Cinematic Moments That Impacted American History: A Two Part Course with Marc Lapadula
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Led by Yale Film Professor Marc Lapadula, this two-part course will discuss several movies (with accompanying film clips) that, for better or worse, made their indelible mark on the American history books.
Interested in learning more about Cinematic history with Professor Lapadula? Check out his upcoming seminars and courses here!
- The Jazz Singer
- I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
- The Graduate
Lecture Two: Screenings will include films such as:
- Jaws
- Easy Rider
- The China Syndrome
Marc Lapadula is a Senior Lecturer in The Film and Media Studies Program at Yale University. He is a playwright, screenwriter, and award-winning film producer. In addition to Yale, Marc has taught at Columbia University's Graduate Film School, created the screenwriting programs at both The University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins where he won Outstanding Teaching awards and has lectured on film, playwriting and conducted highly-acclaimed screenwriting seminars all across America, as well as Canada and Mexico, at notable venues like The National Press Club, The Smithsonian Institution, The Guthrie Theater, The Commonwealth Club, The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Toronto Jewish Film Festival, The Brookings Institute for Johns Hopkins University and The New York Historical Society, to name only a few.
How does it work?
This is a two-part series held weekly and hosted on Zoom. Please check the schedule for the specific dates and times for each lecture.
Though the course is open to participants with no background on the topic, there are suggested readings for further investigation. You will receive this at the course's conclusion.
Each lecture is 90 minutes long with time for Q&A.
The course is $70 for two lectures.
Yes, a recording will be emailed within 24 hours of the conclusion of each session. It will be available to re-watch for seven days thereafter.
Not suitable for children under age 13 (sensitive content).
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Once again, fabulous presentation showing the juxtaposition of history and the movies. I came away with a much better appreciation of some movies I know well.
Very interesting lecture on US History and the Cinema. Professor Lapadula showed the cross effects of how historical events changed the Cinema and how the Cinema effected social and cultural changes in America. He selected classic scenes and explained the the motivation of the actor, director or screenwriter and then showed how the American public reacted to that stimulus. Very complete and informative.
Professor Lapadula’s two-part class “Cinematic Moments That Impacted American History” highlighted the influence of American cinema on American society from the early 20th century when talkies, films with audible dialogue, first appeared until the late 1970s. The development of movies was vividly depicted as both a new genre of performing art and a novel social phenomenon, with the background of this tumultuous epoch in U.S. history.
The presentation, accompanied by many famous movie clips, discussed the interactions between the film industry and the dominant social environment. Marc introduced all aspects of the movie-making process at different periods, including script, performance, music, and camera work, emphasizing their distinguishing characteristics in a particular time. Rich in anecdotes and quotations, this lesson's educational value and entertaining effects are beyond appreciated.
This two part course explores key moments of American film history over the course of nearly a century. The course provides a perspective of both the socio-political history surrounding the various films as well as the innovative nature of certain films that transformed the film industry.
Marc is able to make us notice much more than I ever knew about movies we have seen. Putting them in context with the history of the time and seeing them as more than entertainment.