FILM/GLST215 TAMU 2025

Polycentric

The existence of multiple centers of cinematic power and influence (e.g., Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood).

Polymorphic

Multiple paradigms for grouping cinema, such as national, regional, linguistic, or LGBTQ+.

Polyvalent

Films take on different meanings depending on where and by whom they are viewed.

Global Cinema

An approach to studying film that focuses on relations, circulation, and global processes rather than only national contexts.

Periodization

Dividing history into discrete blocks to analyze cinema within economic, political, or cultural shifts.

Neoliberalism

Economic policies emphasizing privatization and deregulation; affected global film industries post-1980s.

Globalization

Uneven global flows of influence; cinemas are interconnected rather than isolated.

Imagined Communities

Benedict Anderson's idea that nations are imagined, limited, and sovereign, reproduced through media like cinema.

National Cinema

A paradigm focusing on films' textual features and industrial contexts within a single nation.

Italian Neorealism

A postwar film style characterized by non-professional actors, on-location shooting, natural light, and documentary-style realism.

Bicycle Thieves

1948 film by Vittorio De Sica; an example of Italian Neorealism depicting postwar poverty.

Marshall Plan

US aid program (1947-52) that rebuilt Europe and expanded Hollywood's global influence.

Telefono Bianchi

Italian Fascist-era "White Telephone" melodramas, imitating Hollywood comedies and avoiding politics.

Cinecittà

Italian film studio built under Mussolini to support propaganda and the national film industry.

Soviet Montage

Film theory where meaning arises from juxtaposition of shots; associated with Sergei Eisenstein.

Kuleshov Effect

The audience infers meaning from the relationship of one shot to the next, not from the shots alone.

Dialectics

The idea that contradictions in editing create new meaning; central to Eisenstein's montage theory.

Agitprop

Propaganda films and art designed to mobilize the masses politically.

Battleship Potemkin

1928 film by Eisenstein; a Soviet Montage classic, known for the Odessa Steps sequence.

Constructivism

Art movement emphasizing creating symbols of a new world through abstract construction.

French New Wave

A movement breaking continuity rules; used jump cuts, handheld cameras, and encouraged active spectatorship.

Breathless

1957 film by Jean-Luc Godard; French New Wave example of global viewing practices.

Global Viewing Practices

Recognition that audiences worldwide watch films differently, decentering Hollywood norms.

Film Festivals

Global distribution hubs; "Big Five" (Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Sundance) dominate international circulation.

Programmers

Festival gatekeepers who decide which films get exposure, canonization, and discovery.

Festival Film

A genre of global art cinema with slow pacing, long takes, Tarkovskian imagery, and dissident themes.

Iranian Cinema

Brought to global prominence through festivals; films shaped to balance local themes with global appeal.

A Separation

2011 film by Asghar Farhadi; gained international acclaim via the festival circuit.

Bollywood

India's large film industry known for song-dance, melodrama, spectacle, and hybrid storytelling.

Om Shanti Om

2007 Bollywood film by Farah Khan; reflects hybridity of national and global influences.

Small Cinemas

Cinemas from smaller nations or marginalized contexts; often peripheral, struggle with invisibility or stereotypes.

Hjort's Four Measures

Population, geography, GDP, colonial history; used to define "small cinemas."

World Literature Analogy

Trees = national literature (rooted, local); Waves = world literature (fluid, global flows).

World Music Analogy

Marketing category shaped for Western consumers; used as a comparison for world cinema.

Multiplexes

Movie theaters concentrated in city centers; emerged in response to declining attendance.

Nickelodeon Boom

Early 20th century rise of nickelodeons; made movies accessible but linked with crime/vice.

Andre Bazin on Neorealism

Italian Neorealism documents real events, capturing actuality rather than abstract settings.

Imagined Community (Film Role)

Cinema reproduces the sense of belonging and shared identity of a nation.

Festival Hierarchy

Global North festivals dominate recognition; filmmakers must often appeal to Western tastes.

Colonial Legacies

Film festivals and industries shaped by histories of colonial domination and uneven cultural flows.

Neorealism vs Montage

Neorealism: documentary realism, working-class focus. Montage: editing to construct meaning through conflict.

Which of Hjort's four measures is NOT used to define small cinemas? (A) Population (B) Geography (C) GDP (D) International awards won

D) International awards won

Which feature belongs to Soviet Montage rather than Italian Neorealism? (A) Non-professional actors (B) Natural light (C) Dialectical editing (D) On-location shooting

C) Dialectical editing

What best describes world music in the context of world cinema? (A) A marketing category shaped to Western tastes (B) A universal style (C) A historical movement (D) A national paradigm

A) A marketing category shaped to Western tastes

Which statement about national cinema is FALSE? (A) National cinema usually privileges mass film production (B) National cinema often emphasizes art cinema (C) It focuses on textual and industrial contexts (D) It reflects national identity

A) National cinema usually privileges mass film production

What was a main influence of the Nickelodeon boom? (A) Reduced accessibility (B) Association with crime and vice (C) Technological innovation (D) Global streaming

B) Association with crime and vice

What do "trees" and "waves" symbolize in the world literature analogy?

Trees = national, rooted; Waves = global, fluid flows

What characterizes festival films?

Slow pacing, Tarkovskian imagery, dissident themes, long takes

Which of the following is an example of a polycentric center? (A) Hollywood (B) Bollywood (C) Nollywood (D) All of the above

D) All of the above

What aesthetic feature is typical of French New Wave cinema?

Jump cuts, handheld camera, breaks from continuity editing

What best explains polyvalence in cinema?

Films have different meanings across audiences and regions

Define and explain polycentric, polymorphic, and polyvalent. Provide examples.

Polycentric: multiple centers (Hollywood, Bollywood). Polymorphic: multiple paradigms (national, regional, LGBTQ+). Polyvalent: meanings shift by audience/context.

Compare Italian Neorealism and Soviet Montage in aesthetics and political goals.

Neorealism = realism, on-location, working-class life; Montage = constructed meaning via editing, revolutionary politics.

Explain the concept of "imagined community" and how cinema reproduces it.

Nations are imagined, limited, sovereign; cinema fosters shared identity and belonging.

What role do festivals play in shaping world cinema?

Festivals act as gatekeepers, shape taste, give visibility to films (e.g., Iranian cinema).

Contrast national cinema vs world cinema frameworks.

National focuses on textual/industrial in one nation; world cinema maps relations and circulation globally.

Describe the aesthetic features of Italian Neorealism.

Non-professional actors, natural light, on-location shooting, documentary realism, loose narratives.

Describe the key stylistic elements of Soviet Montage.

Juxtaposition, Kuleshov Effect, dialectical editing, revolutionary aesthetics.

How did the Marshall Plan influence cinema?

US aid rebuilt Europe and opened markets for Hollywood films.

What are Hjort's four measures for identifying small cinemas?

Population, geography, GDP, colonial history.

How does A Separation reflect festival dynamics?

International recognition via festival circuit; shaped to appeal globally.

How does Om Shanti Om reflect Bollywood hybridity?

Blends national identity with globalized production and aesthetics.

According to Deshpande & Mazaj, what defines the contemporary moment in world cinema?

Tectonic changes: neoliberalism, new technologies, new geopolitical dynamics.

What are the three levels of analyzing world cinema?

Polycentric, polymorphic, polyvalent.

What is global cinema NOT about?

Not ranking countries, not Rotten Tomatoes scoring, not sweeping cultural judgments.

What did Benedict Anderson mean by nations as "imagined communities"?

They are imagined, limited, sovereign, and communal.

What were Italian "Telefoni Bianchi" films?

Fascist-era melodramas imitating Hollywood, focused on wealthy elites, avoiding politics.

How did Italian Neorealism contrast with Fascist cinema?

Used non-professional actors, real locations, documentary realism instead of spectacle.

Who described Italian Neorealism as "reconstituted reportage"?

Andre Bazin.

What were the February and October Revolutions of 1917?

Feb: Tsar overthrown; Oct: Bolsheviks seized power.

What was War Communism?

Nationalization of industries, rationing, strict labor control in early Soviet Union.

What was the New Economic Policy (NEP)?

1921-24 Soviet policy mixing state control with limited free market; boosted film production.

What did Lenin say about cinema?

"Of all the arts, for us, cinema is the most important."

What is Constructivism in art?

Art should construct symbols of a new world, not imitate existing forms.

What publication and group influenced French New Wave directors?

Cahiers du cinéma, critic-turned-directors.

What distinguishes A vs B film festivals?

A festivals = prestigious, global visibility; B festivals = niche, regional or specialized.

What stylistic elements define festival films (Quandt)?

Adagio rhythm, long takes, Tarkovskian imagery, reticent tone, solo figures walking.

What is the "national burden" in festivals?

Films are expected to represent their country's identity or politics.

What formula helps films succeed in global festivals?

Local flavor + universal appeal + international style.

How does Bollywood appeal globally?

Song-dance spectacle, melodrama, transnational narratives, diaspora audiences.