396/Pol. Sci. 396/Slavic 396/Hist. 333/Soc.
393. Survey of East Central Europe. (4). (SS). Laboratory fee ($10) required.
In recent years East
Central Europe has often been in the news, bringing us both encouraging
stories about the end of Communism and appalling accounts of the
war in the former Yugoslavia. This course will help make sense
of the triumph and tragedy of Eastern Europe. We will explore the region's rich and complex ethnic, political, and cultural
history: the migrations into the region of diverse peoples; the
role of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Islam; the growth of powerful
empires; the emergence of nationalism in the 19th century; the
establishment of nation-states after World War I, and the region's
tragic experiences with Fascism and Communism. Special emphasis
will be placed on the dramatic events since 1989, as new political, economic, social, and cultural norms are being constructed after
40 years of communism. To place recent developments in perspective, we will also explore, critically, ethnic tensions, social and economic development, gender issues, and the rich literary and artistic traditions that have characterized the region. The course
is structured around lectures by UM and visiting specialists and provides a broad multidisciplinary overview of the region. Requirements:
midterm, final, and one paper. (Eagle)
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405. Topics in Russian and East European
Studies. (1-4).
(Excl).
Section 001 – The Czech New Wave. (1 credit). The fresh approaches of the Czech New
Wave directors surprised the world in the mid-1960's. A new generation
of filmmakers displayed an impressive range of styles – from the
gentle comic grotesque of Jiri Menzel (Closely Watched Trains
- Academy Award, Best Foreign Film 1967), the menacing absurdism
of Jan Nemec and the dadaist satire of Vera Chytilova to the pseudo-cinema-verite
of Milos Forman (Loves of a Blonde) and the nuanced psychological
realism of Jan Kadar (Shop on Main Street – Academy Award, Best Foreign Film 1965). The films were not only artistically
innovative, they were often subversive with respect to the bureaucratic
Communism of the Novotny regime. The filmmakers exposed the constant
repression, the loss of moral and civic values, the lack of meaningful
prospects for youth, the subservience of women to a patriarchal
order, and the regime's fostering of antisemitism. The films worked
in clever allegorical ways, skirting the Communist censorship.
The movement in film was a harbinger of the Prague Spring, the
reform movement led by Alexander Dubcek. And the Czech New Wave
directors suffered the same fate as the political reformers (repression
and blacklisting) after the Soviet-led invasion in August 1968.
Menzel's Larks on a String, the final masterpiece of the Czech New Wave, was banned from distribution until after the
fall of Communism in 1989. We will view and discuss six films
with an eye to artistic innovations as well as with attention
to the social and political realities to which the films allude.
One short (5-6 page) paper due at the end of the course. (Eagle)
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410. Polish Culture. (1). (Excl). May be repeated for a total
of two credits.
Section 001 – Polish Cinema.
Since the 1950's, Polish filmmakers have distinguished themselves through challenging cinema, in spite of the Communist Party censorship.
After WWII, the film industry was nationalized and rapidly rebuilt, with a State Film School established at Lodz. Within a few years, the school's first wave of graduates (which included Wajda, Munk, and Polanski) had garnered international prizes at Cannes and elsewhere. Although directors were expected to adhere to the principles
of "Socialist Realism" (which required an idealized
Communist version of the past and present), these filmmakers were
able to use intricate symbolism, absurdist allegory, and subtle
satire to condemn the loss of decency and civic values in Communist
society. Throughout the 1970's and 1980's, Wajda and a new generation
of innovative filmmakers (among them Zanussi, Holland, Has, and Kieslowski) continued to break new ground. Wajda's films and Zanussi's
contrasted the hypocrisy and opportunism of the establishment
with youth's idealism; Has used surrealism to translate to the
screen classic works of fiction; Holland brought gender issues
to the fore. Kieslowski consistently tackled tough moral problems, and was the first to critique post-Communist Poland, in his celebrated White. We will view and discuss six films with an eye
to artistic developments and trends, as well as with attention
to the social and political events and situations to which the
films refer. One short (5-6 page) paper due at the end of the
course. (Eagle)
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Times, Location, and Availability
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