This class will explore the themes and styles of the New Hollywood movement that lasted from 1967 to 1980, the year of Raging Bull. Key films will be screened, studied for their cinematic power, and discussed for how they reflect the wider culture, in which gender roles were changing along with sexuality and views of class and race. We will look at the historical and cultural contexts in which the films were produced, but most class time will be devoted to exploring the specifics of each film.

Readings will be taken from these books, among others: Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, by Peter Biskind; American Films of the 80s, by Peter Lev; Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam. 1970-1979, by David A. Cook.