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Gain a useful understanding of western genre and some of the key films in its history!

This course introduces students to the western film genre as a means of interpreting elements of American history and its shifting lens in portrayals of events and figures. It involves screenings of significant westerns and discussions of historical articles and film reviews for comparison and analysis.

Course Objectives
  1. Appreciate various styles of narrative and storytelling within the western genre.
  2. Familiarize with key filmmakers and performers associated with the western.
  3. Familiarize with the key subjects chronicled in westerns.
  4. Appreciate various depictions of western events and figures as seen in different films with different performers.
  5. Identify clichés and tropes recurring in westerns that speak to the eras they were produced in.
  6. Understand elements of contemporary society as mirrored in western films.
  7. Appreciate comparisons between historical accounts and western portrayals.
  8. Compose a western film review which summarizes plot, theme and characterization as well as focuses on the significance of the film’s treatment of western historical matter.
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