Film History and Criticism

A.Y. 2025/2026
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
L-ART/06
Language
Italian
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
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.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

(A-D)

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Modules or teaching units
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
Course syllabus
In the first part of the course (units A and B) the main sections of the history of cinema will be addressed: 1) Early cinema; 2) Establishing of the Institutional Representation Mode (with the study of the Griffith case); 3) The golden age of Italian silent cinema; 4) The avant-gardes, German expressionism, French impressionism, 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. The second part of the course will be adjourned at September.
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.
Teaching Resources
I. ATTENDING STUDENTS

PART A:
- Stella Dagna, Cristina Formenti, Mauro Giori, Tomaso Subini, Corso introduttivo allo studio della storia del cinema, Libraccio, Milano 2019, 3a ed.

- Films to be watched:
The Great Train Robbery (E. Porter, 1903).
The Lonely Villa (D.W. Griffith, 1909).
Un film a scelta tra Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (Il gabinetto del dr. Caligari, R. Wiene, 1920) e Eldorado (El Dorado, M. L'Herbier, 1921).
Bronenosec Potëmkin (La corazzata Potëmkin, S.M. Ejzenštejn, 1925).
Citizen Kane (Quarto potere, O. Welles, 1941).
Ossessione (L. Visconti, 1943).
À bout de souffle (Fino all'ultimo respiro, J.L. Godard, 1960).

- A book among the followings:
Richard Dyer, Dell'immagine. Saggi sulla rappresentazione, Kaplan, Torino 2004 (ed. or., The Matter of Images. Essays on Representation, Routledge, London 2002).
Mauro Giori, Omosessualità e cinema italiano. Dalla caduta del fascismo agli anni di piombo, UTET, Torino 2019 (ed. or., Homosexuality and Italian Cinema: From the Fall of Fascism to the Years of Lead, Palgrave, London 2017).
Stella Dagna, Maciste alpino (1916). Sull'ottimismo di guerra, UTET, Torino 2024.
Tomaso Subini, Le cronache di San Matteo. Il film amato e non realizzato di Pier Paolo Pasolini, UTET, Torino 2022.
Gianluca della Maggiore, Le vedute delle origini su Leone XIII. Vaticano, Biograph e Lumière tra mito e storia, UTET, Torino 2023.
Wanda Strauven (a cura di), The Cinema of Attractions Reloaded, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2006.
Federico Vitella, Maggiorate. Divismo e celebrità nella nuova Italia, Marsilio, Venezia 2024.

PART B:
M. Giori, Poetica e prassi della trasgressione in Luchino Visconti. 1935-1962, Milano, Libraccio, 2a ed., 2018.

- Films to be watched:
Ossessione (Luchino Visconti, 1943)
Senso (Luchino Visconti, 1954)
A film at choice among: Milano nera (1963, Gian Rocco e Pino Serpi), La rabbia (1963, G. Guareschi e P.P. Pasolini), Comizi d'amore (1964, P.P. Pasolini)

PART C:
Mauro Giori, Rocco e i suoi fratelli. La vita amara di Luchino Visconti, UTET, Torino 2021.

- Films to be watched:
Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Luchino Visconti, 1960)
A film at choice among: La caduta degli dei (1969, L. Visconti), Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (1974, L. Visconti)


II. NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

Part A
In addition to the program for attending students, a group of texts and films to be chosen from:
- Cinema delle origini: Noël Burch, Il lucernario dell'infinito. Nascita del linguaggio cinematografico, Il Castoro, Milano 2000; con visione di Sortie des usines, Repas de Bébé, Arrivée des congressistes, Le jardinier et le petit espiègle, Arrivée d'un train en gare (Lumière); Grandma's Reading Glass (G.A. Smith, 1900); Le voyage dans la lune (G. Méliès, 1902); The Life of an American Fireman (E. Porter, 1903).
- Cinema muto italiano: Silvio Alovisio, Giulia Carluccio (a cura di), Introduzione al cinema muto italiano, UTET, Torino 2014 (capp. 1-5, 9, 10, 12), con visione di Cabiria (G. Pastrone, 1915).
- Avanguardie: François Albera, Avanguardie, Il Castoro, Milano 2003, con visione di: Entr'acte (R. Clair e F. Picabia, 1924), Le retour à la raison (Man Ray, 1923), Ballet mécanique (F. Léger, 1924).
- Scuola del montaggio sovietico: Antonio Somaini, Ejzenštejn. Il cinema, le arti, il montaggio, Einaudi, Torino 2011, con visione di Stačka (Sciopero, S.M. Ejzenštejn, 1924) o Oktjabr (Ottobre, S.M. Ejzenštejn, 1928).
- Avvento del sonoro: Alberto Boschi, Dal muto al sonoro e Id., Il passaggio dal muto al sonoro in Europa, in Gian Piero Brunetta (a cura di), Storia del cinema mondiale, Einaudi, Torino 1999, rispettivamente vol. II, tomo I, Stati Uniti, e vol. I, L'Europa. Miti, luoghi, divi, con visione di Blackmail (Ricatto, A. Hitchcock, 1929) nella versione muta e in quella sonora.
- Cinema classico: Giaime Alonge, Giulia Carluccio, Il cinema americano classico, Laterza, Bari 2006 (tre capitoli a scelta con visione dei relativi film).
- Neorealismo: Stefania Parigi, Il neorealismo. Il nuovo cinema del dopoguerra, Marsilio, Venezia 2014, con visione di un film a scelta tra: Roma città aperta (R. Rossellini, 1945), Paisà (R. Rossellini, 1946), Ladri di biciclette (V. De Sica, 1948).
- Nouvelle Vague: Michel Marie, La Nouvelle Vague, Lindau, Torino 2006, con visione di Les quatre cents coups (I quattrocento colpi, F. Truffaut, 1959).
- New Hollywood: Geoff King, La Nuova Hollywood. Dalla rinascita degli anni Sessanta all'era del blockbuster, Einaudi, Torino 2004, con visione di Easy Rider (Id., Dennis Hopper, 1969).
- Restauro: Stella Dagna, Perché restaurare i film?, ETS, Pisa 2014, con visione di Le Voyage dans la Lune (G. Méliès, 1902, nella versione in b/n e in quella a colori, entrambe disponibili su youtube).


Part B
In addition to the program for attending students:
Mauro Giori, Intorno a Luchino Visconti. Dieci sguardi eccentrici, UTET, Torino 2021 (Introduzione e capp. VII e IX)

Part C
In addition to the program for attending students:
- Mauro Giori, Intorno a Luchino Visconti. Dieci sguardi eccentrici, UTET, Torino 2021 (Capp. I, III, VI, X)
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the topics of the program and also on those addressed during the lessons. The exam intends to verify in particular the critical and logical-argumentative abilities of the student.
This program expires in December 2026.
Modules or teaching units
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.
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.
Modules or teaching units
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)
Reception:
Wednesday, 1.30 p.m.
Via Noto 6