_{This course will present a survey of films, directors and film styles in Italy from the 1940’s to the present. The films will be investigated as aesthetic objects in their own right and in their relation to the wider social and cultural environment of post-war Italy. Cinema’s role as a tool of historiographic inquiry will also be investigated}

Students will gain:
 
· ability to analyze film texts using specific theoretical approaches

· ability to write analytical essays that employ specific critical frameworks

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

_{WEEK 1}

_{NEOREALISM 1: CINEMA, NATION, HISTORY}

_Screening:

_{Rome, Open City/Rome città aperta (Roberto Rossellini, 1945)}

_{Martin Scorsese’s Journey into Italian Cinema (CLIPS)}

_Reading:             

 _{M. Marcus – “Introduction” to Italian Film in the Light of Neorealism (Princeton University Press, 1987), 3-29.}          

_{M. Marcus – “Rossellini’s Open City: The Founding” in Italian Film, 33-53.} 

_{P. Brunette “Open City” pp. 41-60 (reader)}

_{WEEK 2}

NEOREALISM 2: POLITICS AND AESTHETICS

_Screening:

_{The Bicycle Thief/Ladri di biciclette (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)}

_Reading:      

 _{M. Marcus – “De Sica’s Bicycle Thief:Casting Shadows on the Visionary City,” in Italian Film, 54-75.}

  _{A. Bazin, De Sica Metteur en Scène, pp 61-68 (reader)}

_{WEEK 3}

_{NEOREALISM 3: EXPLORING THE BOUNDARIES}

_Screening:

_{Bitter Rice/Riso amaro (Giuseppe De Santis, 1948)}

_Reading:             

 _{M. Marcus – “De Santis’s Bitter Rice: A NeorealistHybrid,” in Italian Film, 76-95.}

_{A. Bazin – “An Aesthetic of Reality: Neorealism,” in What is Cinema?, 16-40. (READER)}

_{A. Bazin – “Umberto D,” in What is Cinema? 79-82. (READER)}

 _{___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{WEEK 4}

_{THE ECONOMIC MIRACLE: MODERNIZATION AND MIGRATION}

_Screening:

_{Big Deal on Madonna Street/I soliti ignoti (Mario Monicelli, 1958)}

_Reading:

_{Paul Ginsborg – “The ‘Economic Miracle’: Rural Exodus and SocialTransformation, 1958-1963,” in History of  Contemporary Italy, 210-253 (READER).}

_{WEEK 5}

_{ITALY IN THE 60S: The definition of comedy Italian style}

_Screening:

_{Il Sorpasso (Dino Risi, 1962)}

_Reading:

_{Pierre Sorlin – “Fourth Generation: The Sweet Life” in ItaliaN NationalCinema, 115-143. (READER)}

_{WEEK 6}

_{THE ECONOMIC MIRACLE take 2: a real social and cultural change? (documenting the 60s)}

_{Screening: COMIZI D’AMORE  (PIER PAOLO PASOLINI, 1964)}

_READING:

_TBD

_{WEEK 7:}

_{BEYOND NEOREALISM: ITALIAN MODERNIST AUTEURS take 1: FELLINI}

_Screening

_{8 1/2  (Federico Fellini, 1963)}

_Reading:

_{Peter Bondanella – “8 1/2 The celebration of artistic creativity” in The}

_{Films of Federico Fellini (Cambridge University Press, 2002), 65-92 (READER).}

_{Lecture and review for MIDTERM}

_{WEEK 8}

_{TUESDAY: MIDTERM EXAM}

_{THURSDAY: BEYOND NEOREALISM: ITALIAN MODERNIST AUTEURS take 2: ANTONIONI}

_SCREENING:

_{BLOW UP (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966)}

_READING:

_{S. Chatman – “‘Il provino’ and BlowUp” in Antonioni: Or, The Surface ofthe World (University of California Press, 1985), 136-158. (READER)}

_{WEEK 9}

_{RETHINKING THE PAST, QUESTIONING THE PRESENT:}

_Screening:

_{The Conformist/Il conformista (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)}

_{WEEK 10}

_{questioning the present: comparing Bertolucci’s and Scola’s representation of the past.}

_Screening:

_{We all loved each other so much (ETTORE SCOLA, 1977)}

_Reading:              

_{WEEK 11}

_{GENDER and CLASS CONFLICT in 1970s ITALY}

_Screening:

_{SWEPT AWAY (LinaWertmüller, 1975)}

_{WEEK 12}

_{GENRE ITALIAN STYLE:}

_SCREENING:

_{“DEEP RED” (DARIO ARGENTO, 1975)}

_{READING :}

_{M.K. KOVEN “WHAT IS GIALLO?” (reader)}

WEEK 13

_{THE 1980s AND 1990s: “NEW ITALIAN CINEMA”} 

_Screening:

_{Caro Diario/Dear Diary (Nanni Moretti, 1993)}

_Reading:          

_{M. Marcus – “Caro diario and the Cinematic Body of Nanni Moretti,” in After Fellini (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002), p. 285-299.}

_{WEEK 14}

_{WEEK 15}

_{FINAL EXAM}