Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "CMS/TH 241"
COURSE NAME: "Italian Cinema"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2015

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Federica Capoferri
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 9:00 AM 11:00 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: This course carries 3 semester hours of credit.
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course surveys films, directors, and film movements and styles in Italy from 1945 to the present. The films are examined as complex aesthetic and signifying systems with wider social and cultural relationships to post-war Italy. The role of Italian cinema as participating in the reconstitution and maintenance of post-War Italian culture and as a tool of historiographic inquiry is also investigated. Realism, modernism and post-modernism are discussed in relation to Italian cinema in particular and Italian society in general. Films are shown in the original Italian version with English subtitles.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Realist, modernist and post-modernist aesthetics will be discussed in relation to Italian cinema, in particular, and Italian society, more in general. Directors to be treated include (but are not limited to) De Sica, Rossellini, Fellini, Pasolini, Monicelli, Petri, Bertolucci, Bellocchio, and Sorrentino.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
.Students will learn how to analyze film texts using specific historical, cultural, and theoretical approaches

· Students will learn how to write analytical essays that employ specific critical frameworks

· Students will learn and be able to discuss key social, political, and economic events, and movements in contemporary Italian history.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
Italian Film in Light of Neorealism	Millicent Marcus	Princeton UP	978-0691102085
Roberto Rossellini	P. Brunette	U of Cambridge Press	9780520200531
What is Cinema?	A. Bazin	University of California	9780520242272
History of Contemporary Italy	P. Ginsborg	Penguin	9780140124965
The FIlms of Federico Fellini	P. Bondanella	Cambridge UP	978-0521575737
Italian National CInema	P.Sorlin	Routledge	9780415116985
'La dolce morte'. Vernacular Cinema and Italian Giallo	M.J. Koven	Scarecrow UP	9780810858701
The Cultural Turn	F. Jameson	Verso	9781859848760
After Fellini. National CInema in the Postmodern Age	Milicent Marcus	John Hopkins UP	9780801868474

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments
Stupendous Miserable City. Pasolini's Rome	J. D. Rhodes	Minnesota UP	978-0816649303

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
attendance	More than 2 classes missed will result in a F in this portion of your grade. Any late arrival will count as 1/2 of an absence. Cinecittà filed trip (mandatory) on Friday April 17th will count as a regular class	5%
Questionnaire	take-home questionnaire composed of 6-8 questions. Questions will be posted weekly on My-JCU and students will be encouraged to not wait for the last days to work on their answers. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS. Students should send their questionnaires by mail AND bring a printed copy to the instructor	15%%
oral presentations	Individual or group presentation (depending on the class’ size) on a topic previously discussed with the instructor. 15-20 minutes-	5%
FINAL EXAM	iN-CLASS EXAM BASED ON 1) Informational part (short answers on movies' credits 2) Brief answered on specific critical keys. 3) essay.	30%
midterm exam	In class exam. Questions on readings, screenings, and a 3-4 pages essay on a given topic	25
Participation	Students are expected to answer to the instructor’s questions, provide insightful comments, ask meaningful questions and show their engagement in the class discussion. (A) Students are obviously supposed to pay attention to the instructor’s lecture and to their classmates’ comments and presentation. (B). Students are NOT supposed to use the class to take care of their social network. NO COMPUTER, I-PAD, AND ANY SORT OF DEVICES ARE ALLOWED DURING THE CLASS. (F). Students are required to attend AT LEAST ONE of the 4 evening screenings scheduled for: Febr. 11, 25 and March 11, 25 and to be ready to answer in their assignments about the movie and the discussion with director. (3pts).	5%
Quizzes	Short in-class quizzes (4 questions, 10 minutes) on readings. NO MAKE UP. The lowest grade will be dropped.	15%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge 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 cours
BThis 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.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis 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.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

	PLEASE NOTE THAT CHANGES IN THE SCHEDULE COULD BE MADE BY THE INSTRUCTOR WEEK 1 Introduction: Cinema, History, Nation. Thinking about Film, History and Narratives Screening: Roma Città Aperta (Rome Open City, Rossellini, 1945)	Millicent. Marcus, "Introduction" to Italian Film in the Light of Neorealism, UP Princeton, 1986 pp. 3-29; Rossellini's Open City: The founding, pp. 33-53 . P. Brunette, "Open City" in Roberto Rossellini, University of California Press, 1996, pp. 41-60.
WEEK 2	Neo-Realism I: A Historical Approach. Lecture and class discussion -- QUIZ I Screening: Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thief, De Sica, 1948).	Millicent Marcus. "De Sica's Bycicle Thief: Casting shadows on the visionary city" in Italian film... A. Bazin, De Sica Metteur en Scène, in What is cinema, vol. 2, University of California Press, 2004, pp 61-68 (available on line)	QUIZ I
WEEK 3 WEEK 4	Neo-Realism II: An Aesthetic Approach. Lecture and class discussion . Screening: Riso Amaro (Bitter Rice, De Santis, 1949). ________________________ Class Discussion. QUIZ 2 Screening: I soliti ignoti (Big Deal on Madonna Street, 1958, Mario Monicelli)	Millicent Marcus, "De Santis's Bitter Rice. A neorealist hybrid" _________________________________ Readings: P. Ginsborg, "The Economic Miracle: Rural Exodus and Social Transformation. 1958-1963" in History of Contemporary Italy. Penguin Books, 1990, pp. 210-253; 499-508. P. Bondanella, "La dolce vita, The Art Film Spectacular".in The Films of Federico Fellini, Cambridge UP, 2002.	__________ QUIZ 2 Home Screening: La dolce vita (1960, F. Fellini).
WEEK 5	Lecture and class discussion. :Pasolini VS Fellini. --Screening Mamma Roma-- Pier Paolo Pasolini (1962). QUESTIONNAIRE DUE	P. Sorlin, "Fourth Generation. The sweet life". Italian National Cinema, Routledge, 1996.. D.Rhodes, Stupendous, Miserable City. Pasolini's Rome, Minnesota University Press, 2007. Chapter 5	QUESTIONNAIRE DUE.
WEEK 6	Class Discussion. QUIZ 3 Screening: Deserto Rosso (1964). Michelangelo Antonioni.	Marcus’ Chapter on Deserto Rosso in Italian Film...	QUIZ 3
WEEK 7	Class Discussion-Review for Midterm W: MIDTERM
WEEK 8	Screening B. Bertolucci's Il conformista (1970) Class Discussion. QUIZ 4	M. Marcus, Chapter on Il conformista in Italian Film...	QUIZ 4
WEEK 9 WEEK 10 WEEK 11 WEEK 12	Class Discussion. Oral presentations. CInema and Politics in the 70's --Screening E. Petri's Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (1970) _______________________ History, Cinema, and Cinema History.--Screening Ettore Scola's C'eravamo tanto amati (1974)— Class discussion -Oral presentations. QUIZ 5 ------------------------------- Screening Nanni Moretti Caro diario (1993) - class discussion Thursday: no class- Make up April 17th-cinecittà field trip ------------------------------- Screening. M. Bellocchio, Buongiorno, notte (2002) Class Discussion--Oral presentations-- QUIZ 6 Friday: Cinecittà field trip	Marcus, Power as Pathology in Italian film... Mikel J Koven, What is giallo?in La dolce morte. Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film, Scarecrow Press, 2006, pp. 1-18 ______________________________________ Marcus, Chapter on C'eravamo tanto amati in Italian film... F. Jameson, "Postmodernism and Consumer Society", in The Cultural Turn, Verso, 2009, pp.1-20, 121 -------------------------------------------------- M. Marcus, "Caro Diario and the Cinematic Body of Nanni Moretti" in After Fellini, John Hopkins University, 2002, pp. 285-299. --------------------------------------------------- Carlo Testa, "Film, Literature, and Terrorism: Mapping Italy's Politcal Landscape by Cinematic Means", Italica, Vol 84, n. 4, Winter 2007, pp. 781-798 (JSTOR)	QUIZ 5 --------- ________________ QUIZ 6
WEEK 13	Screening. P. Sorrentino, Le conseguenze dell'amore (2004) Class Discussison	Alfio Leotta. "Do Not Underestimate The Consequences of Love: The Representation of the New Mafia in Contemporary Italian Cinema", Italica, vol. 88, n. 2, Summer 2011, pp. 286-296 (JSTOR).
WEEK 14	Screening: TBA Class DiscussionREVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM