Film enjoys great popularity in America and Japan, and impressions of culture are often based on viewing movies. While action adventure, historical romance, and science fiction dominate popular taste in both America and Japan, such films seldom provide pictures of ordinary people and daily life in either culture.
This class will concentrate on informed discussion of films made in America and Japan that seek to provide more realistic views of cultural values and the joys and problems of ordinary people in daily life. An important goal of the class is development of the ability to express ideas and opinions in English.
In class, you will watch American and Japanese films portraying "ordinary" life or showing "ordinary" people in extraordinary situations or doing extraordinary things. You will read reviews of these films, participate in discussion, and write analyses in English (based on questions provided by the instructor). Discussion will include small group participation as well as public expression of ideas to the whole class.
Examples of films for discussion include："Steel Magnolias", "Moe no Suzaku", "Smoke", "Ordinary People", "Bounce Kogals", "American Beauty", "Ikiru", and "Shallow Hal".
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