Suspense in Film and Literature: Anticipating What Happens Next

Suspense is defined as a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. It also refers to the temporary suspension of disbelief, a quality intrinsic in much popular entertainment. This course, a unique partnership between the Cinema Studies Program and the Dept. of English, examines the structure, nuances, and value of keeping an audience on the edge of its seat. Meeting once a week, the viewing of full-length feature films by directors like Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch will alternate with lectures featuring clips and comparison to literary sources by authors like Daphne De Maurier and Stephen King.