University of Bordeaux

Between the advent of talking pictures in 1927 and the official launch of the New Hollywood in 1967, the classic Hollywood system developed and experienced a golden age, followed by a decline that was to begin in the early 1950s. This is the official story, in line with a certain reality, but one to which the work of numerous historians has added nuance and nuance. This course takes a historical approach, incorporating recent research, to revisit the Hollywood studio system, based on the power of producers and the exploitation of stars. It also studies the structuring of film production into major genres (melodrama, western, musical, biopic, war film, social film, biblical epic, film noir, etc.), which are sometimes called into question by their reception, and whose stability is open to debate. The course also looks at the history of the introduction in the early 1930s of a self-regulatory code, the famous Hays Code, whose interpretation may have changed over time, and whose influence gradually waned between 1952 and 1967. It explores the ideological tensions that divided the Hollywood community, sometimes violently and permanently: the question of American involvement in the Second World War, the inquisitorial system of the "Witch Hunt" in the context of the Cold War. The essential contribution of artists and technicians from European immigrant backgrounds is studied, including producers, directors, actors and actresses, screenwriters, cinematographers and composers. The careers of figures who forged the identity and style of classic Hollywood cinema are also explored, including: Charles Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Ernst Lubitsch, Erich Von Stroheim, Joseph Von Sternberg, Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Elia Kazan. The course also looks at the homogeneity of the classic Hollywood style described in Janet Staiger, Kristin Thompson, and David Bordwell's (also classic) THE CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD CINEMA: FILM STYLE & MODE OF PRODUCTION TO 1960. The re-evaluation of the place of female directors (Dorothy Arzner, Ida Lupino), African-American directors (Oscar Micheaux), and marginal genres (horror, animation) in the Hollywood canon provides food for thought on the homogeneity of Hollywood style and the centrality of a hegemonic definition.

This course offers a study of American literature through a selection of short stories related to major American cultural themes. Students acquire analytical, reading, and argumentative tools for written and oral expression, and learn the methods of literary criticism. 

This course on the British 19th century focuses on London and beyond. London is the neuralgic center of 19th-century England, and a key subject of study for Anglicists - making it an ideal location for a multidisciplinary, civilizational, artistic, historical, and literary approach. Complementary insights highlight the specificity of the capital in the 19th century. But London is also an invitation to travel, both spatially (the foreigners who visit London, but also, conversely, the Empire/Commonwealth elsewhere, and the orientalism they generate) and temporally: today, London is a figure, it lends itself to all the "neo" crazes, and Victorian London seems resolutely modern.

This course provides a better understanding of France, its population, their characteristics, and the country’s political life. The curriculum focuses on current French society and its evolution in relation to the weight of history, its territorial dynamics, and cultural and political ideals.

In order to approach the Feminine/Masculine dichotomy or its complementarity, it is worth taking a diachronic approach that embraces different literary genres and philosophical arguments. From the earliest texts of Antiquity to contemporary novels, it's important to note the clichés and canons of the two genres in order to better reopen representations of binarity. Starting with Plato's myth of the androgyne, which proposes the invention of the sexes, the course works on the definitions of masculine and feminine, as well as their relationships. It then studies extracts from medieval literature to analyze the implementation of a codified image of masculine behavior and feminine posture. This highlights works less frequently found in school anthologies, and discovers original voices that sing of the links between men and women. The Renaissance period is explored through a painting by a man depicting a woman: starting from this banal subject, it sees the stakes, both poetic and aesthetic, in the figuration of the symbols chosen. Crossing the Grand siècle, with its coquettes, inconstants and honest men, the course moves on to the Age of Enlightenment, where the question of gender becomes pressing, with the proposals of Poulain de la Barre, for example. The poetics of uncertain or metamorphosed genders is explored using texts from the 19th and 20th centuries: the castrato, the hermaphrodite, and transvestites are studied. The course looks at new ways of referring to these figures as they find their representation in literature. Intersexuality will thus be examined in the light of works chosen for their literary interest and the philosophical reflection they generate. Finally, it takes a closer look at representations of male and female bodies in contemporary literature, focusing on the poetics of weakness, injury and ageing, with particular reference to the motif of the gaze of a third party and that of the mirror to which one speaks of one's own body.

This course improves conversational French at some of the highest levels of French grammar, such as the subjective, conditional, and simple forms. Grammar worksheets, in-class videos, debates, and class discussions are used to improve oral and reading comprehension to reach proficiency goals and prepare for language competency certification at the B2/C1 level. Emphasis is placed on the field and vocabulary of the Sciences.

This course enriches students' culture by deconstructing many prejudices about a film genre that is often caricatured. It also provides a parallel view of the evolution of a young nation, and the main problems linked to its expansion. Working with films and documents emphasizes the importance of speaking out and constructing an argumentative discourse. Students also work on their writing skills through research projects.

This course trains students to identify and contextualize diverse cultural and artistic productions (focusing on photography) in relation to genres and major literary trends, from both a historical and comparative perspective (situate them on the scale of France, Europe, and the world).

The course covers a wide range of themes representative of contemporary issues in development economics. It considers what are the developing worlds and what are the major development strategies. It also covers development policies: the roles of the market, the state and civil society; agricultural transformation and specific problems in rural areas; population growth and development; work and informality; urbanization: dynamics, issues, problems; environment and development; poverty and inequality; human capital, human development and growth; development aid; natural resources; violence and crime: dynamics, issues, and explanatory models; democracy and development.

This course is dedicated to eloquence in French as a foreign language. It gives students the keys to speaking with ease, convincing and captivating their audience. The course works on the fluency, clarity, and impact of speeches, using documents from French culture in an intercultural perspective. Listening to and understanding others enables everyone to progress and "carry your voice," as Stéphane de Freitas puts it. The main activities include: vocal and body warm-up: work on breathing, posture, self-confidence, sound-based games; spontaneous expression games: exercises to free speech and enrich vocabulary; active listening and critical thinking skills; practice in prepared speeches: learn to structure, argue, work on tone and emotional management, appropriate oratory techniques and classic French rhetoric. This course offers a comprehensive approach to improving speaking skills and mastering eloquence by blending oratory techniques, practical exercises and creativity. Qualified guest speakers will enhance the practical aspects of the course.