WL 3390: Italian Cinema

Course Description

Forget about the Godfather; who is Federico Fellini? This course offers a brief chronological survey  of renowned Italian films and directors as well as exemplars of popular cinema that enjoyed box office success abroad. We will explore the themes and cinematic style of Neorealism and the 'generational' waves of those directors who followed in its wake, including Fellini. Students will watch the films in original language with English subtitles. This course is of interest to movie buffs and history students alike. The course counts toward the Italian minor.

Instructor Biography: Brandy Alvarez

I was as an undergraduate at Cornell University and studied Italian in graduate school, first at Johns Hopkins and then at Yale University where I received my Master's in Italian. At SMU, I teach Italian language and WLL literature courses in English. While my specialty is medieval literature, I also teach courses on the modern novel (1860 to 1950). I taught a course on Dante's Inferno during J Term 2011.

Learning Outcomes and Benefits

• The course introduces students to the fundamentals of film analysis, including the basic structural and narrative components of a film, and the basic vocabulary necessary to describe both.
• The course provides students with an understanding of reactions to World War II and Fascism as they were articulated in film, but emphasizes the shifting cultural attitudes that prevailed during the Italian boom years, and the legacy of Neorealism.
• Each student will present to the class a summary of a critical essay, write a short response to each film, and a final paper about a single film using an appropriate scholarly source.