MDIA 310 Espionage in Film
The narrative of the spy thriller is one of the most enduring themes in the history of cinema. From "The Third Man" to "The Americans" and the many adaptations of John Le Carre's novels ("Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy"; "Our Man in Panama", "A Man Most Wanted"), this course will survey a range of spy films from the post-WWII era to the present. We will explore each through a critical-analytical framework that employs the methodologies of film criticism and the universal precepts of the "craft of intelligence." In so doing, we will move our lens beyond the hyper-technological hijinks and explosions that define so much of the contemporary genre back to intricacies of the singular character of the spy. From our focus on this all-important human dimension of espionage, we will explore what makes a good spy film and why.