OSHER 582 - The Greatest Movies

We have all heard certain films described as "the best" or "the greatest." But what does it mean to call a film "the greatest"? How are these judgments made? Who makes them? And do they actually matter? In this engaging six-week course, we will answer these questions and more. Through an interactive exploration of six classic movies, learn some basic film studies terminology and concepts. Acquire skills needed to examine and appreciate movies from a range of perspectives: formal, thematic, historical, generic, and authorial. Explore and discuss the history and legacy of six significant motion pictures: "Citizen Kane": The Greatest Film; "Vertigo": The (New) Greatest Film; "The Passion of Joan of Arc": The Greatest Silent Film; "Tokyo Story": The Greatest Foreign Film; "The Searchers": The Greatest Western; and (because we end close to Halloween) "The Exorcist": The Scariest Movie Ever Made.