Advanced 1: Japanese Cinema and Culture

Level: Undergraduate

Division: The New School for Public Engagement

School: School of Languages

Department: Foreign Languages

Course Number: NJPN 3101

Course Format: Seminar

Location: NYC campus

Permission Required: No

Topics:

• Foreign Languages
• Japanese

Description:
This course focuses on five popular Japanese films: Love and Honor (2006), Shall We Dance (1996), Train Man (2005), Tokyo Sonata (2008), and Departures (2008). The course examines both traditional and current aspects of Japanese culture reflected in these films. Students will learn to discuss and write critically about the films, focusing on elements such as plot, characters, point of view, imagery, symbolism, leitmotif, and theme. Throughout the course, students are expected to examine and discuss the material actively in groups and with the whole class, creating dialogue and interpreting what the works may tell us about the human experience and culture in a changing Japanese society.

Course Pre/Co-requisites:
Japanese Intermediate 2, the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.