Module ITAL3221: Roads to Rome: From Ruins to Reels

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (Italian)

ITAL3221: Roads to Rome: From Ruins to Reels

Prerequisites

• Italian Language 2B (ITAL2031) or Italian Language 2A (ITAL2111) OR Digital Skills for Visual Culture Research (VISU2001) OR The Art of the Moving Image (2): Theories and Contexts (VISU2021).

Corequisites

• Italian Language 4 (ITAL3021) OR Visual Arts & Film Dissertation (VISU3032)

Excluded Combination of Modules

• N/A

Aims

• The module aims to immerse students in the profound intersection of Rome's artistic and cinematic productions, tracing their reverberations on the global stage. From its iconic architectural ruins and pastoral landscapes to its influential cinematic endeavours, Rome has been both a canvas and a catalyst. This module provides insights into the evolution of key artistic movements from Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Futurism, Fascist Rationalism up to the Arte Povera and Transavantgarde movements. Simultaneously, it delves into Rome's cinematic contributions, exploring a wide spectrum of genres – comedy, melodrama, horror, thriller etc. — and their intricate entanglements with their corresponding artistic manifestations. Highlighting their deep-seated connections to the broader artistic landscape, particular emphasis will be placed on the grand operatic strains of Epic and Diva-Films, the ideological underpinnings of Fascist propaganda, the unvarnished perspectives of Neorealism, and the boundary-pushing tales of modernist cinema. Central to this exploration is a critical evaluation of the social, political and religious debates that have shaped artistic and cinematic representations of Rome, including its use in representing Italy’s colonial ambitions. Furthermore, the module delves into the allure of Rome’s history and heritage as depicted in non-Italian artistic and cinematic works. It also examines foreign productions created in Rome, particularly those fostered at the renowned Academy of Saint Luke and Cinecittà, highlighting the city’s magnetic appeal to international artists and filmmakers.

Content

• Potential topics cover a broad spectrum of the artistic and cinematic legacy of Rome:  
• The so-called "Three Romes"(Ancient, Papal, Italian) and their transnational appeal.  Rome as the "Universal Capital of the Arts" in the 18th and 19th centuries. 
• The cosmopolitan dimension of Rome from the Grand Tour to today’s tourist privileged destination. 
• The institutionalisation of artistic production: from The Academy of Saint Luke to Cinecittà. 
• The Pagan/Christian debate of Roman identity and the historical epics informed by art. 
• Major artistic movements and their influence on cinematic productions. 
• Rome outside Rome: global exportation of artworks and knowledge transfer from Rome to the world.  Artistic and cinematic portrayals of Rome in the context of Italian colonial endeavours. 
• Transfiguration and remediation effects of Roman heritage in art and film. 
• Social, political and economic underpinnings of artistic and cinematic productions in Rome.    
• The module intends to offer a comprehensive exploration of art and cinema, tracing developments from 1690, with the establishment of the Arcadian Academy in Rome, to 1990, marking the early years of the Berlusconi era when television began overshadowing cinema in Italy. Students will engage with a rich artistic repertoire featuring artists such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Pompeo Batoni, Antonio Canova, Francesco Hayez, John Flaxman, Francesco Podesti, Ippolito Caffi, Friedrich Overbeck, John Gibson, Alma Tadema, Giacomo Balla, Fortunato Depero, Mario Sironi, Marcello Piacentini, Adolfo Wildt, Jannis Kounellis, Marisa Merz, Sandro Chia and Mimmo Paladino. In addition, the module will delve into the significant contributions of museum directors like Adolfo Venturi, Palma Bucarelli and Sandra Pinto. On the cinematic front, students will be introduced – through selected sequences or entire films – to the works of esteemed directors such as Giovanni Pastrone, Enrico Guazzoni, Mario Camerini, Augusto Genina, Carmine Gallone, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Lina Wertmüller, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michelangelo Antonioni, Sergio Leone, Dario Argento. A spotlight will be cast on productions at Cinecittà, especially those intertwined with Hollywood, underscoring the interconnectedness of global cinema. Primary material will be mostly visual, and films will be provided with English subtitles; secondary material will be in English and Italian. For students without knowledge of Italian, alternative readings in English will be provided. 

Learning Outcomes

• Distinguish major art movements and their corresponding impact on film genres, especially during periods such as Futurism, Fascism, Neorealism, the so-called "economic boom" and the subsequent years of terrorism. 
• Follow the progression and interconnectedness of art genres from the classical and romantic periods to their manifestations in modernist and postmodernist movements, recognizing key shifts in themes, techniques, and stylistic approaches. 
• Assess the importance of Rome's artistic heritage in shaping global cinema, particularly its role in Hollywood and its influence on major film directors and set designers. 
• Identify and outline the major ways in which Roman art has been disseminated globally, including through trade, colonisation, exhibitions, and academic studies. 
• Trace the influence of Roman art and cinema on major global artistic and cinematic movements, appreciating Rome's enduring legacy in shaping transnational aesthetics. 
• Detail the intersections between opera, art, and cinema, recognising how these cultural forms both shaped and were shaped by popular culture and tourism. 
• Discern the political debates surrounding Christian and Pagan motifs as they appear in artistic and cinematic representations of Rome in contemporary Italy and beyond

• Analyse formal techniques used in the visual arts and cinema, recognising where the two mediums intersect and inform each other. 
• Critically assess film sequences for their use of camera angles, editing, sound, and mise-en-scène, and relate these choices to the overarching narrative or theme influenced by Roman art. 
• Contextualize artworks and films within their respective periods, connecting stylistic choices to broader cultural, social, or historical events in Rome. 
• Contrast the techniques and thematic choices between different art movements and cinematic styles, focusing on how they reflect or diverge from Rome’s evolving cultural landscape. 
• Infer deeper meanings or themes in artworks and films by integrating knowledge of Roman history, culture, and artistic movements. 
• Develop and present a piece (written, visual, or multimedia) that demonstrates an understanding of the interplay between Roman art and cinema, utilizing appropriate academic and technical language. 
• Utilize advanced research skills to gather and evaluate primary and secondary sources related to Roman art and cinema, ensuring credible and relevant insights for academic discourse.

• Demonstrate the ability to critically engage with primary materials, whether artworks or films, drawing insightful conclusions and making connections beyond surface-level observations. 
• Employ effective research strategies to gather, synthesize, and integrate a variety of sources into written and oral work, ensuring depth and breadth of analysis. 
• Articulate ideas clearly and persuasively in both written essays and oral presentations, using appropriate academic language and adhering to disciplinary conventions. 
• Organize thoughts in a logical and coherent manner, ensuring that arguments in essays and presentations are well-structured, evidence-based, and culminate in a convincing conclusion. 
• Critically assess the credibility, relevance, and reliability of sources, integrating them effectively into essays and presentations without resorting to plagiarism. 
• Interpret visual elements in artworks or film scenes, understanding their significance and effectively incorporating this understanding into written analyses or presentations. 
• Design and deliver compelling presentations that effectively blend oral communication with visual aids, ensuring engagement and understanding from the audience.

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

• The module will be offered either as short-fat in term 1 or term 2, or as a long-thin module depending on workload distribution. Lectures will delve into selected topics spanning Rome's artistic and cinematic legacies, illustrating best-practice methodologies commonly used in interdisciplinary studies and the criteria to hone critical expertise in the interplay between art and cinema. Module materials will be accessible in advance on Blackboard Learn Ultra, complemented by self-paced tutorials that undergo formative assessment. Through formative presentations, students are encouraged to spearhead their own and the group's academic journey, refining competencies that will be evaluated summatively later. Interactive seminars will foster students' synthesizing and analytical abilities, promoting dialogue, peer evaluations, probing questions, and exploration of concepts, culminating in a summatively-assessed commentary or digital presentation and final essay. In small-group tutorials, students receive guidance in crafting their research inquiries and structuring their critical analyses. The module will be conducted in English, featuring Italian films complemented by English subtitles. For those pursuing Visual Arts and Film, tailored readings in English will be provided as an alternative to sources in foreign languages.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

■ 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