The history of Irish cinema provides privileged access to an analysis of some of the major myths of Irish cultural identity as undercurrents of what might be called fault lines, basic tensions and divisions in Irish history, society, and culture. It will be interesting to see how the variety of different perspectives (especially those that suggest modernisation and globalisation) run counter to the stereotypes of a Catholic Gaelic Rural Ireland which dominated the country's (self-)image for the better part of the 20th century. The stereotypes of an Irish Ireland and a Gaelic way of life (together with those of the Stage Irishman and the Returned Yank) were, for example, taken up by, and reinforced in, John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). In recent years the process of the 'demythologisation of the West' has been carried on in the work of Neil Jordan. Jordan's films can be seen as an interesting sidelight on the origins of the 'Troubles' and as an exploration of one of the perennial themes of Irish history: violence and the romanticising of violence.
After a brief introduction to the history of Irish film/cinema I propose the following films (as well as the related literary source texts) for close scrutiny:
The Informer (1935; dir. John Ford; based on a novel by Liam O'Flaherty)
The Quiet Man (1952; dir. John Ford; based on a short story by Maurice Walsh)
The Dead (1987; dir. John Huston; based on a short story by James Joyce)
The Field (1990; dir. Jim Sheridan; based on a play by John Keane)
The Crying Game (1992; dir. Neil Jordan; original filmscript)
Required reading:
A private anthology especially designed for this course will be available in Room Rh 39/213 (Mrs. Podsiadly) from 15 February onwards. In order to facilitate the distribution of such material, students are asked to register for this seminar as soon as possible.
A 17-page article discussing "The Politics of Place, Space and Landscape" in Irish Photography (subtitle). Interesting as also relevant for some of the directors dealt with in the course.
A 13-page article on some recent developments in Ireland, especially the entwining of tourism and the media and the changing approach to Irish history.
Irish Cinema Classics
