City Lit at the BFI: Italian Neo-Realism - The cinema of everyday life
Please note that this course takes place in The Studio at the BFI Southbank.
- Course Code: HF363
- Dates: 08/05/24 - 12/06/24
- Time: 18:30 - 20:30
- Taught: Wed, Evening
- Duration: 6 sessions (over 6 weeks)
- Location: BFI Southbank
- Tutor: Paul Sutton
Course Code: HF363
Duration: 6 sessions (over 6 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Accompanying the British Film Institute’s Italian Neorealism season, this course will chart the movement’s development, from precursor films such as Luchino Visconti’s Ossessione (1943), through Roberto Rossellini’s war trilogy – Roma città aperta/Rome, Open City (1945), Paisà/Paisan (1946) and Germania anno zero/Germany, Year Zero (1948) – on to its consolidation with films directed by Vittorio de Sica, such as Sciuscià/Shoeshine (1946) and the perennially popular and critically lauded Ladri di biciclette/Bicycle Thieves (1948) and concluding with films made in the 1950s – Stromboli (Rossellini 1950) and Umberto D (De Sica 1952), as well as those described as ‘Magic Neorealism’ such as Miracolo a Milano/Miracle in Milan (De Sica 1951).
Italian Neorealism has cast a long shadow over the Italian film industry. Its global influence and the importance of its films has meant that from the mid-1950s onwards, Italian film is constantly referenced in relation to this particular period in its cinema history. This course will explore the reasons behind this and consider some of the misconceptions that have grown up around Italian Neorealism.
What will we cover?
The course will explore the inception, development and demise of Italian Neorealism, while considering its considerable legacy, both for Italian and global cinema. It will examine a number of films in some detail, while situating others within its remit. The course will also seek to explain the broader political, social and cultural history of the period in order to better understand the films of the Neorealists and their intentions.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of Italian Neorealist cinema
- Identify and critically analyse a number of the films associated with Italian Neorealism
- Have an understanding of the political, social and cultural context for the production and reception of the films of the Italian Neorealists
- Have some understanding of the legacy of Italian Neorealism for both Italian and global cinema.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills - just an enthusiasm for film and discussing film.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be delivered by the tutor with small and large group discussions. Short film extracts will be screened throughout.
Please note that this course takes place in The Studio at the BFI Southbank.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You will require a pen and paper (or laptop/device) but the tutor will provide all other materials such as handouts.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look also for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Dr. Paul Sutton is an independent film scholar who has taught Film Studies in UK higher education for over 25 years. His research covers psychoanalytic and film theory as well as Italian and French cinema and critical theory. He has published articles in journals such as Screen, French Studies and the Journal for Cultural Research. He is currently writing a psychoanalytic book on film spectatorship, Afterwardsness in Film, and has recently published work on television as a form of palliative care, and an assessment of the films of the Italian experimental filmmaker Ugo Nespolo.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.