This graduate course will explore the film culture under Mao (1949-1976). Focusing on a variety of cinematic forms and genres, it roughly consists of three parts. The first part examines the beginning and development of socialist cinema during the Seventeen Years (1949-1966). The second part is devoted to the films made during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). The third part touches upon the post-Mao films that represent the Cultural Revolution in retrospect. The major theoretical problematic of the course resides in the complicated relationship between totalitarian politics and cinematic aesthetics. It will also explore other related theoretical issues such as national identity, ethnicity, women, children, and animals.