Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology
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Undergraduate Module Descriptor

PHL1112: Philosophy of Film

This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Each week will be devoted to a different film, which will then be discussed in weekly tutorials together with selected philosophical literature. Films to be discussed are likely to be chosen from the following list:

  • Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
  • Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel, 1956)
  • A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
  • The Truman Show (Peter Wier, 1989)
  • Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen, 1989).
  • The Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925).
  • The Triumph of the Will (Leni Riefenstahl, 1935). 
  • Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960)
  • The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (Slavoj Zizek, 2006)
  • Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen, 1997)

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
421080

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities20Weekly film screenings
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities22Weekly two hour lectures and seminars. Each lecture consists of an introduction and the viewing of a film, which will then, supported by relevant literature, be discussed in the seminars. Students are required to give at least one assessed presentation on an aspect of the scheduled topic.
Guided Independent Study108Directed reading, viewing and private study.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/