FILM 3391 Film Genres

Name: Film Genres
Rating: 4.41 (47 reviews)

This course will provide a critical method of analyzing the film genres that were characteristic of the American film from the introduction of sound in the 1920s. It will include such topics as the Screwball Comedy, the Western, the Musical, the Gangster Film, the Film Noir, and the Horror Film.

Course overview

Department: Film
School: MCAS
Credits: 3
Level: Undergraduate
Offered: Every Fall

Requirements fulfilled

Film Studies: Two film history courses and six electives (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating: 4.41 / 5 · Very Good
47 responses
Instructor rating: 4.41 / 5 · Very Good
47 responses
Terms evaluated: 2
Most recent: Fall 2024

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
Term	Instructor	Course overall	Instructor overall	Well organized	Clear learning objectives	Intellectually challenging	Helpful assignments	Applicable beyond course	Attendance necessary	Weekly effort	Responses
Fall 2024	Joseph La Rocca	4.3	4.3	4.5	4.5	4.0	4.4	4.3	4.3	1–3 hrs/week	16 of 21
Fall 2022	Joseph La Rocca	4.5	4.5	4.6	4.5	3.8	4.6	4.5	4.7	1–3 hrs/week	31 of 36

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

Joseph La Rocca
Fall 2026, Fall 2024, Fall 2022 · Official rating 4.41/5

Sections

Section 01
Fall 2026 · Joseph La Rocca · Devlin Hall 26 F 02:00PM-05:00PM · Offered