Transfers ToUC and CSUCal-GETC Area 3A · IGETC Area 3A · CSU GE Area C1DescriptionWhat makes film a unique art form? How does film influence and shape our culture? Why is representation important for diverse communities? How do fans impact the ways films get made and understood? These are some of the central questions of Film Criticism, which refers to the serious and detailed analysis of film. This class will introduce students to diverse critical approaches, including a focus on auteurs, genre, realism, structuralism, feminism, and fan reception. Unlike popular reviews in newspapers and blogs, these approaches are often less concerned with value judgment, encouraging us to understand cinema and its meaning in the context of the social and cultural environment of the time. This course recognizes the emotional and psychological impact that films can have on their audiences as well as the collaborative nature and the community-building potential of the medium. 