The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has a distinct class for film lovers.

Jeffrey Adams, associate professor of film studies and German at UNC-Greensboro, created a course centered entirely on the cinematic works of the Coen brothers, a famous movie directing duo. The class, now celebrating its fifth year, has grown in popularity over the years.

The Coen brothers, known individually as Joel and Ethan Coen, are responsible for blockbusters “The Big Lebowski” and “Fargo,” among others. They have a total of four Academy Awards and many nominations between them.

Adams originally created the course, Media Studies 321: “The Coen Brothers,” as a way to supplement the research process for his recently published book, “The Cinema of the Coen Brothers,” which is used as the textbook for the class. When he was contracted to write the book, Adams said he figured there was no better way to delve into research on the duo than to teach a course on the brothers themselves.

“I integrated the teaching with my research and they became very closely related, which is something I don’t get to do often,” Adams said.

Many of the Coen brothers’ films fall into the category of film noir, a distinct era of film history with roots in German Expressionism. As a professor of German at UNC-Greensboro, Adams specializes in this area of research.

As course subject matter, Adams said he was also drawn to the Coen brothers because of the ease with which their movie texts can be used as springboards into other areas of study.

“Once I’ve got students on the hook, I can introduce them to other related literary texts, historical texts and even religious texts,” Adams said. “The study of the Coen brothers is very interdisciplinary.”

Will Dodson, the Ashby Residential College Coordinator at UNC-Greensboro and one of Adams’ former students, described a class with Adams as a “strange and multilayered experience, not unlike watching a Coen brothers movie.”

Dodson said Adams “knows a vast amount about expressionism and film noir,” and added that part of his knowledge comes from the fact that he came to the field of media studies from a different field.

Students in the class watch films on their own time and then come prepared for a lecture and discussion with Adams.

“Classes with him are exceptionally challenging in a good way,” Dodson said. “Those who aren’t ready to bring the effort are generally left befuddled, but those who enjoy the challenge really have an enlightening time.”

Adams said the Coen brothers in particular are excellent subjects of study if one wants to be intellectually provoked. Adams said he likes the combination of “entertainment appeal and intellectualism” that informs the Coens’ films. He added that the general audience might not realize how much is hidden in the brothers’ film texts.

“For a course of study, you’re able to look at the Coen brothers as being parts of a whole,” Dodson said. “You look at their body of work and it’s a major artistic statement about 21st century America, and I think that’s really valuable.”

Published on September 16, 2015 at 11:19 pm

Contact Brigid: brkenned@syr.edu