ITAL 230 Mafia, Politics and Society in Italian Cinema
Social issues have a stronger impact when presented visually. Since Neorealism, Italian directors and scriptwriters have consistently shown a deep interest in their country's socio-political complexities while making spectators aware of possible different readings of reality cinema can always propose vis-a-vis manipulated news. From Sicily-ridden Mafia to political corruption, engaged filmmakers thus fearlessly engage with social inequities, scandals, and unjust deaths. Their tool is the careful construction of narratives of resistance. Students will see and analyze films from the postwar period to the current day. Through films like Divorce Italian-Style and Gomorrah, students gain an understanding of how movies centered on social issues can be at once entertaining and thought provoking. While this course focuses on the way Italian filmmakers deal with the visual representation of social issues, students might apply the learned skills to better grasp also cinematic representations of their own social reality. Taught in English. Satisfies requirements for Humanities. Same as MDIA 308.