The best aspects of this course included the class discussions, movie screenings, and the passionate professor. The professor was able to engage students in the material with a very assortment of lectures, films, and readings. The worst aspects of the course included the lengthy lectures and late movie screenings that left little room for class discussions. The course would be improved if it incorporated journals or papers that allowed students to express their views on the readings and movies, as opposed to just having constant class discussions. Prospective students should be prepared for a fun course which they will enjoy if they participate regularly in class and attend all lectures.

Students broadly praised this course and its instructor, saying the course provided a mixture of film history and film technique. Students’ issues with the course varied; some thought the course had a lot of unnecessary reading, while others felt the class was too big to be effective. Suggestions for improvement included cutting the class’ size down to allow for more group discussion of films that were screened. Prospective students should know that students found that attendance was mandatory for this course and students should practice analyzing films outside of class. Students don’t need to be experts in cinema in order to do well in the course.

The instructor’s knowledgeable and engaging teaching style, along with the variety of films screened over the semester were the highlights of this course. Many students made particular note of the instructor, describing her as passionate, thoughtful, and open to every student’s interpretations of films. The worst aspects of the course were the readings that seemed unnecessary, as well as the difficulty of participating in such a large class. Suggestions to improve the class included giving short writing assignments rather than quizzes and having smaller classes or group discussions. Prospective students should know that the course was not an easy A, but it was a wonderful class for those people who are interested in film, students said. The instructor also was highly recommended, students said.