27104 - Film Analysis (A-L)

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Loretta Guerrini
  • Credits: 12
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Drama, Art and Music Studies (cod. 0956)

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students will:

- know the story of the film analysis and its different methodologies;

- know how to analyse the general system and the various components of films;

- know how to analytically interpret films.

Course contents

This course will be focused on some of the fundamental components of the film: from segmentation, structuring and de-structuring of its play, editing and temporality in relation to setting and photography. The hero-protagonist's role, the other characters and their traits, characteristics in relation to their actions and their being. The analysis includes the function of the objects, the components of the shot and their proportions in relation to the off-screen, as well as the use of sound editing. These components will be analysed on films taken from the history of Cinema and the current period.

The analysis and segmentation of the film (carried out in classroom in front of the screen) will be in-depth analysed referring to the history and the methods of film analysis, with special attention to the latest films.

* Integrative seminars, in collaboration with Dr. Ivan Selva, will be communicated at the beginning of this course.

Lead theme of the films analysed:

''Character’s dramatization between imagined and realistic temporality"

1) "Lucy", L. Besson, 2014

2)Matrix”, A. e L.Wachowski, 1999

3) "Lo sguardo di Ulisse", T. Angelopoulos,1995

4)2001: Space Odyssey” S.Kubrick, 1968

5) "Det sjunde inseglet", I. Bergman, 1957

‘’Off limits sacredness in charachter’s dramatization process'

6) "Ordet", C.T.Dreyer, 1955

7) "Babettes gæstebud", G.Axel, 1987

8) "Offret", A.Tarkovkij, 1986

9) "Al di là delle nuvole" - last esisode - M.Antonioni, 1995

* Writing, cinematography and temporality in imaginary reality"

10)Deconstructing Harry”, W.Allen, 1997

11) "Smultronstallet", I. Bergman, 1957

12)Blow up” M.Antonioni, 1966

The 4 following films will be the base for the in-depth analysis of the film setting, students may choose among:

13) One film to be chosen among “The wind" (1928), V. Sjöström; “Sunrise" (1927), F.W. Murnau.

14)The Square” (2018), R.Östlund

15) One film to be chosen among: “Medea” (1988), L.V.Trier; “Mies vailla menneisyyttä" (2002), A.Kaurismäki

16) Section dedicated to film setting of Pier Paolo Pasolini: immagination and tragic realty. Two films to be chosen among: "Accattone" (1961), "Mamma Roma" (1962), "La ricotta" (1963), "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo" (1964), "Edipo Re" (1967), "Medea" (1969)

Readings/Bibliography

A) One test among:

- G.Rondolino, D.Tommasi, Manuale del film. Linguaggio-racconto-analisi, Utet, Torino, 2008.

- D. Cassani, Il manuale del montaggio, Utet, Torino, 2000.

- F. Vitella, Il montaggio nella storia del cinema, Marsilio, Venezia, 2009

- F. Casetti, F.Di Chio, Analisi del film, Bompiani, Milano, 1990.

B) One text among:

- C. Vogler (1992), trad. it. Il viaggio dell'eroe, Dino Audino, Roma, 1999.

- R. McKee, "Story"

C) S. Iommi, "Appunti per un'analisi dell'ambientazione nel film", versione aggiornata dall'autrice:

versione aggiornata del libro alla pagina CONTENUTI UTILI della pagina web della docente.

D) Non-attending students, one text among:

- P. Bertetto (a cura di) Metodilogie di Analisi del film, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2006

- L. Guerrini Verga, A. Papi “ Filmagogia” ed UTET. Torino 2015 (in particolare per gli studenti interessati alla formazione del film in ambiti educativi)

- G.Alonge, Il Cinema tecniche e linguaggio. Un'introduzione, Ed Kaplan, 2011.

- R.Bellour (1995) trad.it., L'analisi del film, Kaplan, Torino, 2005.

- R. Odin (2000) trad. it., Della finzione, Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2004.

- R. Altman (1999) trad. it., Film/Genere,Vita e Pensiero, Milano, 2004.

- S. Chatman (1978) trad. it., Storia e Discorso, La struttura narrativa nel romanzo e nel film, Pratiche, Parma,1980.

- D. Parent-Altier, (1997) trad. it., Introduzione alla sceneggiatura, Lindau, Torino, 2007.

- N. Burch (1990) trad. it., Il Lucernaio dell'infinito. Nascita del linguaggio cinematografico, Pratiche, Parma,1994.

- M. Joly (1994) trad. it., Introduzione all'analisi dell'immagine, Lindau, Torino, 2008.

- D. Chateau (2006) trad. it., Introduzione all'estetica del cinema, Lindau, Torino, 2007.

- M.Chion (1990) trad.it. Audiovisione, Lindau, Torino, 2000.

- C.Vicentini, (2007), L'arte di guardare gli attori, Manuale pratico per lo spettatore di teatro,cinema, televisione, Marsilio, Venezia.

- B. Brown, La fotografia nel film I, II Vol., Dino Audino, Roma, 2004

Teaching methods

Lectures. Film analysis will be carried out in front of the movie screen.

They will be considered attending students those able to demonstrate attendance to the lessons.

Assessment methods

Attending students are required to take a test in the second half of the course based on segmentation of the filmography analysed in classroom, which will not affect the final evaluation.

The final examination will consist of a written part and an interview. Students shall pass the written part with closed answers by video terminal to sit the interview. The written exam focuses mainly on the basic knowledge of the course books and the other material in the syllabus. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to apply the course contents to films.

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). They 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.

Before preparing the exam, students shall check for any updates to the syllabus.

* In addition, those about to graduate may agree with the teacher any substitutions of films or texts to meet specific and congruent needs.

Students negatively graded or who refuse their grade, they shall take the exam as non-attending.

Written examinations for non-attending students are scheduled during the academic year.

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 as well as the familiarity with the tolls for analysing films.

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.

Office hours

See the website of Loretta Guerrini