MEDIA 729 : Film Evil
Arts
2022 Semester Two (1225) (30 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course looks at theme of evil in the cinema. Why is it that conceptions of evil and its nature and source, distinctions between natural and moral evil, and what belongs to God versus to the human race have formed so much of the subject matter, and undergone so many transformations, in film? What can films teach us about evil? And what about the proposition that some films may themselves be evil? Through a number of theoretical readings that draw on a psychoanalytical understanding of evil — including texts by Immanuel Kant on ‘radical evil’, Hannah Arendt’s interpretation of Auschwitz, Alain Badiou on the self-evidence and necessity of evil, Alenka Zupancic on rethinking the concept of evil, Terry Eagleton on the rarity of pure evil, Jacques Lacan on how the pure ethical attitude is inextricably linked to the pleasure of violence, Slavoj Žižek on ‘loving thy neighbour’ and violence, George Bush and ‘the axis of evil’ and current reflections on looming climatic and nuclear disasters — we will address the working structures of the evil event in the cinema. Films to be studied range from Fritz Lang’s Fury (1936) where an innocent man is lynched by a righteous mob; Ingmar Bergman’s Prison (1949) which proposes that life on earth is governed by the Devil; Rolf de Heer’s Bad Boy Bubby (1994) about a 35-year-old psychopath who has never set foot outside his mother’s apartment; Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom (1959) which provoked such fury in the press that it all but destroyed the career of its director; Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò (1975) often cited as the most disturbing film ever made; Lars von Trier’s shocking Antichrist (2009) accused of rampant misogyny, of being “an abomination”, “the sickest film in the history of cinema”; and Gus van Sant’s exploration of high school shootings Elephant (2003).
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and evaluate at an advanced level and engage in critical debate with the premises, conditions and contexts of knowledge claims and information sources. (Capability 3.1 and 4.1)
- Demonstrate advanced specialist knowledge and understanding of scholarship, complex content and significance in field of study. (Capability 1.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Proposal and Bibliography | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| Research Essay | 60% | Individual Coursework |
| Class Presentation | 15% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 30 point course and students are expected to spend 20 hours per week involved in each 30 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 3 hours of seminar, 5 hours of reading and thinking about the content, 2 hours film viewing and 10 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2022.
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including to receive credit for components of the course.
Seminars will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.