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Cultural Differences in Film: Italy & America
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This Course is Available through these Programs:
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Academic Institution: CEA GlobalCampus: Florence
Location: Florence, ItalyPrimary Subject Area: Film Studies
Other Subject Area(s): Cultural Studies
Level(s): 300
UNH Course Code: FLM370
Instruction in: English
Recommended Semester Credits: 3
Contact Hours: 45
Prerequisites: None
Description
The basic objective of this course is to compare a series of American and Italian films that represent often parallel historical, social and cultural concerns, and to explore the ways that film makers transmit and manifest intercultural associations between the Unites States and Italy. Some of these films, while based on a common text, appear completely different on screen because of the different cultural approach of the film-makers ? for example, James Cain?s 1934 novel "The Postman Always Rings Twice" gave rise to the 1942 Italian film "Ossessione" by Luchino Visconti, the 1946 American film "The Postman always rings twice" by Tay Garnett, and the American 1981 "The Postman Always Rings Twice" by Bob Rafelson.
Other films, based on quite different stories with apparently little in common, share major cinematic characteristics that reflect the common concerns of both cultures, such as the 1966 "Blow Up" by Michelangelo Antonioni and the 1972 "The Conversation" by Francis Ford Coppola. From very different political perspectives, both reveal a growing sense of transnational paranoia and anxiety over modern methods of state-sponsored intelligence and espionage.
To draw out and assess the role of film studies as a key to determining and measuring culturally-determined modes of expression, we will study these films in their historical, social, political, economic and/or cultural context, with an eye to better understanding Italian culture and, in the end, American culture from a different and enlightening perspective. As part of this mission we will also study the range of daily factors that influence the making of these representations such as the influence of budgets, as well as the ethical and political obligations of film-makers and the industry.
To help bring this course to life your instructor will share many of his own personal experiences of film making both in Italian and the U.S. industry where he had the pleasure to work for many years in the Editing Department of films such as The Dead Poet Society and The Godfather part 3. In addition, to bring you into closer contact with the realm of contemporary film criticism and the film press we will also have Niccolò Vivarelli, the correspondent for Variety Magazine in Italy come and speak to us, specifically about how the current Italian Film Industry is perceived by Hollywood. Variety has the largest entertainment news-gathering team in the world is preferred reading among top-level professionals everywhere in entertainment, and the most widely circulated broad-based entertainment business magazine. Nick will also be ready and delighted to share his ideas on any other issues that arise from your own interests or your research.
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