ENG 4132

LITERATURE and FILM

(Film Adaptation)

B. Weitz 305 348-3294

weitzb@fiu.edu Office Hours: 9:45-10:45

Required texts: Isherwood, Christopher. Berlin Stories.

Meyerink, Gustav. The Golem.

Seger, Linda. The Art of Adaptation.

Van Druten, John. I Am A Camera.

The great Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman stated: “Film has nothing to do with literature; the character and substance of the two art forms are usually in conflict.”

"The worst thing about film, from my point of view, is that it cripples illusions which I have encouraged people to create in their heads. Film doesn't create illusion. It makes them impossible. It is a bullying form of reality, like the model rooms in the furniture department of Bloomingdale's. There is nothing for the viewer to do but gawk. For example: there can be only one Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick. There are tens of thousands of Clockwork Oranges by Anthony Burgess, since every reader has to cast, costume, direct, and design the show in his head." - Kurt Vonnegut, 1972

GRADING POLICIES

1. Attendance is required. This is not a “correspondence course”.

2. Final grades will be determined by 1) out of class work 2) in class work

and 3) class attendance and informed class participation. This class is not a spectator sport but requires questioning, analysis, and testing of ideas. Regular informed participation in the discussion and analysis is required to successfully complete the course.

3. Daily preparation of the reading material. Students will need to read and often re-read the daily reading assignment in order to participate in class. Forms of preparation may include: notetaking, lists of questions and ideas, outlines of the reading assignment, re-reading assignments for greater understanding.

4. All out of class work must be typed or printed

5. All in class work must be done in class. It cannot be made up (this includes quizzes). Exams can be made up by prior arrangement and with a valid excuse.

6. If you do miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what was done and/or assigned, submit any work promptly and be prepared for the next class.

7. All assignments are due at the beginning of class time. The grade will be

dropped one half letter for each 24 hour period it is late after that.

8. If you are having any type of problem or confusion which is preventing you from completing your work, please come talk to me about it.

9. You must turn off all cell phones and/or pagers before class. It is both impolite and disruptive to students and instructor if they ring during class time.

Academic Integrity:

Academic honesty is expected of all students. Plagiarism: Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes cheating on quizzes or exams as well as plagiarism. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating defined as using as one's own, without proper citation, words and/or ideas expressed by others in public arenas such as (but not restricted to) print, electronic publications, and scholarly lectures. It is your responsibility to be knowledgeable about this topic. Please be aware that there are numerous ways to detect plagiarism beyond the instructor actually identifying the source of the plagiarism. Plagiarism wastes my time and yours—if you are experiencing any kind of difficulty in completing an assignment, PLEASE see me as soon as possible. I will consider instituting the policy on student academic dishonesty for any case of plagiarism I discover. Evidence of cheating, plagiarism or fabrication of sources will result in a failing grade for the course and report to the appropriate University authorities

IN CLASS		ASSIGNMENTS
AUG 26	Introduction	Read Handout/Seger pp xi-32
SEP 2	Discussion—film clips	Read Isherwood, “Goodybe to Berlin”/Read Seger pp 33-46
9	Discussion—film clips	Finish Isherwood/Seger pp 47-62
16	Discussion—film clips	Read Van Druten /Seger. pp. 63-73
23	Discussion—film clips	Work on Proposal and Annotated Bibliography Requirement
30	View “Cabaret”-- Assignment due	Write Reaction paper
Oct 7	Discussion—film clips	Seger pp. 75-155
14	Discussion—film clips	Read Handouts—“Beauty and the Beast”
21	Discussion/View film
28	View film	Write Reaction Paper/Read Handouts and Meyerink pp iii-xviii
NOV 4	Discussion	Read Meyerink 3-74/Write Novel Summary and Analysis Requirement
11	Discussion—Assignment due	Read Meyerink pp 75-140
18	Discussion	Finish Meyerink
25	View film	Write Reaction Paper
DEC 2	Third Reaction Paper and Final Paper due

GRADING

Final Paper	40%
Reaction Papers	10% each
Class Participation	30%
(including discussions, in-class assignments, quizzes, attendance)