Module ITAL3061: Italian Cinema

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Italian)

ITAL3061: Italian Cinema

Prerequisites

• Italian Language 2B (ITAL2031) or Italian Language 2A (ITAL2111) OR an equivalent qualification to the satisfaction of the Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Corequisites

• Modern Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint and 'with' programmes: Italian Language 4 (ITAL3021). Other: see Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• The focus of the module is on the historical development of Italian cinema in the 20th century with special focus on its classical period.
• Its general scope is to present the history of Italian cinema as the history of a hybrid art which progressively absorbed various forms of narrative, pictorial, musical, and performative elements belonging to other forms of representation.
• The module will concentrate on the ways in which cinema has consistently developed new narrative and visual means of representing developments in Italian society and culture in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
• Prominent twentieth-century cultural trends, such as naturalism, aestheticism, realism and neo-realism, modernism and post-modernism, will be studied as they emerge in the Italian cinematic tradition and as they differ from other.

Content

• This module is designed to introduce students to the historical, theoretical, and technical evolution of Italian cinema from the appearance of the first Italian movie in 1895 up to the present.
• It aims to present the history of Italian cinema as the history of a visual art which progressively absorbed various forms of narrative, pictorial, musical, and performative elements belonging to other forms of representation.
• Prominent twentieth-century cultural trends, such as naturalism, aestheticism, realism and neo-realism, modernism and post-modernism, will be studied as they emerge in the Italian cinematic tradition.
• The historical dimension of the module is presented from two complementary perspectives: first, synchronically, paying attention to major historical events surrounding each production; second, diachronically, looking at how Italian cinema managed to re-read and re-write the visual and cultural history of Italy.
• Its theoretical dimension is explored as emerging from the movies themselves and from the critical debates Italian cinema was/is able to stimulate nationally and internationally.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of this module, students will be able to:
• demonstrate a solid understanding of twentieth century Italian cinematic culture;
• compare and contrast major figures of Italian cinema and their intellectual background;
• identify different styles of Italian cinema;
• evaluate the legacy of Italian cinema on global cinema;
• identify the influence exerted by other visual and performative arts on Italian cinema.

• By the end of this module, students will be able to:
• interpret Italian films critically;
• identify different genres, performances, languages;
• implement current concepts in visual and film studies;
• analyse the hybrid dimension of cinematic culture;
• distinguish between different agents, different skills, and different competences necessary to create a film
• analyse the interdisciplinary dimension of the cinematic experience.

• By the end of this module, students will be able to:
• conduct independent research;
• formulate research questions;
• construct reasoned arguments supported by evidence;
• participate in group discussions;
• adhere to standard guidelines in producing a scholarly essay;
• use digital technology to improve the clarity of the exposition.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module will be taught either in term one or term two.
• The module will be taught in English and movies provided with English subtitles;
• Lectures provide students with an historical and theoretical introduction to a carefully selected set of movies.
• Interactive seminars will allow students to develop their synthetic and analytical skills by means of discussion, peer feedback, questions, and ideas-testing in order to produce a summatively-assessed detailed essay plan.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Series of in-class presentations, student-led group discussions; series of exercises automatically assessed on DUO.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University