electronic submissions checked by Turnitin.

You may miss two course units without consequence.

Your final grade will consist of the points you acquired in all written assignments (70 %) and your active participation (30 %). Thus you can earn a maximum of 50 credit points a term. Should your achievement be below or equal to 20 points or if you did not fulfill the minimal requirements, you will fail this course.

Examination topics

This is a course (= KUrs), thus no final exam.

Reading list

All texts will be supplied via Moodle. Our primary text for this course is available as an e-book via U:search:

Pippin, Robert B. (2012): Fatalism in American Film Noir. Some Cinematic Philosophy. Charlottesville/London: Univ. of Virginia Press.

Additional Literature we will be using:

Hales, Steven D. (2020): The Myth of Luck: Philosophy, Fate, and Fortune. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Naremore, James (2008): More than Night. Film Noir in its Contexts. Berkeley et al.: Univ. of California Press.
Silver, Alain & Ursini, James (Hg.) (2006): FILM NOIR Reader. New York: Limelight.
Williams, Bernard (2008): Shame and Necessity. Berkeley et al.: Univ. of California Press.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:18