Faculty: Massimo Riva

Courses 2009-10

Sem. I, Fall 09

ITAL 1030A - Modernity, Italian Style

The Golden Age of Italian Film.

The legacy of Neo-Realism and the rise of the New Wave, against the backdrop of the neo-capitalist modernization of Italian society in the 1960s. We will review the cinematic construction of the Modern in 10 B/W films from a six year-period (1960-66), focusing in particular on issues of space/ composition, time/narrative, fashion/form, and genre/gender. We will analyze and discuss major works by Fellini (La dolce vita, 81/2), Antonioni (L’Avventura, L’Eclisse), Rosi (S. Giuliano), Pasolini (Accattone, Uccellacci & uccellini), Olmi (Il posto), Bertolucci (Prima della rivoluzione) and Bellocchio (I pugni in tasca), within the context of European Art cinema, and the politics of Auteurs, and in light of the most influential critical theories of the early 1960s (Bazin, Metz, Pasolini and Deleuze). W. 3-5:20. Screenings T 7-10:00. Taught in English. All films subtitled. Discussion group in Italian.

ITAL 2820A - Italian Studies Colloquium
The Italian Studies Colloquium is a forum for an exchange of ideas and work of the community of Italian scholars at Brown and invited outside scholars. Students are expected to come prepared with informed questions on thetopic presented. Presentations in both Italian and English. Written permission required. ITAL 2820A - M 5:30-7.00PM

Sem. II, Spring 10

ITAL 1400J - The Many Faces of Casanova

Philosopher or charlatan, magician or trickster, adventurer or actor, seducer or seduced, Casanova’s life (1725-1798) contains multitudes. His name, unlike those of Sade or Sacher-Masoch, does not designate a sexual "perversion," but a sort of exuberant hetero-sexual “normalcy.” He is the prototype of the Modern (Italian) Man, the Venetian alter-ego (and possibly real-life inspiration) of Mozart’s Don Juan. In this course, we will dissect the myth of Casanova, from his own monumental autobiography to novels, films, plays and comic books which cast him as protagonist (stories by Arthur Schnitzler, Sandor Marai, Italo Calvino, Sebastiano Vassalli; films by Federico Fellini, Mario Monicelli, Ettore Scola, Lasse Hallström, impersonations by Donald Sutherland, Marcello Mastroianni, Heath Ledger). Discussions in Italian. Subtitled films. Readings in English and/or Italian. The course can count as a capstone experience for concentrators. TTH 1:00-2:20. Discussion group in Italian.

ITAL2190G Letteratura Italiana del Novecento

In questo seminario, leggeremo e discuteremo alcune delle più significative opere di narrativa e poesia del Novecento, da Italo Svevo a Italo Calvino, da Eugenio Montale a Pier Paolo Pasolini, sullo sfondo delle grandi trasformazioni della società e della cultura italiana, dal fascismo al secondo dopoguerra, dal futurismo all'ermetismo e al neo-realismo, alla luce delle teorie critiche e metodologie di analisi più influenti. In particolare, ci concentreremo sulla genealogia del personaggio e la crisi del soggetto moderno e su come viene articolandosi nella prosa di romanzo e nella poesia lirica. TH 4:00-6:20.