Italian 470: Topics in Italian Cinema

In this course, we’ll take a look at the long and rich output of Italian comedy films, from the early sound era (Camerini) to the well-known vein of so- called “commedia all’italiana” films in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Such films include both the apparently frivolous Divorce, Italian Style (Divorzio all’italiana) and what is often regarded as the masterpiece of the genre, the French-Italian Il sorpasso (released in the US as The Easy Life). These films appeared as Italy confronted a massive and unprecedented economic boom that catapulted the country into a modernity it did not yet know how to confront. Technology, social class and changing gender roles appear as some of the most frequent targets of satire in these films, which often express as much anxiety as humor.

Undergraduates will write either two shorter papers (5-6 pp) or 1 research paper (10-12 pp). Graduate students will give an in-class presentation and prepare a standard seminar paper, as well as doing additional readings.

Italian Comedy | Commedia all’italiana

Fall 2014