Chinese - Fall 1998

An overview of China's 20th century struggle to modernize and and attempt to redefine the relationship between the individual and society as portrayed through its films. Representative films of China's new wave directors, including Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, are featured. The films listed in the syllabus below are likely to be shown, but are subject to change. LAAD 80C fulfills the "T" and "E" general education requirements. Chinese 106 fulfills the "E" general education requirement.

These two courses, taught in conjunction, will be designed to accommodate three areas of need, an advanced course (Chinese 106) at the 3rd-4th year level for China Education Abroad Program returnees and students with advanced native speaker background, as well as (LAAD 80C) for non-Chinese language students who are interested in both modern Chinese film and modern Chinese history. This course will be of interest to students of modern Chinese culture and will be designed to fulfill the "E" ethnic studies general education requirement, as well as the "T" topics requirement (in LAAD 80C) as it will address the issue of modernization in non-western context. A film will be shown approximately once every three class meetings to all students in the class. Each viewing will be followed by two one and one half hour discussion sections, one in English for non-speakers of Chinese and one in Chinese for Chinese language students. Students will be required to attend only one of the discussion sections depending on their language backgrounds. Short critical and interpretive essays on the films, in English for the English section, and in Chinese for the Chinese language section will be required.

Week 1: Lecture: Introduction: An Overview of China's 20th Century Modernization

Reading: Jonathan Spence, The Gate of Heavenly Peace: The Chinese and Their Revolution 1895-1980, New York: Viking Press, 1981. pp. xi-370.

Film: China in Revolution: 1911-1949

Week II: Brief Lecture: Traditional Values and Lineage Structures in a Rural Setting

Film: The Girl from Hunan

Discussion groups

Week lll: Brief Lecture: The War of Resistance Against Japan in a Rural Setting

Film: Red Sorghum

Discussion groups

Week lV: Brief Lecture: Taking It All In: The Long March to What? Panorama of China's Twentieth Century. The Chinese Artist's Relations to Politics and History.

Film: Farewell My Concubine

Discussion groups

Short paper on either The Girl From Hunan or Red Sorghum due.

Week V: Panorama continued: Surviving Revolutionary Absurdities

Film: To Live

Discussion groups

Week Vl: The Cultural Revolution in a Small Town

Film: Hibiscus Town

Discussion groups

Short paper on either Farewell My Concubines or To Live due

Week Vll: Modern Taiwan: The Other China

Film: Eat, Drink, Man, Woman

Discussion:

Week VIII: Modern Taiwan: Addressing the Gay Issue from the Perspective of Chinese Culture

Film: The Wedding Banquet

Discussion:

Week lX: Chinese-Americans Recall their Roots and Adjust to America

Film: The Joy Luck Club

Discussion:

Week X: Review Discussions

Short paper due on any of the following: Hibiscus Town, Eat, Drink, Man,Woman, The Wedding Banquet, or The Joy Luck Club due.

Final exam.

For further information about this course contact the instructor directly at his email address:peter_rushton@macmail.ucsc.edu

Revised 7/15/04.