Introduction to Film Studies

One-semester course. Students in this course will watch, analyze, and write about classic films in many genres. Film will be approached as both art and entertainment, addressing such questions as:

  • How does a film use different elements to tell its story (e.g., editing, acting, plot)?
  • How does a film shape the viewer’s understanding of the world or reflect the understanding of the filmmakers?
  • How did various techniques of filmmaking develop, and why?
  • How do you write a critique or review of a film?

Please note: The materials covered in this class contain content that some families may consider objectionable, including: violence, nudity, sexual content, and drug use. Parents are advised to consult the IMDb Parent Guide or another content-warning resource before enrolling their student.

*Not offered during the 2023-2024 school year.

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Introduction to Film Studies Information

  • Example Syllabus
  • Class meets once per week for 50-55 minutes.
  • Class cap: 20 students.
  • Designed for grades 10-12.
  • Students in grades 9-12 may be awarded .5 Fine Arts or Elective credit upon completion of this course.

Course Materials

  • Click here to purchase the course texts.
    • Ed Sikov, Film Studies: An Introduction. 
    • Timothy Corrigan, A Short Guide to Writing about Film, 8th ed.
  • Required Viewing:
    • Modern Times, dir. Charlie Chaplin, 1936
    • Psycho, dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1960
    • 2001: A Space Odyssey, dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1968
    • Citizen Kane, dir. Orson Welles, 1941
    • On the Waterfront, dir. Elia Kazan, 1954
    • Wizard of Oz, dir. Victor Fleming, 1939
    • Jaws, dir. Steven Spielberg, 1975
    • The Lion King, dirs. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, 1994
    • The Seven Samurai, dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1954
    • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, dir. Sergio Leone, 1967
    • The Godfather: Part I, dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1972
    • Wall-E, dir. Andrew Stanton, 2008
    • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, dir. Peter Jackson, 2001
    • Groundhog Day, dir. Harold Ramis, 1993
    • Casablanca, dir. Michael Curtiz, 1942
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