41827 - History and Methodology of Cinematographic Criticism (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - knows  the interpretive procedures used for interpreting and assessing films and audio-visual texts; - knows the history of the major critical trends as well as the conceptual tools used in the field of film criticism; - is able to contextualise film criticism within the broader framework of the history of cinema and film.

Course contents

The class aims to provide students with historical, methodological and practical notions to analyse critical discourse in film culture.
The first part will analyse the methodological tools employed in film criticism and will look back on the major historical lines of evolution of this activity.
The second part will focus on the history of Italian film criticism from the post-war period to present day, more specifically:
The publishing market and the professionalization of criticism;
Non-specialized criticism;
The use of the notion of "realism" in criticism and theory;
The connection between criticism and Italian film genres;
The changes in film criticism in the digital age.

Meetings will be held with experts, critics and professionals, as essential integral part of the course.

Readings/Bibliography

Part A (for all the students)

Claudio Bisoni, La critica cinematografica. Un'introduzione, Archetipolibri, Bologna, 2013.
Michele Guerra e Sara Martin (a cura di), Culture del film, il Mulino, Bologna, 2020.
Roy Menarini, Le nuove forme della cultura cinematografica. Critica e cinefilia nell'epoca del web, Mimesis, Milano-Udine, 2012.

 

Parte B (only non attending students):
Michele Guerra e Sara Martin (a cura di), La cultura della lettera. La corrispondenza come forma e pratica di critica cinematografica, sezione monografica di "Cinergie. Il Cinema e le altre Arti", n. 15, 2019 (pp. 1-67). Available in open access here.

Teaching methods

Lectures. Articles, essays, reviews, websites, video reviews will be read and analysed. Attending students will be considered those registered to the teachers/students list and able to demonstrate attendance to the lectures.

Assessment methods

Students will be assessed only by the final examination. It will consist of two parts: a written test and an interview. The written test lasts 20 minutes and consists of 20 single-answer questions on Part A. Students will be immediately given the text results and they may sit the oral part only with a minimum grade of 12/20. The interview will be based on both other aspects of Part A and details of Part B or C (for non-attending students).
Please Note: At the exam date, students shall show their university badge or ID card to access the computer system by their institutional credentials (firstname.surname @ studio.unibo.it + personal password). Students are invited to check their institutional credentials before the exam. Students with DSA certification may extend the test duration communicating this request to the teacher upon exam registration.

The written part and the interview are aimed to verify whether students have achieved the following learning outcomes:

- full knowledge of the main evolutions of film criticism through the twentieth century;

- full knowledge of the names of critics and thinkers who contributed to the development of cinematic criticism during the twentieth century;

- knowledge of critical writing methods and techniques;

- knowledge of the techniques of film criticism;

- the ability to personally re-elaborate the course texts and connect the basics of the subject with the course contents (for those attending) or the additional readings (for those non-attending).

It will be assessed as excellent the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the course contents, the use of a proper specific language, the originality of the reflection on the course contents.
It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of the discipline. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the discipline. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyse the subject.

Attending students shall take a written test within two weeks of the course end. Students negatively graded or those refusing the grade shall take the exam as non-attending.

Non-attending students shall take a written examination during the academic year.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Noto