FI212-15 Italian Cinema: the Rise and Fall of Neorealism
Introductory description
This module will enable year two students to understand the development and decline of Italian Neorealism, a cinematic movement that broadly lasted from 1945 to 1952 (although its influence continued long afterwards) and which is renowned for its social content and stylistic innovations. A diverse group of films which have been considered precursors , prime examples and hybrids will be studied. They will be situated in the cultural, social and political context in which they were made and exhibited, namely Italy in the period between the decline of Mussolini’s Fascist regime and the establishment of a democratic political system anchored to the West .
Module aims
- Introduce students to major directors, stars, landmark films and important aesthetic developments in Italian cinema between 1942 and 1952.
- Examine filmic representations of class and gender within the upheaval of war, foreign occupation and cultural crisis in this era.
- Familiarise students with the commercial and state structures of the Italian film industry in this period and enable them to gain a complex historical understanding of Italian cinema in this decade of political transition.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1 Film: Quattro passi tra le nuvole/ Four Steps in the Clouds, dir.: Alessandro Blasetti (1942)
Lecture: Blasetti and the State Institutions of Cinema. Seminar
Week 2 Film: I bambini ci guardano/The Children are Watching Us, dir.: Vittorio De Sica (1943)
Lecture: De Sica as Actor and as Director. Seminar
Week 3 Film: Ossessione (Obsession), dir.: Luchino Visconti (1943)
Lecture: The Critique of Fascism. Seminar
Week 4 Film: Roma città aperta/Rome Open City, dir.: Roberto Rossellini (1945)
Lecture: The Birth of Neorealism and the Shadows of War and Dictatorship. Seminar
Week 5 Film: Paisa/Paisan, dir.: Roberto Rossellini (1946)
Lecture: The Discovery of Italy: Neorealism as Method. Seminar
Week 6: Reading and Viewing Week
Week 7 Film: Sciuscià (Shoeshine), dir.: Vittorio De Sica (1946)
Lecture: De Sica as Neorealist: Observation and Engagement. Seminar
Week 8 Film: Bitter Rice/Riso amaro, dir.: Giuseppe De Santis (1949)
Lecture: Neorealism and the Postwar Impact of Hollywood. Seminar
Week 9 Film: Bellissima, Dir.: Luchino Visconti (1951)
Lecture: Neorealism and the Critique of Cinema. Seminar
Week 10 Film: Umberto D, dir. Vittorio De Sica (1952)
Lecture: The End of Neorealism. Seminar
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- a broad understanding of the history and context of Italian neorealism
- a deep understanding of the issues around film content and style and of critical questions in the interpretation of neorealism.
Indicative reading list
Vigano, E., Neorealismo: the New Image of Italy 1932-1960
Wagstaff, C., Italian Neorealist Cinema
Bayman, L., The Operatic and the Everyday in Postwar Italian Film Melodrama
Cardullo, B. (ed.), André Bazin and Italian Neorealism
Schoonover, K., Brutal Vision: The neorealist body in postwar Italian cinema
Overbey, D. (ed.), Springtime in Italy: A Reader on Neo-realism
Gundle, S. Fame amid the Ruins: Italian Film Stardom in the Age of Neorealism
Gundle, S. Mussolini’s Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
This module develops skills of audio-visual literacy, through close textual and/or contextual analysis in relation to the moving image and sound. It also develops understandings of historical, theoretical and conceptual frameworks relevant to screen arts and cultures.
Transferable skills
critical and analytical thinking in relation
independent research skills
team work
clarity and effectiveness of communication, oral and written
accurate, concise and persuasive writing
audio-visual literacy
Study time
| Type | Required | Optional |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) | |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) | |
| Tutorials | (0%) | 1 session of 15 minutes |
| Other activity | 18 hours (12%) | |
| Private study | 114 hours (76%) | |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
reading of critical materials, wider viewing, preparation for and writing of research essay
Other activity description
One film screening per week (9 x 2 hours)
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group D
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Written Assignment | 60% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Online Examination | 40% | No | |
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~Platforms - AEP
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
In line with the department's usual practice, written feedback is given and optional tutorial sessions are offered.
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 2 of UFIA-W620 Undergraduate Film Studies
- Year 2 of UFIA-QW25 Undergraduate Film and Literature