Videographic Criticism
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Introduction: Videographic Criticism
As a scholar of film, one can sometimes struggle with writing about film, as one never quite captures on paper what is seen on the screen. One way to overcome this problem is to find new ways to engage with films academically, for example by using film’s own language: sound and images.
The seven video essays in this section stem from a class on “Videographic Criticism,” taught by Kathleen Loock in the summer term 2022.
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Sofie Hilbrands: Bringing Across Emotions in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This video essay discusses how storytelling in film differs from storytelling in book and highlights how The Prisoner of Azkaban translates emotions from book to screen through cinematic devices.
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Can Ulucan: The Martian and the Colonial Frame of Mind
The scene in The Martian (Ridley Scott, 2015), in which Dr. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) says, “... so technically, I colonized Mars,” is a clear example of the colonial frame of mind Can Ulucan’s video essay explores.
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Alissa Lienhard: Blade Runner 2049 as Slow Science Fiction
Alissa Lienhard’s video essay views Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villeneuve, 2017) as a work of ‘slow science fiction’ and investigates the interplay of contemplation, dramatic tension, and slow action sequences in the film.
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Sanne Brands: The Male Gaze: A Look at Scarlett Johansson in The Island
Sanne Brands’s video essay examines the “to-be-looked-at-ness” of Scarlett Johansson’s character Jordan Two Delta in the science fiction film The Island (Michael Bay, 2005).
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Alexandra Groapa: The Parody of Austenland
This video essay by Alexandra Groapa examines how Austenland (Jerusha Hess, 2013) parodies Jane Austen adaptations.
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Sophia Trayser: Jane Austen in Film
Jane Austen is an indispensable part of both the literary canon and pop culture. Where does our fascination with Austen’s plots come from? What elements explain Austen’s enduring appeal? Sophia Trayser explores these questions in her video essay.
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Setareh Ghasemireza: Music as a Dialogue: A Video Essay
In her video essay on the animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), Setareh Ghasemireza explores the role of Hans Zimmer’s music.
The Booker Prize: Reading New Literary Publications
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Introduction: Book Reviews
Books are at the center of our studies. We read them, we analyze them, and some even write them. But what tells you that a book is a good book? You are right, literary prizes. At least according to the organizations who award them.
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Kerem Ak: Bewilderment by Richard Powers
A science fiction novel that tells the story of an astrobiologist father and his neurodivergent son and cunningly unveils wrongdoings of mankind in nature.
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Carolin Wachsmann: No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood – Tragedy in the Time of Social Media
From chronically online to a baby born with “Elephant Man” syndrome – a woman’s life is turned upside down as she has to reconsider her priorities in life.
