Special Topics in International Studies
COM FT 554
Topics vary per semester. FT554 can fulfill the Undergraduate Additional Studies requirement. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Digital/Multimedia Expression. Effective Summer 2025, this course carries no Hub requirements.
SPRG 2027 Schedule
| Section | Instructor | Location | Schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Guarana | COM B05 | MW 10:10 am-11:55 am | Topic: Film Violence Description: Across time and across cultures, filmmakers have been keen on depicting violence and adverse social conditions in cinema. This course discusses the sociopolitical implications of aestheticizing violence by analyzing the different approaches to violence deployed in films from around the world. In doing so, it aims at developing a theory of violence in relationship to spectatorship and representation considering film as an intellectual discourse. The readings—ranging from theories of violence to film theory and manifestos—support close analysis of films, inviting students to think critically about violence as a social, political, and subjective phenomenon. We will put into scrutiny the ethics of representing violence and its implications on viewers as well as on the sociopolitical sphere. The course ultimately questions the ethics, responsibilities, and implications of representing violence through the interplay between suggestive and overbearing images. What is the importance of studying violence? Does the representation of violence hinder or engender reason and action? What distances the depiction of violence from its endorsement? Does screening violence ultimately lead to its normalization and acceptance as a viable means for revolution and/or for personal gain? This class meets the international cinema requirement. |
Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the MyBU Student Portal for the most up-to-date course information.
