The course will survey the history of American film from the birth of film in the 1890s to the present and will look at film genres, like the war film, history film, comedies, crime films, etc. The course covers both the history of film and how film portrays historical issues and events. We will focus on American film, but we will use a few examples of foreign films that clarify how film portrays history or are essential to understand the development of American film. This course will explore how films portray historical, political, social, and cultural issues and view film from the disciplines of history, political science, and film studies.