War Cinema

AY2023/2024 Semester 1

This course will explore and examine the depiction of war across different genres in global cinema and related screen media. It will encompass films and video games ranging from Yoon Je-kyoon's Ode to My Father to Infinity Ward Inc.'s Call of Duty franchise, applying frameworks from film studies, feminist theory and political philosophy to chart the representation of military cultures and violence in cinema. Students who wish to explore the many ways in which war is commemorated, imagined, and mediatized in cinema and related media will find this course pertinent to their interests. By the end of the course, students will be able to write an aesthetic and ethical analysis of cinematic depictions of war, both in films and in related media such as online videos and video games. The development of these critical skills will have the potential to inform the everyday media consumption habits of course participants. This will benefit students as they navigate a media environment that is significantly preoccupied with past, present and potential conflicts.