• Inactive for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Professor Sabrina Qiong Yu
• Lecturer: Dr Andrew Shail

• Owning School: Modern Languages
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

To introduce detailed knowledge of star systems and the star phenomenon from early cinema to contemporary cinema.
To foster an awareness of the way in which star discourse is closely related to different social, historical and cultural contexts by discussing stars and stardom within various national cinemas.
To develop advanced analytical skills and to engage critically with key theoretical concepts and important debates in star studies.


Emphasizing stars as a phenomenon of production and consumption as well as a cultural and ideological construction, this module discusses the emergence and contemporary development of the star system, and examines stars and star images in relation to performance, genre, gender, sexuality, audience and industry. The module also studies stardom in different national cinemas (e.g. French cinema, Chinese cinema and British cinema) to highlight the cultural specificity of star discourse and to explore a series of important issues in star studies such as national/transnational and cultural identity. The stars discussed in the module may include Marilyn Monroe, Arnold Schwarzeneger, Kate Winslet, Brigitte Bardot, Gerard Depardieu, Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, Julie Christie, Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi.

Outline Of Syllabus

All sessions will be a mix of lecture and group discussion. Each week there will be set readings and film screenings to prepare students for the session and students will be expected to participate fully in class discussion.

Week 1 Introduction to star studies
Week 2 Emergence of star system in America
Week 3 Hollywood stardom
Week 4-5 Case Study: star and performance or star and genre
Week 6-8 Chinese stars and stardom
Week 9-11 French stars and star system

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures will allow definition of the scope of the syllabus, an introduction to a body of knowledge, and modelling of the level of analysis required. Group discussion will give student an opportunity of researching a topic, of trying out knowledge and understanding, and of asking questions, and of presenting material orally in a semi-formal way. Students will be expected to watch the set films beforehand as each session will assume knowledge of these.
This module is taught and assessed in ENGLISH.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students will have the option of completing a formative assessment, which will be marked and returned with feedback. This will take the form of a structured essay plan (max 1000 words), which should include an introduction, a structure plan, and a conclusion, to be submitted by arrangement with the module leader.

Written work will allow students to demonstrate higher intellectual skills of understanding, analysis and evaluation. The essay will also allow the evaluation of the development of the following cognitive and key skills: independent research, bibliographical work, planning and organizing, work-processing, footnoting and referencing.

Reading Lists

• FMS8355's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• FMS8355's Timetable