The module aims to evaluate a number of key issues related to post-war Italian cinema by focusing on approximately 8 films (divided in inter-related thematic sections) by prominent Italian directors. It makes use of psychoanalytic theory as well as other methodological approaches to explore the cinematic treatment of topics such as Fascism, Family, Rebellion, Terrorism and Comedy. Cinema is treated as an art form that retains linguistic, cultural and socio-political significance. Considerable emphasis is placed on approaching film narratives from both a technical and theoretical angle. Week by week, students will also be introduced to a number of psychoanalytic concepts which will help them understand the mechanisms behind the making of cinematic meaning.

• Identify and critically assess the main trends in post-war Italian cinema
• Understand and apply a range theoretical approaches to the study of film
• Appreciate the relation between narrative representation and historical context
• Use a range of psychoanalytic concepts to explain the construction of cinematic meaning

The module will be delivered via 20 lectures and 5 seminars. Students will be required to watch the appropriate films before the lecture / seminar. In lectures, films will be examined in detail in order to stimulate students’ critical responses and the ability to develop original arguments. These abilities will be further tested in seminars.

• Aural skills in the target language (Italian)
• Awareness of main social and cultural trends in contemporary Italy
• Ability to develop coherent and sophisticated arguments in oral discussion

The course is assessed by a 2,000-word essay (40%) and a 2-hour final examination (60%). The exam will cover all the materials developed in the module (i.e. all 8 films as well as the relevant critical literature).

Mandatory content:

The 8 films will cover the following themes: representation of Fascism, family, subversion, and comedy. These themes will be approached through reference to main genres and critical approaches such as film noir, melodrama, and auteurism.

Non-mandatory areas:

Development of film-related content through the study of a series of secondary films to be agreed with the lecturer.

The course relies on a list of general texts on film theory and, especially, on a number of texts and articles with specific reference to individual films. The list below is indicative of the general bibliography.

Bondanella, P. (1990). Italian Cinema: From Neorealism to the Present. New York: Continuum.

Brunetta, G. P. (1995). Cent’anni di cinema italiano, 2 voll. Laterza: Bari.

Buss, Robin (1989). Italian Films. London: Batsford.

Dalle Vacche, A. (1992). The body in the mirror: shapes of history in Italian cinema. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Fuery, P. (2000). New developments in film theory. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Grant, B. K. (1986). Film genre reader. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Hope, W. (ed.) (2005). Italian cinema: new directions. Oxford; Bern: Peter Lang.

Landy, M. (2000). Italian film. Cambridge-New York: Cambridge University Press.

Lapsley, R. and Westlake, M. (1988). Film theory: an introduction. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Lebeau, V. (2001). Psychoanalysis and cinema: the play of shadows. London: Wallflower.

Marcus, M. (1986). Italian film in the light of neorealism. Princeton-Guildford: Princeton University Press.

Marcus, Millicent (2002). After Fellini. National Cinema in the Postmodern Age. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey (1996). The companion to Italian cinema. London: BFI.

Rocchio, Vincent F. (1999). Cinema of anxiety: a psychoanalysis of Italian neorealism. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Sorlin, Pierre (1996). Italian national cinema, 1986-1996. London-New York: Routledge.

Vighi, F. (2006). Traumatic Encounters: Unravelling the Unconscious in Italian Cinema. Bristol: Intellect.

Vighi, F. (2009). Sexual Difference in European Cinema. London/New York: Palgrave.

Willemen, Paul (1994). Looks and frictions: essays in cultural studies and film theory. Bloomington: Indiana University Press / London: British Film Institute.

Wood, M. P. (2005) Italian cinema. Oxford: Berg.