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SERS0027
15 credits, taught in Terms 1 and 2
Module Description
Debates around issues of women’s emancipation, one of the great battlegrounds of the C20th, have been particularly acute in Russia and the Soviet Union. When the patriarchal repression of the late-Tsarist empire was radically overturned after the Revolution in favour of legal equality, both men and women were offered new role models, which altered the relationship between them dramatically. Since its inception, Russian cinema has sought to reflect these debates and to chart the sometimes radical, sometimes subtle shifts in gender relations. This module explores these shifts, in terms of both the changing relationships between men and women, and the models and stereotypes which defined them. Ranging from the pre-Revolutionary period to the post-Soviet years, it covers 17 key films that address these concerns. In addition to its thematic focus, it also considers the formal evolution of Russian cinema during this period, examining elements such as silent film aesthetics, the coming of sound, the development of new genres, the relationship between thaw cinema and Italian Neorealism, and innovations in cinematography.
Assessment
1 essay of 3,500 words