Overview

The BA (Hons) Film and English at the University of Bristol combines the study of cinema with English literature and language. The foundation stage develops the analytical and academic skills needed to explore film, literature, visual culture, and the ways creative works reflect and shape their cultural contexts.

What You'll Learn

• Film history, theory, genres, and critical approaches to cinema.

• Analysis of cinematography, editing, sound, narrative, and visual storytelling.

• English literature across different periods, genres, and cultural contexts.

• Critical methods for interpreting literary and cinematic works.

• English language, including its structure, development, and use.

• Connections between film, literature, society, identity, and cultural expression.

• Comparative approaches to written, visual, and screen-based forms.

• Research methods, academic writing, independent study, and evidence-based argument.

• Communication, critical thinking, close analysis, and presentation skills.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyze films and literary works using relevant theoretical, historical, and cultural perspectives. They will understand how techniques such as narrative structure, imagery, editing, language, and form contribute to meaning across different media. Students will be able to examine relationships between film and literature and consider how creative works respond to wider social and cultural contexts. They will also develop skills in independent research, evaluating evidence, constructing coherent arguments, and communicating complex ideas clearly in written and spoken forms. Through the combined study of film and English, students will gain a broader understanding of creative expression while strengthening their analytical, interpretive, research, and critical-thinking abilities.