This module aims to foster a sense of the historical development of the US cinema from its origins in the late nineteenth century through to the 1970s. We will consider Hollywood, independent, and avant-garde filmmaking. Students will introduced to a number of different concepts, including genre, narrative, mise-en-scène, performance/stardom, cinematography, editing, sound, and censorship. Attention will be drawn to how issues relating to race, gender and social class, give shape to the US cinema. The module seeks to cultivate analytical thinking and ethical and political awareness and the ability to communicate at a high level in written and spoken form.