Description

From the skyline of Manhattan to the sprawl of Los Angeles and the psychedelic architectural hallucination that appears on maps as Las Vegas, American cities have symbolized hopes, dreams, and a host of American ideals (diversity, social mobility, equality of opportunity, etc.). More than urban areas, they are narrative constructions – stories waiting to be told. As such, they have inspired American directors who made them the main characters in numerous movies (think of David Lynch’s Los Angeles, for example). This class examines the reality of cities in the United States and their symbolic meaning as portrayed in American cinema. It will include topics such as the symbolic opposition between city and country, ethnic neighborhoods, car culture and the development of suburbia, as well as the local character of cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New Orleans or Detroit.