In this course we will attend to representations of law in 20th century American film – particularly Westerns, gangster films, and courtroom dramas. The themes we will address include: the asymmetry of law and justice, the relationship between law and social change, the public and private identities of lawyers, anxiety that the rule of law fails individuals and minorities, and the disciplinary modes of both law and culture. We will also attend to the convergence of narrative, visual, aural, and dramatic practices in legal proceedings and cinematic productions.
Special instructions: Course requirements include class attendance and participation, three short response papers, and two 10-12 page papers. For Research "R" credit, students may petition to complete one long paper based on independent research.