Practical Approaches to Teaching Film

Rachel Ritterbusch’s Practical Approaches to Teaching Film is a collection of essays focusing on the use of film in settings ranging from an introductory film class to an upper-division Women’s Studies course. Drawing on their experience in the classroom, contributors to this anthology show how movies can be used to promote critical thinking, create an awareness of the male gaze, challenge dominant ideology, and unmask the constructedness of film. This volume treats a wide variety of film texts, from box-office hits like The Da Vinci Code to underappreciated art films such as Susan Streitfeld’s Female Perversions; from Pépé le Moko and other French classics to more contemporary francophone works like Chaos and Rosetta; from self-reflexive films that interrogate the act of filmmaking itself to those that draw attention to the phallocentric nature of cinematic apparatus. Common to all these essays is the belief that, if used judiciously, film can be a valuable pedagogical tool. Aimed both at those currently teaching film and those wishing to do so, this volume provides practical support in the form of sample syllabi, assignments, and a glossary of film terms.