FREN 4410 Reading the screen: French Cinema in Dialogue with Literature

Conducted in French. Fulfills one of the 4000-level (advanced course) requirements for the French major or minor. This course explores the rich relationship between French literature and cinema through literary texts and their cinematic adaptations, as well as through films in which books, reading, and literary language play a central role. Short stories, a novel, and selected excerpts by authors including Flaubert, Maupassant, Balzac, Pascal, and Duras will be read alongside films by major French directors such as Renoir, Ophuls, Truffaut, Chabrol, Rohmer, and Resnais. Through close reading and comparison of texts and films, we will examine how literary and cinematic forms intersect, echo, and transform one another, and how the movement between page and screen opens new ways of reading and seeing.

Course overview

Department
French
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Both
Offered
Periodically

Catalog details

Prerequisites
Conducted in French. Must have taken two courses from the following: FREN3303, FREN3305, FREN3306, FREN3307, FREN3308, FREN3309 or with instructor permission.

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

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

Data freshness

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

Instructors

Sections

  • Section 01
    Spring 2027 · Larysa Smirnova-Elentuck · Stokes Hall 286S M 03:00PM-05:20PM · Offered