Programme

The course will focus on the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock as an analytical tool through which to explore the most important theoretical developments in film studies from the 1950s to the present: from structuralism to psychoanalysis, from Feminist Film Theory to Queer Theory, from the intersection of cinema and philosophy to cultural studies. Positioned at the crossroads between classical and modern cinema, Hitchcock’s oeuvre has served as a true testing ground—a sounding board—for the various critical and theoretical approaches to the cinematic medium that have emerged over time. The combination of a strong narrative structure, an attractional dimension, and a radical tendency toward experimentation makes Hitchcock’s films a meeting point between pleasure and reflection, between sensory enjoyment and a deep investigation of the dynamics of individual and collective subjectivity.

Core Documentation

Veronica Pravadelli (a cura di), Il cinema è Hitchcock, Marsilio, 2025 (forthcoming).

Attendance

In person classes, attendance not mandatory.

Type of evaluation

The students will be evalued through an oral exam, consisting of open-ended questions. The language of the exam will be Italian. Exceptionally, Erasmus students may take the test in English. The exam will verify the students' knowledge of both the text and the films in the filmography.

Programme

The course will focus on the cinema of Alfred Hitchcock as an analytical tool through which to explore the most important theoretical developments in film studies from the 1950s to the present: from structuralism to psychoanalysis, from Feminist Film Theory to Queer Theory, from the intersection of cinema and philosophy to cultural studies. Positioned at the crossroads between classical and modern cinema, Hitchcock’s oeuvre has served as a true testing ground—a sounding board—for the various critical and theoretical approaches to the cinematic medium that have emerged over time. The combination of a strong narrative structure, an attractional dimension, and a radical tendency toward experimentation makes Hitchcock’s films a meeting point between pleasure and reflection, between sensory enjoyment and a deep investigation of the dynamics of individual and collective subjectivity.

Core Documentation

Veronica Pravadelli (a cura di), Il cinema è Hitchcock, Marsilio, 2025 (forthcoming).

Attendance

In person classes, attendance not mandatory.

Type of evaluation

The students will be evalued through an oral exam, consisting of open-ended questions. The language of the exam will be Italian. Exceptionally, Erasmus students may take the test in English. The exam will verify the students' knowledge of both the text and the films in the filmography.