THTR 1590 - History of Motion Pictures
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 04, CRN 40118,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Trevor Ivan
Email: tjivan@ysu.edu
Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Film History: An Introduction, 2025 Release | Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell |
This course is part of the “First Day Inclusive Access” model where the cost of your Smart Book (“Film History: An Introduction” by McGraw-Hill Education) with Connect, an online homework system, has been significantly discounted and is included in the cost of your tuition. If you would like a physical copy of the textbook, you can purchase it at a discounted rate through the University Bookstore or directly from the link in Connect.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | READ: The Course Syllabus | Welcome to the Course | Syllabus Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 8/30 |
| 8/31 | READ: Chapter 1 - The Invention and Early Years of the Cinema, 1180s -1904 WATCH: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese through American Movies | The Invention of Cinema | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 9/6 |
| 9/7 | READ: Chapter 2 - The International Expansion of the Cinema, 1905 – 1912 WATCH: The Great Train Robbery and other Early Short Films | The Expansion of Cinema | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 9/13 |
| 9/14 | READ: Chapter 3 - National Cinemas, Hollywood Classicism, and World War 1, 1913 – 1919 WATCH: Broken Blossoms by DW Griffith (1919) | World War I and National Cinemas | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 9/20 |
| 9/21 | READ: Chapter 5 - Germany in the 1920s WATCH: Metropolis by Fritz Lang (1927) | German Expressionism | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 9/27 |
| 9/28 | READ: Chapter 7 - The Late Silent Era in Hollywood, 1920- 1928 WATCH: City Lights by Charlie Chaplin (1931) | The Late Silent Era | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 10/4 |
| 10/5 | READ: Chapter 9 - The Introduction of Sound WATCH: Stagecoach by John Ford (1939) | The Introduction of Sound | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 10/11 |
| 10/12 | READ: Chapter 10 - The Hollywood Studio System, 1930-1945 WATCH: Meet John Doe by Frank Capra (1941) | The Hollywood Studio System | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 10/18 |
| 10/19 | READ: Chapter 15 - American Cinema in the Postwar Era, 1945-1960 WATCH: Royal Wedding by Stanley Donen (1951) | American Postwar Cinema | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 10/25 |
| 10/26 | READ: Chapter 19 - Art Cinema and the Idea of Authorship WATCH: The Man with the Golden Arm by Otto Preminger (1955) | Art Cinema and Authorship | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 11/1 |
| 11/2 | READ: Chapter 22 – Hollywood’s Fall and Rise: 1960–1980 WATCH: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick (1968) | Hollywood’s Fall and Rise | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 11/8 |
| 11/9 | READ: Chapter 26 - Continental and Subcontinental Cinemas Since 1970 WATCH: The Cyclist by Mohsen Makhmalbaf (1987) | Continental Cinema | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 11/15 |
| 11/16 | READ: Chapter 27 - Cinema Rising: Pacific Asia and Oceania Since 1970 WATCH: Raise the Red Lantern by Zhang Yimou (1991) | Pacific Cinema | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 11/22 |
| 11/23 | READ: Chapter 28 - American Cinema and the Entertainment Economy, the 1980s and After WATCH: Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola (2003) | The Entertainment Economy | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 11/29 |
| 11/30 | READ: Chapter 29 - Toward a Global Film Culture WATCH: Moonlight by Barry Jenkins (2016) | Toward a Global Film Culture | Quiz & Discussion Post Due: Sunday 12/6 |
| 12/7 | N/A | FINALS WEEK (NO FINAL EXAM) | N/A |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.