CS5300 SCIENCE FICTION FILM

This course will provide an overview of the genre along the two paths - Diachronic approach and Synchronic approach. The first half of the semester will be devoted to the former while the second will be dedicated to the latter. During the second half we will touch on five issues (feminism, postmodernity, virtual reality, body, and artificial intelligence) that have repeatedly but variably appeared in many science fiction films from the genre's very beginnings to the present day. From Metropolis, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Alien to Back To The Future and Ex Machina, this course will screen a diverse set of films followed by in-depth analysis and intensive discussions which foster the critical thinking for assessing and advancing arguments about the subject. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to situate science fiction films in relation to their generic and historical lineage and to critically analyse them in terms of their cultural resonance and their aesthetic properties.