Italian 225 - Contemp Italy Through Cinema

Film director Federico Fellini said that a 'different language is a different vision of life.' How has the Italian 'vision of life' changed from Mussolini's dictatorship to Berlusconi's government? From the birth of the Republic in 1946 to the debate ignited by Roberto Saviano's bestseller Gomorrah, this course traces transformations in modern Italian society. Through historical and literary readings, films, and the media, this course explores the difficult path towards modernity Italy has traveled in the last five decades. We will explore contemporary popular culture and films that reflect these transformations and analyze family, religion, gender, sexuality, and class conflict.