The course will be built around a series of six two week class units. In the first class of each unit students will view a film after which, with the film still fresh in mind, they will have a first discussion of the film and issues it raises. For the next class students will watch a second film on the same topic from a short list supplied, read contemporary reviews for both films, read assigned monographs or articles related to the historical period or subject matter of the films and prepare a short critique based on the films and readings. The second class in each unit will then review the critiques and discuss the films in light of insight afforded by historians or other scholars. Students will also prepare a course paper.