C596 and its joint listed counterparts in other departments will
examine the film and literary culture of Italy from the fascist era (
l922-43) to the end of the neorealist period in the immediate postwar
period (l943-l955).  The course will focus upon the search for realism
during the period in literature and cinema.   The course will begin
with a consideration of fascist ideology and theory, based on readings
in an anthology of major fascist writings:  A Primer of Italian
Fascism.  Attention will be paid to the role of spectacle in the
fascist period through the reading of several secondary sources.  A
number of key films produced in the fascist period will be examined.
Literary texts examined include novels written under fascism and
immediately after the fall of the regime.   Most of the major texts on
fascist theory and all of the novels examined in the class are
available in English and will be placed on library reserve.  All
students will be required to complete a research paper and to make
organized presentations to the seminar, analyzing specific aspects of
films screened or novels read during the semester.