The course is part of the mandatory classes for the Film and Media Studies program of the DAMS BA. If the program generally gives the historical and theoretical background to understand all audiovisual forms, the aim of this class (dedicated to first-year students) is to teach the main frameworks for the analysis and interpretation of film and audiovisual texts. The class opts for a historical perspective, which accounts for the different theories, aesthetics, and cultural models involved in the analysis of the various linguistic solutions, film styles and forms from different moments in film history (i.e., classical Hollywood cinema, modern art cinema, postmodernism, post-classic cinema). The course aims to give to its students the framework needed to understand by themselves which modes of analysis are more effective in considering a specific audiovisual text. In conclusion, the class aims to explain how films and images produce their meaning.
Canali
teacher profile teaching materials
The final syllabus is online at https://ilariaadepascalis.wordpress.com/informazioni-generali/
Collection of essays edited by the teacher.
Provisional filmography (it could be subjected to changes):
● Bringing Up Baby, Howard Hawks, 1938
● Written on the Wind, Douglas Sirk, 1958
● La dolce vita, Federico Fellini, 1960
● L’avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960
● Prima della rivoluzione, Bernardo Bertolucci, 1964
● Die Hard, John McTiernan, 1988
● Twin Peaks, David Lynch e Mark Frost, ABC, 1990-1991 | Showtime, 2017
● Mulholland Drive, David Lynch, 2001
● Babel, Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006
The final program is online at https://ilariaadepascalis.wordpress.com/
Programme
The course addresses film narrative and stylistic forms, from classic Hollywood to contemporary cinema. Through the analysis of specific sequences and films, the course addresses classic cinema from the 1930s, the melodramatic style from the 1950s, film modernity (in particular Italian art film from the 1960s), postmodern cinema, postclassic films, mind-game films, "global films". The last part of the course is dedicated to complex and vast narratives, especially the narrative universe by David Lynch. The film analysis will be conducted through various methods and approaches; among then, structuralism and semiotics, formal analysis and style, psychoanalysis, feminist film theory. Cultural studies and approaches will be considered in order to address modernity, postmodernism, and contemporary mediascapes.The final syllabus is online at https://ilariaadepascalis.wordpress.com/informazioni-generali/
Core Documentation
Veronica Pravadelli, Dal classico al postmoderno al global. Teoria e analisi delle forme filmiche, Marsilio, Venezia 2019.Collection of essays edited by the teacher.
Provisional filmography (it could be subjected to changes):
● Bringing Up Baby, Howard Hawks, 1938
● Written on the Wind, Douglas Sirk, 1958
● La dolce vita, Federico Fellini, 1960
● L’avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960
● Prima della rivoluzione, Bernardo Bertolucci, 1964
● Die Hard, John McTiernan, 1988
● Twin Peaks, David Lynch e Mark Frost, ABC, 1990-1991 | Showtime, 2017
● Mulholland Drive, David Lynch, 2001
● Babel, Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006
The final program is online at https://ilariaadepascalis.wordpress.com/
Reference Bibliography
Veronica Pravadelli, Dal classico al postmoderno al global. Teoria e analisi delle forme filmiche, Marsilio, Venezia 2019. Essays available at Copisteria CLP di Via G. Rocco 11: ● Raymond Bellour, “L’evidenza e il codice”, in L'analisi del film, Kaplan, Torino 2005, pp. 100-106. ● Sigmund Freud, “Alcune conseguenze psichiche della differenza anatomica tra i sessi” (1925) e “La femminilità” (1932), in Scritti sulla sessualità femminile, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1969, pp. 23-35 e 61-88. ● Veronica Pravadelli, “Introduzione”, in La grande Hollywood. Stili di vita e di regia nel cinema classico americano, Marsilio, Venezia 2007, pp. 9-16. ● Christian Metz, “Il cinema moderno e la narratività” in Semiologia del cinema, Garzanti, Milano 1972, pp. 245-272 (estratto). ● Gilles Deleuze, Cinema 2. L’immagine-tempo, Ubulibri, Milano 1989, pp. 11-24. ● Elena Pulcini, “La passione del moderno: l’amore di sé”, in Storia delle passioni, a cura di Silvia Vegetti Finzi, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1995, pp. 133-180. ● Frederic Jameson, Il postmoderno o la logica culturale del tardo capitalismo, Garzanti, Milano 1989, pp. 7-51. ● Ilaria A. De Pascalis, Il cinema europeo contemporaneo: scenari transnazionali, immaginari globali, Bulzoni, Roma 2015, pp. 221-242. ● Paolo Bertetto, “L’analisi interpretativa. Mulholland Drive”, in Metodologie di analisi del film, a cura di Id., Laterza, Roma-Bari 2006, pp. 223-255. ● Lorenzo Marmo, “Tornando a casa. Desiderio spettatoriale e dispersione narrativa in Twin Peaks: The Return di David Lynch”, in SigMa – Rivista di Letterature comparate, Teatro e Arti dello spettacolo, vol. 1, 2017, pp. 537-561. Filmografia: ● Bringing Up Baby, Susanna, Howard Hawks, 1938 ● Written on the Wind, Come le foglie al vento, Douglas Sirk, 1958 ● La dolce vita, Federico Fellini, 1960 ● L’avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960 ● Prima della rivoluzione, Bernardo Bertolucci, 1964 ● Die Hard, Trappola di cristallo, John McTiernan, 1988 ● Mulholland Drive, David Lynch, 2001 ● Babel, Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006 ● Twin Peaks, David Lynch e Mark Frost, ABC, 1990-1991 | Showtime, 2017: episode 2 season 1 Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer; the teacher strongly advise to see two episodes from the season 3 Twin Peaks: The Return: Part 8: Gotta Light? and Part 15: There’s Some Fear in Letting Go If needed, other bibliographic references can be asked to the teacher during her office hours; please, check her personal website https://ilariaadepascalis.wordpress.com/Type of delivery of the course
36 hours of frontal lessons, divided into 12 classes (3 hours each).Attendance
Regular attendance is strongly suggested. At the end of each class, the teacher will publish a post on her website about the issues addressed in that day.Type of evaluation
The exam is written and composed by a few open questions. The questions will focus on the main analytic frames described during class and will ask for visual examples from the case studies proposed by the filmography. teacher profile teaching materials
Coursepack at Copisteria CLP di Via G. Rocco 11:
● Raymond Bellour, “L’evidenza e il codice”, in L'analisi del film, Torino, Kaplan, 2005, pp. 100-106.
● Laura Mulvey, “Piacere visivo e cinema narrativo” e “Riflessioni su ‘Piacere visivo e cinema narrativo’ ispirate da ‘Duello al sole’”, in Cinema e piacere visivo (a cura di V. Pravadelli), Bulzoni, Roma 2013, pp. 29-43 e 45-55.
● Veronica Pravadelli, “Introduzione”, in La grande Hollywood. Stili di vita e di regia nel cinema classico americano, Marsilio, Venezia 2007, pp. 9-16.
● Christian Metz, “Il cinema moderno e la narratività” in Semiologia del cinema, Garzanti, Milano 1972, pp. 245-272 (estratto).
● Gilles Deleuze, Cinema 2. L’immagine-tempo, Ubulibri, Milano 1989, pp. 11-24.
● Elena Pulcini, “La passione del moderno: l’amore di sé”, in Storia delle passioni, a cura di Silvia Vegetti Finzi, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1995, pp. 133-180.
● Frederic Jameson, Il postmoderno o la logica culturale del tardo capitalismo, Garzanti, Milano 1989, pp. 7-51.
● Ilaria A. De Pascalis, Il cinema europeo contemporaneo: scenari transnazionali, immaginari globali, Bulzoni, Roma 2015, pp. 221-242.
● Paolo Bertetto, “L’analisi interpretativa. Mulholland Drive”, in Metodologie di analisi del film, a cura di Id., Laterza, Roma-Bari 2006, pp. 223-255.
● Lorenzo Marmo, “Tornando a casa. Desiderio spettatoriale e dispersione narrativa in Twin Peaks: The Return di David Lynch”, in SigMa – Rivista di Letterature comparate, Teatro e Arti dello spettacolo, vol. 1, 2017, pp. 537-561.
●
Filmography:
● Bringing Up Baby, Susanna, Howard Hawks, 1938
● Written on the Wind, Come le foglie al vento, Douglas Sirk, 1958
● La dolce vita, Federico Fellini, 1960
● L’Avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960
● Prima della rivoluzione, Bernardo Bertolucci, 1964
● Die Hard, Trappola di cristallo, John McTiernan, 1988
● Mulholland Drive, David Lynch, 2001
● Twin Peaks, David Lynch e Mark Frost, ABC, 1990-1991 | Showtime, 2017
● Babel, Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006
Programme
The course addresses film narrative and style from the classic period to contemporary cinema. Through the analysis of specific scenes or entire films we will consider 1930s Hollywood cinema, 1950s Hollywood melodrama, modern cinema and in particular Italian 1960s auteur cinema, postmodern cinema, post-classic cinema, the mind-game film and the "global film". At the end we will look at Lynch's complex narratives and in particular Mulholland Drive and the tv series Twin Peaks. To study such diverse film forms we will use different methodologies such as structuralism and semiotics, formal and stylistic analysis, psychoanalysis and feminist theories. Broadly, we will use cultural perspectives to interpret modernity, postmodernity and the contemporary scenarios.Core Documentation
Veronica Pravadelli, Dal classico al postmoderno al global. Teoria e analisi delle forme filmiche, Marsilio, Venezia 2019.Coursepack at Copisteria CLP di Via G. Rocco 11:
● Raymond Bellour, “L’evidenza e il codice”, in L'analisi del film, Torino, Kaplan, 2005, pp. 100-106.
● Laura Mulvey, “Piacere visivo e cinema narrativo” e “Riflessioni su ‘Piacere visivo e cinema narrativo’ ispirate da ‘Duello al sole’”, in Cinema e piacere visivo (a cura di V. Pravadelli), Bulzoni, Roma 2013, pp. 29-43 e 45-55.
● Veronica Pravadelli, “Introduzione”, in La grande Hollywood. Stili di vita e di regia nel cinema classico americano, Marsilio, Venezia 2007, pp. 9-16.
● Christian Metz, “Il cinema moderno e la narratività” in Semiologia del cinema, Garzanti, Milano 1972, pp. 245-272 (estratto).
● Gilles Deleuze, Cinema 2. L’immagine-tempo, Ubulibri, Milano 1989, pp. 11-24.
● Elena Pulcini, “La passione del moderno: l’amore di sé”, in Storia delle passioni, a cura di Silvia Vegetti Finzi, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1995, pp. 133-180.
● Frederic Jameson, Il postmoderno o la logica culturale del tardo capitalismo, Garzanti, Milano 1989, pp. 7-51.
● Ilaria A. De Pascalis, Il cinema europeo contemporaneo: scenari transnazionali, immaginari globali, Bulzoni, Roma 2015, pp. 221-242.
● Paolo Bertetto, “L’analisi interpretativa. Mulholland Drive”, in Metodologie di analisi del film, a cura di Id., Laterza, Roma-Bari 2006, pp. 223-255.
● Lorenzo Marmo, “Tornando a casa. Desiderio spettatoriale e dispersione narrativa in Twin Peaks: The Return di David Lynch”, in SigMa – Rivista di Letterature comparate, Teatro e Arti dello spettacolo, vol. 1, 2017, pp. 537-561.
●
Filmography:
● Bringing Up Baby, Susanna, Howard Hawks, 1938
● Written on the Wind, Come le foglie al vento, Douglas Sirk, 1958
● La dolce vita, Federico Fellini, 1960
● L’Avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960
● Prima della rivoluzione, Bernardo Bertolucci, 1964
● Die Hard, Trappola di cristallo, John McTiernan, 1988
● Mulholland Drive, David Lynch, 2001
● Twin Peaks, David Lynch e Mark Frost, ABC, 1990-1991 | Showtime, 2017
● Babel, Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2006
Type of delivery of the course
In class the teacher presents the whole program. Films or extracts are screened. The analysis of filmic style and form is an essential component of the course and of class meetings.Attendance
Students are strongly encouraged to attend class.Type of evaluation
Students will take an in-class written exam. Essay questions and analysis of film sequences.