IT20610 - ITALIAN CINEMA: NEOREALISM

Module Identifier	IT20610
Module Title	ITALIAN CINEMA: NEOREALISM
Academic Year	2002/2003
Co-ordinator	Mr Adriano Vincentelli
Semester	Intended for use in future years
Next year offered	N/A
Next semester offered	N/A
Other staff	Dr Antonietta Feroldi
Pre-Requisite	(Normally) Eligibiliity for entry to Level 2 Italian.
Course delivery	Other	15 Hours Contact Hours. (Total of 15 Lectures/Seminars/Tutorials/Practicals)
Assessment	Semester Exam	2 Hours	70%
	Semester Assessment	Continuous Assessment: 1 essay c. 2000 words or assignment/presentation	30%

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module students will

have gained an insight into the circumstances and events which led to the flourishing of Neorealism;

be capable of identifying and following the threads that link Neorealism to ideas muted in the early years of Fascism;

be aware of the themes Neorealism appropriated by studying examples from literature, the visual arts and cinema;

be aware of the main reasons and the implications for the demise of Neorealism;

be aware of the variety of idioms the culture of a country can assume;

be capable of researching and preparing a presentation on a given topic, to be delivered in a student seminar.

Brief description

Neorealism as a movement, if indeed it can be described as a movement, was very short-lived, yet associated with it are the names of some of the best known film directors, artists and writers of the fifties: from Rossellini and Visconti to Fellini, from Vittorini and Pasolini to Calvino. Despite running rapidly into the hostility of the Italian establishment its influence was profound and long-lasting both within Italy and abroad. After the long years of Fascist propaganda and mystification it distinguished itself for its keen sense of social responsibility, moral commitment and for its increasingly unwelcome determination to bring to the public's attention human, political and social problems.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Calvino, I.. L'entrata in guerra. (Subject to availability)
Vittorini, E.. Uomini e no. (Subject to availability)