Franklin & Marshall College, Printemps 2004
Français 205: Le Cinéma en français

Conversation: Le Cinéma en français
Ce cours vous donnera l'occasion de perfectionner votre français oral: prononciation, intonation, vocabulaire et compréhension auditive. Notre sujet: le cinéma français! Tout en étudiant les films choisis de façon analytique, on va aussi considérer ce que le cinéma français révèle à propos la culture, l'histoire et la vie française.

Manuels de classe: (disponibles à la librairie)
Rice, Anne-Christine. Le Cinéma en cours de français, 2/e. Focus Publishing, 2003.
Duménil, Annie. Facile à dire: Les Sons du français. Prentice Hall, 2003.

Films à la réserve (ATS)
Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) [dvd 96]
Le Dîner de cons (Francis Veber, 1998)
Le Goût des autres (Agnès Jaoui, 2000) [dvd 109]
Cyrano de Bergerac (Jean-Paul Rappeneau, 1990) [vhs 1086]
Ridicule (Patrice Leconte, 1996) [vhs 3298]
Le Hussard sur le toit (Jean-Paul Rappeneau, 1995) [dvd 382]
Au Revoir les enfants (Louis Malle, 1987) [vhs 805]
Le Dernier Métro (François Truffaut, 1980) [dvd 254]
Chocolat (Claire Denis, 1988) [vhs 1260]
La Haine (Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995) [vhs 1833]

Emploi du temps
janvier
21: Introduction
23: Vocabulaire du cinéma: Rice, pp. ix-xi; Les Sons du français: Duménil, pp. 1-8.

Les Rapports et l'amitié
Semaine II: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain
26: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 83-86, 92-96.
28: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 84-85, 87.
30: Discussion; La chaîne parlée: Duménil, pp. 9-12. Ex. 1, p.16 (track 5)

Semaine III: Le Dîner de cons
février
2: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 279-282, 286-288.
4: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 280-281, 282.
6: L'Intonation: Duménil, pp. 12-15. Ex. 3, p. 18 (track 7).
Exposés: Jen Hazen (le rôle des femmes); Daniela Beck (les victimes)

Semaine IV: Le Goût des autres: Infos sur ce film
9: Discussion du film: Ecrivez 2 questions de discussion. 
11: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Liste de vocabulaire
13: Les Voyelles fermées: Duménil, pp. 19-28. Ex. 1, p. 26 (track 9); Ex. 3-4, p. 27 (track 11-12); Ex. 6-7, p.28 (track 14-15); Ex. 10: 1-5, p. 30 (track 18).
Exposés: Greg Davies (les relations entre les sexes); Sana Rafi (les milieux sociaux)

Semaine V
16: Examens oraux; Travaux dirigés en équipe: 2, 3, 4; Exercices écrits à rendre
[examens: Meredith, Greg, Blake, Roshni, Jake]

18: Examens oraux; Travaux dirigés en équipe: 1, 5; Exercices écrits à rendre
[examens: Daniela, Malvika, Nikita, Jen, Kunal]

20: Examens oraux; Exercices écrits à rendre
[examens: Jesse, Petar, Laura, Katie, Sana]

Histoire et littérature
Semaine VI: Cyrano de Bergerac
23: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 163-167, 175-177.
25: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 164-165, 168.
27: Les Voyelles ouvertes: Duménil, pp. 31-34. Ex. 1-2, p. 32 (track 19- 20); Ex. 3-5, p. 33 (track 21-23).
Exposés: Blake Eden (le mythe de la belle et la bête)

mars
Semaine VII: Ridicule
1: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 97-101, 110-111.
3: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 98-99, 101.
5: Les Voyelles nasales: Duménil, pp. 45-48. Ex. 1-4, p. 46-47 (track 27-30); Ex. 5-9, p. 48-49 (track 31-35).
Exposés: Katie Schleit (analyse des vêtements); Jake Kywi (comparaison avec le Dîner de cons)

Semaine VIII: Le Hussard sur le toit
8: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 179-182, 193-198.
10: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 180-181, 183.
12: VIDEO 1; Les Voyelles nasales: Duménil, pp. 50-55. Ex. 11-14 (tracks 37-40).

15: Congé
17: Congé
19: Congé

Les Années noires
Semaine IX: Au Revoir les enfants
22: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 129-132, 138-143.
24: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 130, 132-133.
26: Les Voyelles nasales: Duménil, pp. 55-59. Ex. 16, p. 59 (track 42).
Exposés: Petar Atanasov (les Français et les Allemands); Roshni Lodhia (la trahison)

Semaine X: Le Dernier Métro
29: Discussion du film. Rice, pp. 267-271, 277-278.
31: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Rice, pp. 268-269, 272.
avril
2: Le "e" muet: Duménil, pp. 125-135. Ex. 2-3, p. 129 (cd 2: track 23- 24).
Exposés: Meredith Schramm-Strosser (les secrets cachés); Laura Brigandi (comparaison avec Au Revoir les enfants)

Semaine XI: La Tirade du nez: fichier mp3; le texte intégral
5: Examens oraux; Travaux dirigés en équipe; Exercices écrits à rendre
7: Examens oraux; Travaux dirigés en équipe; Exercices écrits à rendre
9: Examens oraux; Travaux dirigés en équipe; Exercices écrits à rendre

La France multi-culturelle
Semaine XII: Chocolat
12: Discussion du film.  Infos sur ce film
14: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Liste de vocabulaire.
16: Les Consonnes: Duménil, pp. 155-159. Ex. 1, p. 160 (cd 2: track 29).
Exposés: Malvika Balsekar (France et Protée); Nikita Malik (L'idée du pays natal)

Semaine XIII: La Haine
19: Discussion du film. Infos sur ce film
21: Discussion; Contrôle de vocabulaire: Liste de vocabulaire.
23: La Liaison: Duménil, pp. 161-172. Ex. 1, p. 165 (cd 2: track 30), Ex. 2, p. 168 (cd 2: track 31).
Exposés: Kunal Sabharwal (le film est-il violent?) Jesse Richmand (la représentation de Paris)

Semaine XIV
26: Présentations du VIDEO 2; Exercices écrits à rendre
28: Présentations du VIDEO 2; Exercices écrits à rendre

Dates importantes à noter:

Final day to add a course or withdrawal without record: Feb. 3
Final day to select P/NP option: Feb. 17
Final day to withdrawal from a course with record: April 19

Répartition de la note

Participation et préparation (y compris les exercices écrits et oraux): 30%
Vidéos (2): 25%
Examens oraux (2): 20%
Exposé: 10%
Contrôles de vocabulaire (9 sur 10): 15%

Course Policies and Guidelines

1. Attendance and Participation:
As this is primarily a conversation course in which we will focus on oral proficiency, regular attendance and participation in class discussions is the most important element of your course work. Please do not hesitate to speak up in class, ask questions, try out an idea, etc. even if you are not sure of how to express your ideas correctly in French. We are all here to learn and all ideas and opinions are worthy of attention. I encourage you to express yourselves as best you can, ask for help when you need it, and simply have fun playing with the language and your ideas.

You are permitted three (3) no-questions-asked absences during the semester. After the third absence, your grade will be lowered accordingly. Any student with excessive absences may earn an F for the course.

If you must miss class due to illness, family emergency, participation in a varsity sport (letter from your coach required), or religious holiday, please notify me as soon as possible.

2. Preparation and Homework:
• Film Screening: You are responsible for seeing each film in its entirety before the first class meeting on that film. All films will be on reserve at ATS. Every Sunday night at 7pm, Claire will host a screening at the French House. Your grade will suffer significantly if you are unable to participate in discussion because you have not viewed the film. Plan ahead!

ATS HOURS:
Monday-Thursday 8am-10pm
Friday 8am-4:30pm
Sunday 1pm-10pm

• Readings in Rice: Each week you will read a short introduction to the film and supporting documents in Le Cinéma en cours de français. Be prepared to answer the discussion questions included in the assigned pages. The textbook materials will help you understand the films, place them in context and focus your analysis.

• Oral and Written Exercises: Every Friday we will spend time on phonetics. In addition to reading the pages assigned in Facile à dire: Les Sons du français, you are responsible for completing the oral and written exercises listed for that day. You will need to complete the oral exercises using the audio cds available in ATS (basement of Stager). The specific track numbers are listed on the course program. The listening exercises will also be available on edisk as mp3s.

On Fridays we will go over the written exercises in class. Three times during the semester I will collect your textbooks to verify and give credit for completion of the written exercises. You are on your honor for the oral exercises, but I urge you to take them seriously if you wish to improve your French pronunciation.

Collection dates:
Week 5 (Feb. 16-20): ex. 1, p. 16; ex. 3, p. 18; ex. 10, 1-5, p. 30.
Week 11 (Apr. 5-9): ex. 2, p. 32; ex. 5, p. 33; ex. 4, p. 47; ex. 9, p. 49; ex. 14, p. 53; ex. 16, p. 59; ex. 2-3, p. 129.
Week 14 (Apr. 26-28): ex. 1. p. 160; ex. 1, p.165; ex. 2, p. 168.

3. Vocabulary Quizzes
Every week there will be a short vocabulary quiz (10 minutes) on the pages noted on the syllabus. No makeups of these will be given. I will drop your lowest score at the end of the semester.

4. Exposés:
Each student will do ONE informal oral presentation on some aspect of an assigned film during the course of the semester. I will assign a specific topic or question to be treated. We will sign up for dates in a few weeks. Presentations should be no more than 10 minutes. You will receive specific guidelines about the presentations in a few weeks.

5. Videos:
You will design and film two short videos this semester, working in small groups. There will be specific topics assigned for the first round of videos, and the second round will be more creative and open-ended. Students will work collaboratively but will be graded individually. Details to come. We will hold two weeks of workshops (travaux dirigés) during which you can work on your videos during class. The final week of class will be a video showcase!

6. Oral exams:
Each student will complete two oral exams during the weeks noted on the syllabus. The exam will be individual and is designed to evaluate your oral competency and especially your progress! In addition to informal conversation, the exam will include a short prepared presentation and recitation of a text.

Bon courage et bonne rentrée!