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CRJ 492/592
Crime and Film
Summer Session Two 2005

Instructor:         Bobby Moore, Ph.D.
Office Phone:    (662) 846-4073
E-mail:              bemoore@deltastate.edu
Office Hours:    Available by appointment
Class Time:       M-F 9:50 – 12:00
Webpage:         http://ntweb.deltastate.edu/vp_academic/Bmoore 

Textbook:         There is no required textbook for this course.  However, there will be a number of outside readings and assignments required for the course.

Course Goals and Objectives:

It is the goal of this course to introduce the student to the various mythologies and stereotypes about criminal justice that is portrayed in film and television.  Students will learn to critically evaluate the content of several “Hollywood Blockbusters” and regular crime television programs in order to determine what concepts are conveyed to the general public on a weekly or nightly basis.  The origins of ideas discussed in these films will be addressed as a means of allowing students to fully appreciate how movies and television are based loosely upon precepts but then modified for mass-market commercial appeal.

 

Classroom Attendance:
This course is being offered summer session one, and therefore the materials will be presented in a compressed format.  To ensure that students understand the concepts discussed, it will be necessary for the student to be in class.  There is no textbook, so all exams will come from the lectures and videos.  Students who are not in class cannot expect to successfully complete the course.  After a student misses two days, the third missed class will result in a reduction of one letter grade for the student.  Missing a fourth class will result in a grade of “F” for the course.  

 

Grading:

Each student’s final grade will be composed of the following components: 

            EXAMS:
There will be 2 exams given throughout the semester; 1 exam at the midpoint of the summer term and a    final exam to be administered during the week of final exams.  The exams will consist of a series of short answer and essay questions.  For undergraduate students the examinations will account for 40% of their final grade.  For graduate students the examinations will account for 30% of their final grade.

FINAL PRESENTATION:

Each student will select a film and perform a critical analysis of the film.  This critical analysis will then be presented to the rest of the class.  Films that are viewed in class may not be used by a student for their presentation.  For students these analyses will account for 40% of their final grade. 

            Undergraduate Requirements:

Any film related to crime and/or justice may be selected.  Presentation and critical analysis must be ten to fifteen minutes (including time for questions from fellow classmates).

Graduate Requirements:

Any film related to crime and/or justice may be selected.  Presentation and critical analysis must be fifteen to twenty minutes (including time for questions from fellow classmates).  Graduate analysis should include information not just on the content of the film but also on the historical aspects of the film (i.e. why was the film made, what were the director/writer’s intentions with the film, etc.).

           

            ESSAYS:

During the course of the semester each student will prepare a series of short essays concerning the materials discussed in class.  These essays should consist of thoughts or impressions by the student during the viewing of a film or a classroom discussion, as well as an analysis of each topic.  For undergraduates, these essays will account for 20% of their final grade.  For graduate students, these essays will account for 30% of their final grade.  There is no minimum or maximum page limit but the grades will be based upon how much effort and thought is put into each essay.

 

Class Participation:

Each student will be expected to participate in class discussions.  In order for the student to participate, it is imperative that the student read the assigned materials and come to class prepared to talk about the materials. 

GRADING SCALE:

A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%
D = 60% - 69%
F = Under 60%

Students with Disabilities:

If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. 

Tentative Outline
Summer 2005

Week One:
           
Friday July 1, 2005 – Orientation; Introduction to Professor
            Tuesday July 5, 2005 – Reality versus Myth: The Media and Film
            Wednesday July 6, 2005 – Reality versus Myth: The Media and Film
            Thursday July 7, 2005 – Justice and the Glorification of Bandits
            Friday July 8, 2005 – Justice and the Glorification of Bandits – Godfather

Week Two:
           
Monday July 11, 2005 – Justice and the Glorification of Bandits – Godfather
            Tuesday July 12, 2005 – Criminological Theory and Film
            Wednesday July 13, 2005 – Criminological Theory and Film – Dead Presidents
            Thursday July 14, 2005 – No Class; Research Day for Final Presentation
            Friday July 15, 2005 – Examination One

Week Three:
Monday July 18, 2005 – Hollywood Depictions of Law Enforcement – The Comedic Era through the          Modern Era
Tuesday July 19, 2005 – Hollywood Depictions of Law Enforcement – The Comedic Era – Police Academy
Wednesday July 20, 2005 – Hollywood Depictions of Law Enforcement – Training Day
Thursday July 21, 2005 – No Class; Prepare for Final Presentation
Friday July 22, 2005 – No Class; Prepare for Final Presentation

 Week Four:
Monday July 25, 2005 – Serial Killers and the Depiction of Federal Law Enforcement
Tuesday July 26, 2005 – Serial Killers and the Depiction of Federal Law Enforcement – Silence of the Lambs
Wednesday July 27, 2005 – Films on Prisons and the Death Penalty
Thursday July 28, 2005 – Films on Prisons and the Death Penalty – Dead Man Walking
Friday July 29, 2005 – Court Room Justice

Week Five:
           
Monday August 1, 2005 – Court Room Justice – A Time to Kill
            Tuesday August 2, 2005 – Final Presentations - Undergraduates
            Wednesday August 3, 2005 – Final Presentation - Graduates
            Thursday August 4, 2005 – Final Examination