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School of History

HST5608 - London on Film: Representing the City in British and American Cinema

The changing face of London through film history.

Module code: HST5608

Credits: 15

Module Convenor: Dr Mark Glancy

This module examines the representation of London in films made from the 1920s to the present. It explores the social and cultural forces that have given rise to changing views of the city over time, as well as the diversity of ‘Londons’ that may arise within a single time period. Through analysis of a wide range of films, the module investigates how the city has been imagined, and what meanings it has embodied, in a wide variety of genres and time periods. Students develop skills necessary to deconstruct, decode, and interpret filmic imagery, sound, dialogue, and story, and demonstrate how their knowledge and understanding of London’s history in the twentieth century can be applied to film analysis with reference to both textual and contextual factors.

Assessment: Source Analysis 1 10%, Source Analysis 2 20%, Essay 70%
Level: 5

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