History of Afterlife (2022 Boccaccini), course

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History of the Afterlife is a course offered by Prof. Gabriele Boccaccini at the University of Michigan in the Fall 2022.

Textbook

  • Bart Ehrman, Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife (2020)

Office Hours

  • Tue-Thu 4:30-5:20 (before classes; 4145 Thayer) or after class.

Syllabus

1. Tue Ago 30, 2022

Introduction. Presentation of the course. From Polytheism to Monotheism. Reflections on Evil and the Destiny of the Individual after Death in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other religious traditions.

Part I - The Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead

Textbook: Ehrman, chs. 1-7

1. Thu Sep 1, 2022 -- Death as Passage to the Other Side (Sheol, Hades): Fulfillment of Life or Absence of Life? Visiting the Dead (journeys to the otherworld).

2. Tue Sep 6, 2022 -- The Dead and the living. The Dead among us (Ghosts). The funeral rituals needed for the dead to "rest in peace". Summoning the Dead (Mediumship, necromancy). In Judaism and in the Mediterranean World.

3. Thu Sep 8, 2022 -- What if something went wrong? The Afterlife as Remedy and Restoration (The Enoch Tradition), The first notion of Hell (Gehenna as a place of punishment for the Fallen Angels). The Ghosts as evil spirits.

4. Tue Sep 13, 2022 -- The Maccabean Revolt and the Problem of Martyrdom: Covenant and Resurrection from the Dead (2 Maccabees)

5. Thu Sep 15, 2022 -- The Book of Daniel: The Last Judgment as Time of Reward and Revenge

6. Tue Sep 20, 2022 -- The Legacy of the Sheol in Literature and the Arts: Mediumship and Ghost Stories.

Students' reports (6 meetings: Thu Sep 22; Tue Sep 27; Thu Sep 29; Tue Oct 4; Thu Oct 6; Tue Oct 11)

Ghost Movies (oral presentation and midterm paper)

  1. The Phantom Carriage (McDonald)
  2. The Ghost Goes West [or Topper] (Lancaster)
  3. The Uninvited (Buyers)
  4. Dead of Night (Ordonez)
  5. Blithe Spirit [1945] (Kornfeld)
  6. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Schuchard)
  7. Portrait of Jennie (Canty)
  8. The Innocents (Patel)
  9. The Haunting (Sbisa)
  10. Kwaidan (Goodman)
  11. Seance on a Wet Afternoon (Bickers)
  12. The Fog (Hoffman)
  13. The Changeling (Petersen)
  14. The Shining (Cho)
  15. Ghost Story (Brennan)
  16. Poltergeist (Haire)
  17. Ghostbusters (Canning)
  18. Ghost (Novy)
  19. Heart and Souls (Seck)
  20. Casper (Margolis)
  21. The Devil’s Backbone (Hamill)
  22. A Tale of Two Sisters (Yu)
  23. The Orphanage (Moon)
  24. Ghost Town (Issacof)
  25. Charlie St. Cloud (Waldman)

ORAL Presentations - Each student has 10m to individually present the plot of the assigned movie (PowerPoint, clips, etc.), followed by a 20m panel discussion of the group about the similarities and differences among the presented movies, with a critical discussions of their major features and a critical comparison between them. Some research must be done about the filmmakers and the playwright, the reception of the movie, the literary sources of the script, etc. (Wikipedia and the International Movie Database should be only the starting point). Grading will reflect the amount of research devoted by the students and the quality of their presentation.

  • Thu Sep 22 -- GROUP 1
  1. Blithe Spirit [UK, 1945] (Kornfeld; SYDK) (10m)
  2. Dead of Night [UK. 1945] (Ordonez; ANGELEIO) (10m)
  3. Casper [USA, 1995] (Margolis; EMMAMAR) (10m)
  4. The Shining [USA, 1980] (Cho; HYOUNGMC) (10m)
  5. + Panel discussion (20m)
  • Tue Sep 27 -- GROUP 2
  1. The Ghost Goes West [or Topper] (Lancaster; ETHANLAN) (10m)
  2. Portrait of Jennie (Canty; CANTYS) (10m)
  3. The Changeling (Petersen; CHIPPETE) (10m)
  4. The Orphanage (Moon; MOONCO) (10m)
  5. The Devil’s Backbone (Hamill; NASHH) (10m)
  6. + Panel discussion (20m)
  • Thu Sep 29 -- GROUP 3
  1. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Schuchard; GGSCHU) (10m)
  2. Heart and Souls (Seck; AHSECK) (10m)
  3. Ghost Town (Issacof; NISSACOF) (10m)
  4. Ghost (Novy; TNOVY) (10m)
  5. Charlie St. Cloud (Waldman; KWALDMAN) (10m)
  6. + Panel discussion (20m)
  • Tue Oct 4 -- GROUP 4
  1. Poltergeist (Haire; EHAIRE) (10m)
  2. Ghostbusters (Canning; OCANNING) (10m)
  3. Ghost Story (Brennan; THOMBREN) (10m)
  4. The Fog (Hoffman; DAVINH) (10m)
  5. + Panel discussion (20m)
  • Thu Oct 6 -- GROUP 5
  1. The Uninvited (Buyers; SBUYERS) (10m)
  2. The Innocents (Patel; AANIKAP) (10m)
  3. The Haunting (Sbisa; JSBISA) (10m)
  4. + Panel discussion (20m)
  • Tue Oct 11 -- GROUP 6
  1. The Phantom Carriage (McDonald; BRENDM) (10m)
  2. Kwaidan (Goodman; ABIGAI) (10m)
  3. Seance on a Wet Afternoon (Bickers; MBICKERS) (10m)
  4. A Tale of Two Sisters (Yu; JOHNZRYU) (10m)
  5. + Panel discussion (20m)

Oral presentation in class -- Each students will be assigned a movie and will also look at the other movies assigned to the other students of their group of 4-5 students. Each student has 10m to individually present the plot of the assigned movie (PowerPoint, clips, etc.), followed by a 20m panel discussion of the group about the similarities and differences among the presented movies, with a critical discussions of their major features and a critical comparison between them. Some research must be done about the filmmakers and the playwright, the reception of the movie, the literary sources of the script, etc. (Wikipedia and the International Movie Database should be only the starting point). Grading will reflect the amount of research devoted by the students and the quality of their presentation. <A list of your favorite 5 Ghost Movies is due by Thu Sept 8, 2022.>

Individual Paper (5-7 pages; double-space, due by October 20) -- It requires the reading of the first 7 chapters of the textbook, the view of the two mandatory movie and of at least one additional movie (not included in your oral presentation) of your choice (besides the one you presented in class). A total of 4-5 movies. The paper shall not focus on the plot of the movies but rather offer a critical comparison of the (different) ways in which ghosts are presented in the 4-5 movies and a critical discussion of the reasons these differences are present in the movies. Some research must be done about the filmmaker, the playwright and the reception of the movie, the literary source of the script (Wikipedia and the International Movie Database should be only the starting point). The paper must contain a note of at least three major sources that have been consulted. Grading will reflect the amount of research devoted by the students and the quality of their presentation.

[WARNING - As with all products of the past, movies are not immune to the racial, gender and social prejudices of their age. Some may seem disturbing or inappropriate to some viewers due to their graphic or sexual content. In a university setting, we look at them critically as historical evidence of how representations of the afterlife have evolved over the years.]

Mandatory Movies

  • ## (Ghost) The Dybbuk; or, Between Two Worlds <Yiddish> (Michał Waszyński, 1937) -- Based on a 1914 play by S. Ansky, the film relates the story of a young bride possessed by a dybbuk – a malicious possessing spirit, believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person – on the eve of her wedding. Filmed on location in Kazimierz Dolny, Poland, and in Feniks Film Studio in Warsaw, the Dybbuk is considered a seminal play in the history of Jewish theatre, and played an important role in the development of Yiddish theatre. <A> [D]
  • ### The Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999) -- Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. He is too afraid to tell anyone about his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the truth about Cole's supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something unexplainable.

Movies of choice

  1. The Phantom Carriage <silent> (Sweden, 1921)] -- On New Year's Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.
  2. The Ghost Goes West (UK, 1935) <comedy/fantasy> -- A haunted Scottish castle is dismantled and transported to Florida, bringing the family ghost along with it.
  3. Topper (1937) -- A stuffy, stuck-in-his-ways man who is haunted by the ghosts of a fun-loving married couple.
  4. The Uninvited (1944) -- A composer and his sister discover that the reason they are able to purchase a beautiful gothic seacoast mansion very cheaply is the house's unsavory past.
  5. The Canterville Ghost (USA, 1944) <comedy/fantasy> -- The descendent of a ghost imprisoned for cowardice hopes to free the spirit by displaying courage when under duress. Charles Laughton is the ghost doomed to haunt an English castle and Robert Young is his American relative called upon to perform an act of bravery to redeem him.
  6. Dead of Night (UK, 1945) -- The guests invited to weekend in the country share their supernatural stories, beginning with Walter Craig , who senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality.
  7. Blithe Spirit (UK, 1945) <medium> -- A man and his second wife are haunted by the ghost of his first wife.
  8. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1947) -- Based on a 1945 novel by R. A. Dick, the film stars Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, and George Sanders. It is about a woman who moves to a remote home on the English seaside. Once there, she finds herself living with an unintended house guest, a ghost. She begins a relationship with the spirit and agrees to write his memoirs. This movie explores relationships between the living and the dead.
  9. Portrait of Jennie (USA, 1948), directed by William Dieterle. -- Based on the 1940 novella by Robert Nathan. Painter Eben Adams encounters Jennie at intermittent intervals. Strangely, she appears to be growing up much more rapidly than is possible. He soon falls in love with her but is puzzled by the fact that she seems to be experiencing events that he discovers took place many years previously as if they had just happened. Eventually he learns the truth about Jennie's death and her search for love after death.
  10. House on Haunted Hill (1959) -- An amusement park mogul offers a group of diverse people $1,000,000 to spend the night in a haunted house with a horrifying past.
  11. The Innocents (UK, 1961) -- A young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted.
  12. The Haunting (1963) -- Hill House has stood for about 90 years and appears haunted: its inhabitants have always met strange, tragic ends. Now Dr. John Markway has assembled a team of people who he thinks will prove whether or not the house is haunted.
  13. Kwaidan (Japan, 1964) -- A collection of four Japanese folk tales with supernatural themes.
  14. Seance on a Wet Afternoon (UK, 1964) -- A medium and her husband stage a kidnapping in order for her to pretend to solve the crime and achieve fame.
  15. The Fog (1980) -- An unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.
  16. The Changeling (Canada, 1980) -- After the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, a music professor staying at a long-vacant Seattle mansion is dragged into a decades-old mystery by an inexplicable presence in the mansion's attic.
  17. The Shining (1980) <horror> -- Jack Torrance (Nicholson), an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies, with his wife, Wendy Torrance (Duvall), and young son, Danny Torrance (Lloyd). Danny is gifted with psychic abilities named "shining". After a winter storm leaves the Torrances snowbound, Jack's sanity deteriorates due to the influence of the supernatural forces that inhabit the hotel.
  18. Ghost Story (1981) -- A group of elderly businessmen in New England gather to recount their involvement in a woman's death decades prior when one of them suspects her ghost has been haunting him.
  19. Poltergeist (1982)
  20. Ghostbusters (1984) -- Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
  21. Ghost (Jerry Zucker, 1990) -- Does love keep going after a person dies? This blockbuster hit from 1990 explores that idea, with Patrick Swayze in the starring role as the ghost partner looking to sort out precisely why his spirit is still on earth. Alongside Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, this movie features some iconic scenes and acting. Goldberg won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this film.
  22. Candyman <horror> (1992) -- The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth.
  23. Hearts and Souls (1993) <fantasy/comedy/drama> -- An unhappy businessman finds a new sense of purpose after he's tasked with helping a quartet of ghosts fulfill their last wishes before moving on to the afterlife.
  24. Casper (1995) <comedy> -- An afterlife therapist and his daughter meet a friendly young ghost when they move into a crumbling mansion in order to rid the premises of wicked spirits.
  25. The Devil’s Backbone (Spain, 2001) -- After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover.
  26. A Tale of Two Sisters' (South Korea, 2003) -- A family is haunted by the tragedies of deaths within the family.
  27. The Orphanage (Spain, 2007) -- A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.
  28. Ghost Town (David Koepp, 2008) -- The film sees Ricky Gervais star as Bertram Pincus, a dentist who dies for 7 minutes while undergoing an operation and is brought back to life. The only problem is now is can see ghosts everywhere he goes and they annoy him. Here the ghosts are stuck and unable to move on to heaven, due to their unfinished business. Pincus is the only one who can help them, and despite initially refusing he grows and decides to become less selfish and help others.
  29. Charlie St. Cloud (Burr Steers, 2010) -- Charlie has the gift of being able to see dead people. This gift gives him solace since it enables him to interact with his dead brother. Charlie, played by Zac Efron, has to choose between this ability and new love

Major Questions to be addressed (in the oral presentation and in the paper):

  • Why the ghost is still on earth (and not in the otherworld)?
  • What is the place that is haunted? And why?
  • What is the ghost's "unfinished work"?
  • Is the ghost benevolent and malevolent?
  • Who "sees" the ghost? Or is the ghost who decides to appear?
  • Does the medium act involuntarily and is he/she the one who summons the ghost?
  • Which are the circumstances and the features of the ghost's appearance?
  • Are divine beings (gods, angels, demons, etc.) involved (and to which extent) in the relationship between the living and the dead)?
  • [Any other relevant comment is welcome.]

Part II - The Emergence of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise

Textbook: Ehrman, chs. 8-14

1. Thu Oct 13, 2022 -- The Last Judgment as time of Reward, Revenge and Mercy (Book of the Parables.

- Tue Oct 18, 2022 <recess>

2. Thu Oct 20, 2022 -- John the Baptist, Jesus and the Afterlife

3. Tue Oct 25, 2022 -- Paul and the Afterlife

4. Thu Oct 27, 2022 -- The Identification of Justification and Salvation in later Christian thought (eternal life in Christ)

5. Tue Nov 1, 2022 -- The Rabbinic view of a balance between Mercy and Justice (Testament of Abraham, Mishnah, Tosefta)

6. Thu Nov 3, 2022 -- Mortal and non-Mortal Sins: The emergence of the idea of Purgatory. Hell, Purgatory and Heaven: their legacy in Literature and the Arts. Related concepts in other religious systems.

- Student's reports (6 meetings): Nov 8, Nov 10, Nov 15, Nov 29, Dec 1, Dec 6.

Afterlife Movies (Final oral presentation and final paper)

Oral presentation in class -- Each students will be assigned a movie and will also look at the other movies assigned to the other students of their group of 4 students. The entire group will have a total of around 40-45 minutes for their presentation (PowerPoint, clips, etc.). It requires a presentations of the plot of each movies and a critical discussions of their major features and a critical comparison between them. Some research must be done about the filmmakers, the reception of the movie, the literary sources of the script, etc. (Wikipedia and the International Movie Database should be only the starting point). Grading will reflect the amount of research devoted by the students and the quality of their presentation.

Individual Paper (5-7 pages; double-space, due by December 15) -- It requires the reading of chapters 8-14 of the textbook and the view of the two mandatory movie and of an additional movie (not included in your oral presentation) of your choice.. The paper shall not focus on the plot of the movies but rather offer a critical comparison of the (different) ways in which ghosts are presented in the four movies and a critical discussion of the reasons these differences are present in the movies. Some research must be done about the filmmaker, and the reception of the movie, the literary source of the script (Wikipedia and the International Movie Database should be only the starting point). The paper must contain a note of at least three major sources that have been consulted. Grading will reflect the amount of research devoted by the students and the quality of their presentation.

[WARNING: As with all products of the past, movies are not immune to the racial, gender and social prejudices of their age. You may find some of them disturbing or inappropriate due to their graphic or sexual content. In a university setting, we look at them critically as historical evidence of how representations of the afterlife have evolved over the years.]

Mandatory movies

  • A Matter of Life and Death (Stairway to Heaven) (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1946) -- A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court, hoping to prolong his fledgling romance with an American girl.
  • After Life (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1998) -- After death, people have a week to choose only one memory to keep for eternity.

Movies of choice

  • Outward Bound (Robert Milton, 1930) or Between Two Worlds (1944) -- Henry and Ann, a pair of young lovers, are planning to commit suicide and are worried about what will happen to their dog when they are gone. The scene then changes to a disparate group of passengers who find themselves aboard a darkened, fog-enshrouded crewless ship, sailing to an unknown destination. In time, the passengers slowly realize what is going on—they are all dead. They will be judged during the course of the voyage, and go either to Heaven, or to Hell. Arriving at their destination, they await judgment by Thompson, the "examiner." <A remake of the film was made in 1944 > <May not be easy to find>
  • Our Town (1940), directed by Sam Wood, starring William Holden, Martha Scott, Fay Bainter. -- Based on the play by Thornton Wilder. Emily has a near-death experience that makes her ponder her existence.
  • Here Comes Mr. Jordan (Alexander Hall, 1941) -- Boxer Joe Pendleton dies 50 years too soon due to a heavenly mistake, and is given a new life as a millionaire playboy. A remake of the film was made in 1978 (Heaven Can Wait). <A> [D]
  • Heaven Can Wait (Ernst Lubitsch, 1943) -- An old roué arrives in Hades to review his life with Satan, who will rule on his eligibility to enter the Underworld. This movie is something of a screwball comedy.
  • Cabin in the Sky (film) <comedy> (Vincente Minnelli, 1943) -- A dying man is given the opportunity to redeem his soul and become worthy of entering Heaven—otherwise he will be condemned to Hell.
  • A Guy Named Joe (Victor Fleming, 1943) -- A dead World War II bomber pilot, Pete Sandidge becomes the guardian angel of another pilot, Ted Randall. He guides Ted through battle and helping him to romance his old girlfriend, despite her excessive devotion to Sandidge's memory. A remake of the film was made in 1989 by Steven Spielberg (Always). [D]
  • Between Two Worlds (Edward A. Blatt, 1944) -- Updated remake of Outward Bound (1930), with various deceased individuals aboard a ship that will take each ne to heaven or hell.
  • Angel on My Shoulder (USA, 1946), directed by Archie Mayo -- Gangster Eddie Kagle (Paul Muni) meets the devil, Nick (Claude Rains), in hell after he's shot to death by his former partner. Nick devises a way for both of them to get revenge and gives Eddie a chance to return to Earth to avenge his death by occupying the body of a man causing the devil distress.
  • Carousel (1956), directed by Henry King --
  • Carnival of Souls (1962) -- Mary Henry is a young woman whose life is disturbed after a car accident. She relocates to a new city, where she finds herself unable to assimilate with the locals, and becomes drawn to the pavilion of an abandoned carnival.
  • Heaven Can Wait (1978) -- A Los Angeles Rams quarterback, accidentally taken away from his body by an overanxious angel before he was meant to die, returns to life in the body of a recently murdered millionaire.
  • Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, 1988) -- After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes (Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones) and teen daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a rambunctious spirit whose "help" quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia.
  • All Dogs Go to Heaven (Don Bluth, 1989) -- This animated film is about a German Shepherd (voiced by Burt Reynolds) who returns to Earth after death. He sets out to exact vengeance on his killer, but his plans change when he meets a young girl.
  • Always (Steve Spielberg, 1989) -- Always is a remake of the 1943 romantic drama A Guy Named Joe set during World War II. The main departure from the 1943 film is the changing of the setting from wartime to a modern aerial firefighting operation. The film, however, follows the same basic plot line: the spirit of a recently dead expert pilot mentors a newer pilot, while watching him fall in love with the girlfriend he left behind. [D]
  • Field of Dreams ( Phil Alden Robinson , 1989) -- Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a baseball field. Once built, deceased baseball players return from the afterlife to play their favorite game.
  • Flatliners (Joel Schumacher, 1990) -- Five medical students participate in near-death experiences in this intense movie, just to discover that experimenting with death is never a good idea. <A remake of the film was made in 2017.>
  • Defending Your Life (Albert Brooks, 1991) -- Daniel Miller (Albert Brooks) isn't having a good week. For starters, he died after he got hit by a bus. Then he discovers that in the afterlife he must defend his actions on Earth in order to ascend to a higher plane of existence. While awaiting judgment, he falls in love with Julia (Meryl Streep), whose near-perfect life on Earth seemingly makes her a shoe-in for ascension. However, Daniel's actions in his lifetime might not be enough for him to move on.
  • What Dreams May Come (Vincent Ward, 1998) -- After Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in a car accident, he is guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.). His new world is beautiful and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his children are there. But, when his wife, Annie (Annabella Sciorra), commits suicide and is sent to hell, Chris ignores Albert's warnings and journeys there to save her. Upon arrival, Chris finds that rescuing Annie will be more difficult than he'd imagined.
  • The Others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001) -- Grace (Nicole Kidman), the devoutly religious mother of Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), moves her family to the English coast during World War II. She awaits word on her missing husband while protecting her children from a rare photosensitivity disease that causes the sun to harm them. Anne claims she sees ghosts, Grace initially thinks the new servants are playing tricks but chilling events and visions make her believe something supernatural has occurred.
  • [ The Five People You Meet in Heaven] (Lloyd Kramer, 2004) -- An elderly amusement park maintenance man, Eddie, is trapped in purgatory and the only way out is to confront five people from his past. Unfortunately, dark secrets from his service in the Philippines begin to haunt him.
  • Wristcutters: A Love Story (Goran Dukic, 2006) -- A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.
  • For One More Day] (Lloyd Kramer, 2007) -- Based on the Mitch Albom's 2006 novel of the same name, the film is the story of a broken-down former baseball player, Charley Benetto (Imperioli), who is now divorced and estranged from his own daughter, on the verge of a suicide who gets to spend one more day with his estranged departed mother (Burstyn), whom he had blamed for leaving his father. Throughout the course of the movie, she takes him to various points in his life and he learns what actually was going on to get a truer picture of his life.
  • The Lovely Bones (Peter Jackson, 2009) -- Based on a book with the same title, the film tells the story of a 14-year-old girl, Susie Salmon (portrayed by Saoirse Ronan), after she is brutally murdered. From heaven she watches over her grief-stricken family (Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz) -- and her killer (Stanley Tucci). As she observes their daily lives, she must balance her thirst for revenge with her desire for her family to heal. Peter Jackson directed this 2009 film, which received both Oscar and BAFTA nominations for the supporting cast.
  • Hereafter (Clint Eastwood, 2010) -- A drama centered on three people - a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy - who are touched by death in different ways.
  • Up There (UK, 2011), directed by Zam Salim. -- Martin (deceased) is stuck in a dead-end job, welcoming the newly departed into the afterlife. All he dreams of is going 'Up There'. But his plans are thrown into disarray when he has to team up with the relentlessly chirpy Rash and together they lose a new arrival. The mismatched pair give chase and end up in a remote seaside town populated by cocky teenagers, sinister old women and the enigmatic Liz, who has 'suicide written all over her'.
  • Heaven Is for Real (Randall Wallace, 2014) -- This Christian film is about the real-life near-death experience of a four-year-old child. The movie stars Greg Kinnear.
  • Wonderful Nightmare (South Korea, 2015), directed by Ho Wi Ding -- A single and career-driven lawyer is given a second chance in life following a fatal car crash. In the span of seven days, she finds herself taking on a new life where she assumes the role of a housewife, taking care of her architect husband and two children. <A remake was made in Taiwan in 2017of a 2015 South Korean film (Beautiful Accident).>
  • Coco <animated> (Lee Unkrich, 2017) -- Coco presented an alternative view of the afterlife and threw the audience into the world of Mexican culture. The Mexican twist on the afterlife brought with it a unique set of rules and traditions, really seen in mainstream movies. The film sees a young boy in the Land of the Dead and must find his great-grandfather, who was a great singer. The film remains one of Pixar's most highly regarded movies and went on to win 2 Oscars.

Group presentations

Student's reports (6 meetings): Nov 10, Nov 15, Nov 29, Dec 1, Dec 6, Dec 8.

THU Nov 10 --

  • Canty -- Always (Steve Spielberg, 1989)

TUE Nov 15

TUE Nov 29

--

THU Dec 1

  • Novy1 -- [ The Five People You Meet in Heaven] (Lloyd Kramer, 2004)

TUE Dec 6.

  • Hamill -- Up There (UK, 2011), directed by Zam Salim.

THU Dec 8

  • Margolis -- Coco <animated> (Lee Unkrich, 2017)
  • Kornfeld --

Cabin in the Sky (film) <comedy> (Vincente Minnelli, 1943)

  • no?

Our Town (1940), directed by Sam Wood, starring William Holden, Martha Scott, Fay Bainter.

  • no?

Angel on My Shoulder (USA, 1946), directed by Archie Mayo

  • no?

Carousel (1956), directed by Henry King --

Assigned Movies

Questions to be addressed in the final paper

  • How is the Afterlife described?
  • How much is such description affected by gender, racial or social prejudices?
  • What is the ultimate destiny of the dead? Is any kind of judgment involved?
  • Is there any kind of intermediary stage between death and eternal life?
  • Could the dead go back to life? Temporarily? Thru reincarnation?
  • [Any additional comments are welcome!]

Final Wrap-Up session

  • December 8 - Final meeting. General discussion

Grading Assignments

There will be two oral presentations in class (mid-term and final) and two short papers (mid-term and papers).

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