ITAL 341 - Italian Cinema: Politics, Art, and Industry

(Same as FS 443F.) This course is a survey of the history of Italian cinema. We will study how cinema has embodied Italian collective consciousness and identity and how it has evolved artistically at different moments during the 20th century. Particular attention will be given to Italian cinema’s relationship with other national cinemas and Hollywood. We will read about and screen some of the most representational and influential films by directors such as Rossellini, De Sica, Fellini, Antonioni, Pasolini, Leone, Bertolucci and others. Among the topics discussed are: the birth of Italian cinema, silent cinema, cinema during Fascism, the aesthetic and ethical heritage of Neorealism, auteur cinema, collaboration practices, existential and abstract cinema, comedy Italian style, the advent of TV and the new genres of the 60s and 70s, and recent trends. Taught in English. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits