Film History and Criticism
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the history of cinema from early cinema to contemporary cinema. The main sections of the history of cinema will be addressed: 1) Early cinema; 2) The establishing of the Institutional Representation Mode ; 3) The golden age of Italian silent cinema; 4) The avant-gardes, German expressionism, French impressionism, and the Soviet school; 5) The advent of sound and classic American cinema; 6) Italian Neorealism; 7) Nouvelle Vague; 8) Author cinema; 9) The New Hollywood.
Therefore a thematic and methodological study will be proposed in line with the basic training objectives of the CdS
Therefore a thematic and methodological study will be proposed in line with the basic training objectives of the CdS
Expected learning outcomes
The aim of the course is to bring students to acquire the technical-sectorial lexicon of the discipline. Students will also learn the main points of the history of cinema and some of the most relevant historiographical problems of the contemporary debate. At the end of the course the student will be able to view a film with a critical attitude, to place it historically on the basis of the main stylistic-formal aspects, and connect it to its historical-cultural context.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
(A-D)
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Unita' didattica A
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
(E-N)
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Unita' didattica A
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
(O-Z)
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The first part of the course (section A) will cover the key moments in film history: 1) early cinema; 2) The establishing of the Institutional Representation Mode; 3) the golden age of Italian silent cinema; 4) the avant-gardes, German expressionism, French impressionism, the Soviet school of montage; 5) the coming of sound and classical American cinema; 6) Italian neorealism; 7) the French New Wave; 8) the New Hollywood. The monographic sections (B+C) of the course include an in-depth study of Italian genre cinema, with a focus on sword-and-sandal films.
Prerequisites for admission
Knowledge of contemporary history.
Teaching methods
The topics of the course will be addressed making the use of slides and audio-video materials analyzed during the lessons. Students who do not attend the lessons must refer to the program for non-attending students.
Teaching Resources
The characteristics of Italian genre cinema, from the post-war period through to the economic boom
Didactic Unit A: Film history
Didactic Units B + C: Italian genre cinema
6 cfu (Didactic Units A + B)
9 cfu (Didactic units A + B + C)
Required readings for all students (per 6 cfu: 1 + 2; per 9 cfu: 1 + 2 + 3):
1. Stella Dagna, Cristina Formenti, Mauro Giori, Tomaso Subini, Corso introduttivo allo studio della storia del cinema, Libraccio, Milano 2019, 3rd ed.
2. Francesco Di Chiara, Generi e industria cinematografica in Italia. Il caso Titanus, Lindau, Torino 2013.
3. Francesco Di Chiara, Peplum: il cinema italiano alle prese col mondo antico, CSC-Donzelli, Roma 2016
- Required film viewing list: (for 6 cfu: from 1 to 9; for 9 cfu: from 1 to 9 + from 10 to 12):
1. The Great Train Robbery (E. Porter, 1903).
2. The Lonely Villa (D.W. Griffith, 1909).
3. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Il gabinetto del dr. Caligari, R. Wiene, 1920).
4. Bronenosec Potëmkin (La corazzata Potëmkin, S.M. Ejzenštejn, 1925).
5. Citizen Kane (Quarto potere, O. Welles, 1941).
6. Paisà (R. Rossellini, 1946).
7. À bout de souffle (Fino all'ultimo respiro, J.L. Godard, 1960).
8. Catene (R. Matarazzo, 1949)
9. Pane, amore e fantasia (L. Comencini, 1953)
10. Cabiria (G. Pastrone, 1914)
11. Fabiola (A. Blasetti, 1949)
12. Le fatiche di Ercole (P. Francisci, 1958)
- Suggested (i.e. optional) readings:
· Noël Burch, Il lucernario dell'infinito. Nascita del linguaggio cinematografico, Cue Press, Imola 2021;
· Francesco Pitassio, Neorealist Film Culture, 1945-1954: Rome, Open Cinema, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2019
· Rick Altman, Film/Genere, Vita&Pensier, Milano 2004
· Giacomo Manzoli, Da Ercole a Fantozzi. Cinema popolare e società italiana dal boom economico alla neotelevisione (1958-1976), Carocci, Roma 2013
· Tomaso Subini, La via italiana alla pornografia. Cattolicesimo, sessualità e cinema (1948-1986), Le Monnier, Firenze 2021
· Simone Venturini, Horror italiano, CSC-Donzelli, Roma 2014
· Mauro Giori, Omosessualità e cinema italiano. Dalla caduta del fascismo agli anni di piombo, UTET, Torino 2019.
· Silvio Alovisio, Cabiria. Lo spettacolo della Storia, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2014;
Federico Vitella, Maggiorate. Divismo e celebrità nella nuova Italia, Marsilio, Venezia 2024.
· Stella Dagna, Maciste alpino (1916). Sull'ottimismo di guerra, UTET, Torino 2024.
Program IN ADDITION for non-attending students: a book chosen from the suggested readings list.
Didactic Unit A: Film history
Didactic Units B + C: Italian genre cinema
6 cfu (Didactic Units A + B)
9 cfu (Didactic units A + B + C)
Required readings for all students (per 6 cfu: 1 + 2; per 9 cfu: 1 + 2 + 3):
1. Stella Dagna, Cristina Formenti, Mauro Giori, Tomaso Subini, Corso introduttivo allo studio della storia del cinema, Libraccio, Milano 2019, 3rd ed.
2. Francesco Di Chiara, Generi e industria cinematografica in Italia. Il caso Titanus, Lindau, Torino 2013.
3. Francesco Di Chiara, Peplum: il cinema italiano alle prese col mondo antico, CSC-Donzelli, Roma 2016
- Required film viewing list: (for 6 cfu: from 1 to 9; for 9 cfu: from 1 to 9 + from 10 to 12):
1. The Great Train Robbery (E. Porter, 1903).
2. The Lonely Villa (D.W. Griffith, 1909).
3. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Il gabinetto del dr. Caligari, R. Wiene, 1920).
4. Bronenosec Potëmkin (La corazzata Potëmkin, S.M. Ejzenštejn, 1925).
5. Citizen Kane (Quarto potere, O. Welles, 1941).
6. Paisà (R. Rossellini, 1946).
7. À bout de souffle (Fino all'ultimo respiro, J.L. Godard, 1960).
8. Catene (R. Matarazzo, 1949)
9. Pane, amore e fantasia (L. Comencini, 1953)
10. Cabiria (G. Pastrone, 1914)
11. Fabiola (A. Blasetti, 1949)
12. Le fatiche di Ercole (P. Francisci, 1958)
- Suggested (i.e. optional) readings:
· Noël Burch, Il lucernario dell'infinito. Nascita del linguaggio cinematografico, Cue Press, Imola 2021;
· Francesco Pitassio, Neorealist Film Culture, 1945-1954: Rome, Open Cinema, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2019
· Rick Altman, Film/Genere, Vita&Pensier, Milano 2004
· Giacomo Manzoli, Da Ercole a Fantozzi. Cinema popolare e società italiana dal boom economico alla neotelevisione (1958-1976), Carocci, Roma 2013
· Tomaso Subini, La via italiana alla pornografia. Cattolicesimo, sessualità e cinema (1948-1986), Le Monnier, Firenze 2021
· Simone Venturini, Horror italiano, CSC-Donzelli, Roma 2014
· Mauro Giori, Omosessualità e cinema italiano. Dalla caduta del fascismo agli anni di piombo, UTET, Torino 2019.
· Silvio Alovisio, Cabiria. Lo spettacolo della Storia, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2014;
Federico Vitella, Maggiorate. Divismo e celebrità nella nuova Italia, Marsilio, Venezia 2024.
· Stella Dagna, Maciste alpino (1916). Sull'ottimismo di guerra, UTET, Torino 2024.
Program IN ADDITION for non-attending students: a book chosen from the suggested readings list.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the topics of the program and, for attending students, also on those addressed during the lessons in the classroom. The exam intends to verify in particular the critical and logical-argumentative abilities of the student.
Unita' didattica A
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-ART/06 - CINEMA, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TELEVISION - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)