Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding:
- To acquire sufficient elements of orientation with regard to the characters of film and audiovisual language, the main phases, movements, trends and personalities in the history of cinema; to acquire a basic knowledge of the issues related to the analysis of film, the film industry, and the different meanings given to film at the social, political, and artistic levels.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
- Consciously understand the technical and artistic solutions of film, its historical developments, film as a cultural object, and the function of film in different contexts.
Autonomy of judgment:
- Develop autonomy of judgment and ability to analyze films and cinema.
Communication and soft skills:
- Explain, using correct terminology, problems of film history, theory and language; conduct film analysis independently.
Learning skills:
- Identify the main elements of construction and definition of film images; deal with past and contemporary audiovisual images with appropriate interpretive tools.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of major historical and artistic events of the 19th and 20th centuries;
Language skills for understanding complex texts, in Italian and English.
Course unit content
The course is divided into two parts.
- Module A (30 hours; for all students): the module will examine the general characters of film language and the history of cinema, from its origins to the present, through the main authors and movements that marked its development. Against the background of the forms and functions covered by the film medium in different sociocultural contexts, examples of particularly significant films will be offered. The basic elements of film language, useful for conducting film analysis, and film theory will also be introduced.
- Module B (30 hours, for those with the 12 cfu exam in their curriculum): the module will focus on a specific topic. It will examine the genre of contemporary costume film, particularly European ones, in a chronological span from the 1980s to the present. Through the analysis of some significant films and authors, the production and reception of these films will be examined by addressing both strictly cinematic issues and broader socio-cultural debates and problems.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Required text for Module A:
David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, Jeff Smith, Storia del cinema. Un'introduzione, Italian ed. edited by Elena Mosconi and David Bruni, McGraw-Hill Education, 6th ed., 2022: parts to be studied will be indicated in class and in the detailed syllabus on the corise page on Elly platform.
Optional text for further study:
Antonio Costa, Saper vedere il cinema. Nuova edizione riveduta e aggiornata, Bompiani, Milan 2018.
For non-Italian-speaking students who opt for the oral exam, the required book is Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, The History of Cinema. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2017. The entire filmography is also mandatory.
For Module B, the lecturer will make available in September on the course pgae on Elly platoform a handout of pdf texts in Italian and English, covering the topics touched upon in the lectures: the study of these essays is mandatory for exam preparation.
Teaching methods
For both modules: lectures with presentation of multimedia material; discussion time; analysis of film sequences.
Assessment methods and criteria
Verification of learning will take the form of a written test with both open and closed questions.
The questions will cover the topics covered in class or in texts, and the films in the filmography. The student will be expected to be able to correctly place the objects and issues under consideration in their historical and cultural context. The films in the filmography will be the subject of question in the examination. Filmography is differentiated: those who have the 6 cfu exam (module A), will watch the films in Filmography module A; those who have the 12 cfu exam (module A + B), will watch the film in both Filmography module A + Filmography module B. Both filmographies are specified in the detailed syllabus available on the course page on Elly platform, to which studentes must enroll.
The following will be considered for evaluation: correctness, mastery and extent of argumentation, ability to apply acquired notions, and terminological accuracy.
Duration of the test: 2 hours
For those who have the 6 cfu exam (Module A only):
21 multiple choice questions (only one correct option): 21 marks.
6 open-ended questions: the student/student must answer 2 of them of his/her choice with a complete and concise answer (between 10 and 20 lines).
For those who have the 12 cfu exam (Module A + Module B):
11 multiple choice questions (only one correct option): 11 points.
6 open-ended questions, 3 on module A and 3 on module B: the student must answer 4 of them of his/her choice, 2 referring to module A and 2 referring to module B with a complete and concise answer (between 10 and 20 lines).
A failing grade is determined by a lack of knowledge of the minimum course content. A sufficient assessment (18-23/30) is determined by an acceptable level of preparation by the student; average scores (24-27/30) are awarded to the student who demonstrates a more than sufficient (24-25/30) or good (26-27/30) level of knowledge and critical learning. The highest scores (28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded based on the demonstration of a very good to excellent level, accompanied by considerable personal and critical acquisition of the content (30 cum laude).
The exam filmography, provided by the lecturer at the beginning of the course, is an integral part of the exam. Some exam questions will focus on the films included in it, which must be seen in their entirety.
There are no midterm or out-of-course exams.
The written exam is in Italian language only. In exceptional cases, for foreign and non-Italian-speaking students, it is possible to request in advance to convert it into an oral exam interview in English, with sepcifci bibliography; the lecturer will evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Other information
There are no differences in the syllabus for attending and non-attending students. However, attendance and active participation in class is strongly recommended.
Students must register on the course page on Elly platform to find the complete syllabus with detailed filmography and all materials pertaining to the course. For any questions or clarifications, students are invited to contact the lecturer at paolo.villa@unipr.it
Those interested in a thesis in Film History and Cricism may contact the lecturer. The grade-threshold to do a thesis is 27; no thesis requests will be accepted less than four months before the graduation session in which one intends to graduate; a complete first chapter will be required no later than one and a half months before the final delivery date, or in any case by the date of submission of the application for graduation. Students are encouraged, when requesting the thesis, to propose one or more topics of their interest, which will be discussed with the lecturer.
The following are the topics of interest to the professor (on which he may assign the thesis in case the student prefers not to propose a topic of his or her own interest): European cinematic avant-gardes in the 1920s, Italian and European documentary cinema, relations between cinema and the visual arts, biopics on artists, the image of Italy in Hollywood and European films, costume films from the 1980s to the present, contemporary European cinema, cinematic representation of the landscape and the city, history of movie theaters, history of the film posters.
Office time: During class period, Tuesday afternoons from 3 pm. Outside the class period, see the lecturer's page: https://personale.unipr.it/it/ugovdocenti/person/256402 for the reception schedule, and for any notices and cancellations. The reception is held at the Unità di Arte, Musica e Spettacolo, Palazzo della Pilotta (fifth floor), Piazzale della Pace 7/A. Please send a preventive email in case you intend to attend reception, especially outside of teaching periods.
