[Cross-listed with Italian Studies 234]
The Humane Comedy:
Educational Laughter in Contemporary Italian Cinema
By harnessing laughter to the illustration of major social, economic, or political issues of its day, the commedia all’italiana has contributed to fostering a better informed, more humane humanity, and in the process has set an example that ought to be held up as a mirror of ethical commitment (not to mention artistic accomplishment and box-office success) for cultures across the world. Hence the title of this course — The Humane Comedy: Educational Laughter in Contemporary Italian Cinema.
The topics covered are the following. Before the midterm: the politics of early post-Fascist Italy and the paradigms of neorealism (e.g. De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves, 1948); Pietro Germi’s Divorce, Italian Style (1961); Elio Petri’s The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971); Franco Brusati’s Bread and Chocolate (1973). After the midterm: Ettore Scola’s We All Loved Each Other (1974); Maurizio Nichetti’s Icicle Thieves (1989); Lina Wertmüller’s Seven Beauties (1975); Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful (1998); Gabriele Muccino’s Remember Me, My Love (2003); and Paolo Virzì’s Caterina Goes to the Big City (2003).
The class will meet on T Th 15:30-17:00. The viewings will be introduced and/or followed by lectures and discussion.
Textbooks
CINEMA (REQUIRED)
Bondanella, Peter. A History of Italian Cinema. New York: Continuum, 2011 (copyright 2009).
HIST AND CIV (REQUIRED)
Hearder, Harry, and Jonathan Morris. Italy: A Short History. Cambridge University Press, 2001 (or latest ed.)
Prerequisite: None
Language of instruction: English