MLL 211, Introduction to West European Cinema, Fall 1995

Film List

DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS

September 11 ROME, OPEN CITY, b/w, 105 min. Dir. by Roberto Rossellini, Italy, 1945

One of the masterworks of Italian Neorealism, about the conflicts between Italian resistance

fighters and the German occupation. With intenselydramatic performances by Anna Magnani and Aldo Fabrizzi.

September 18

BICYCLE THIEVES, b/w, 90 min.

Dir. by Vittorio de Sica, Italy, 1948

Another masterwork of Italian Neorealism, noted for

its superb performances by lay actors. It exposes some of the social ills in post-War Italy.

September 25

NIGHTS OF CABIRIA, b/w 2 hrs

Dir. by Federico Fellini, Italy, 1957

Academy award-winning best foreign film, starring Giulietta Masina as Cabiria, the prostitute, who, despite many hardships, never loses her faith nor her hope for a better life.

October 2

8 1/2, b/w, 3 hrs

Dir. by Federico Fellini, Italy, 1963

Fellini's most celebrated film. Portrayal of Italian society through the eyes of a middle-aged film-maker. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée, Claudia Cardinale, Sandra Milo, and many Fellini characters.

NOTE:

THE SCREENING FOR THIS FILM WILL BEGIN AT 7 P.M.

October 9 ACCATONE, b/w, 2 hrs

Dir. by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy, 1961

Pasolini's first feature thematically resembles his earlier novels (he was an accomplished poet and novelist before he turned to film making). With lay actors, in natural settings, it touches on Neo-Realism, yet also has strong mythical overtones.

October 16

BEFORE THE REVOLUTION, b/w, 2 hrs

Dir. by Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy, 1963/64

Bertolucci's second feature, the story of a young man in an identity crisis. Fabrizzio is torn between politics and romance, and chooses neither.

October 23 PERSONA, b/w, 1 1/2 hrs

Dir. by Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1966

A "poem in images" of two people who are different, yet similar. Starring Liv Ullman and Bibi Andersson.

October 30

HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, b/w, 1 1/2 hrs

Dir. by Alain Resnais, France/Japan, 1959

Scripted by Marguerite Duras. A complex and innovative film structured around a love affair between a French actress and a Japanese engineer who meet in Hiroshima and remember their past.

November 6

THE 400 BLOWS, b/w, 97 min.

Dir. by François Truffaut, France, 1959

Truffaut's acclaimed first feature, starring

child actor Jean-Pierre Léaud, and largely an

autobiographical account of Truffaut's own

troubled childhood.

November 13 BREATHLESS, b/w, 1 1/2 hrs

Dir. by Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1960

Celebrated masterpiece of the French New Wave. An American student encounters a French gangster in Paris. Starring Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

November 20

MASCULINE-FEMININE, b/w, 104 mins.

Dir. by Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1965/66

The film portrays a group of young Parisians during the mid-sixties and examines the conflicts between their dreams and realities. With Jean-Pierre Léaud and Chantal Goya.

November 27 AGUIRRE, WRATH OF GOD, color, 1 1/2 hrs

Dir. by Werner Herzog, Federal Republic of Germany, 1972

A classic of the New German Cinema. The story of Aguirre's search for El Dorado. Starring Klaus Kinski. Breathtaking photography of the Amazone region.

December 4

THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN, color, 2 hrs

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Federal Republic of Germany, 1978

Fassbinder classic, portraying the film-maker's vision of post-war West Germany's rise to wealth and respectability. With Hanna Schygulla as Maria Braun.

December 11 WINGS OF DESIRE, b/w and color, 130 mins

Directed by Wim Wenders, Federal Republic of Germany, 1987

Winner of the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival 1987, written by Wim Wenders, camera Henri Alekan, with Bruno Ganz, Otto Sander, Solveig Dommartin, Curt Bois, and Peter Falk. A love story as much as a documentary on the status of divided Berlin, before the fall of the wall, with lasting images of the once-thriving, now barren heart of the city (Potsdamer Platz).

For more information, contact 455-2109, or 455-2003.

Syllabus

Fall 1995, Instructor: Dr. Renate Fischetti

Office Hours: Mondays 3-5 pm, or by appointment; Office: AC 138; Tel.: 455-2003/2109

Email: fischetti@umbc2.umbc.edu

The course is an introduction to the major film movements of Postwar Western Europe, including Italian Neorealism, the French New Wave, and the New German Cinema.

The course is structured around an introductory lecture, the screening of the film, and a discussion of the film. The discussions will focus on close readings of the films in cultural contexts. Guidelines for this analysis will be issued by the instructor. A handout with such guidelines, and an additional handout listing basic film terms will be issued to all students.

Film analysis is not difficult. It requires careful watching and familiarity with basic film terms. To facilitate this process, students who are new to film analysis may want to read chapter III, "The Language of Film: Signs and Syntax," in HOW TO READ A FILM by James Monaco (on reserve in the Library). In addition, new students may wish to view a video copy of BASIC FILM TERMS: A VISUAL DICTIONARY which has been placed on reserve with AV Services. The film is 15 minutes long, a bit outdated, but still quite useful in illustrating the basic film terms.