Italian Cinema

The aim of the Italian Cinema Course is to teach students the history of Italian cinema and the socio-cultural context in which it developed. Students will learn about the evolution of Italian cinema, its relations with literature and society and the history of the latter part of the twentieth century.

The main topics include: The cinema of the pioneers amidst splendor and crises; Fascism and totalitarian cinema: Cinecittà and the roots of Neorealism; The neorealist season: Visconti, De Sica and Rossellini; The Europeanism of Visconti and the Antonioni phenomenon; Italian comedy: Dino Risi and Mario Monicelli; The Totò phenomenon; Fellini’s Oneirism; Massimo Troisi: Naples through cinema, poetry and theater; Roberto Benigni: from comedy to Fellini; E. Olmi, G. Salvatores, G. Tornatore and E. Scola: cinema and its history; The new Italian directors: Amelio, Muccino, Soldini and Archibugi.