Starting from a brief analysis of cinema as a cultural industry phenomenon, the first part of the course will focus on the transformations that over more than a century have affected not only the language of film, but also the cinematographic device and its form of consumption, including the type of support and the conditions of vision.

In effect, today’s cinematographic practice can find its expression through new devices and new spaces of communication other than the classic movie theatre, creating processes of re-mediation and re-location that are situated in the grey areas between cinema and other media.

Having outlined a brief formal analysis of cinema language, and discussed the main stylistic currents and narrative strategies, the second part of the course will delve into the mechanisms of perceptual, cognitive and emotive involvement of the cinematographic spectator. To this end, the models of spectatorship proposed by the main areas of inquiry on this subject will be examined: psychoanalysis, semiotics and sociology, analytic philosophy in film studies, cinematic cognitivism and Neurofilmology. Particular relevance will be given to the model of the cinematographic device as described by the psychoanalytic theory of cinema (Psychoanalytic Film Theory).

Finally, by employing the tools proper of psychoanalytic inquiry it will be shown how the cinema, as a laboratory of images, affects and emotions, shares a common ground of research with psychoanalysis, even though it’s conceived and realised for completely different ends.

Study plan

- Cinema and cultural industries.

- Transormation of cinema and forms of consumption.

- The visual culture as shared practice.

- The space of “cinema” communication.

- The semiotic approach to the language of cinema.

- The analysis of film.

- The cinematographic work: Technique and style.

- Cinema, from origins to contemporary: Historical outline.

- Narrative strategies of film.

- The “semiopragmatism” of audiovisual media.

- Models of spectatorship: Psychoanalysis, cognitivism and neurosciences (Grand Theory and Post-Theory).

- The cinematographic device as a space of fascination.

- Analogy between film and dream.

- The Psychoanalytic Film Theory.

- Christian Metz and the imaginary signifier.

- From the Freudian Uncanny to the Lacanian Real.

- Slavoj ?i?ek: Investigation “into” the language of cinema.

- The usage of psychoanalysis as an interpretive tool: Values and limitations.

- Psychoanalysis and art: Towards a psychoanalytical aesthetics.

Cineforum laboratory: From the "logic" of dreams to the Real Gaze

The workshop includes the filmological and narrative analysis of the following movies:

- Mulholland Drive (Usa-France 2001), directed by David Lynch.

- Caché (France-Austria 2005), directed by Michael Haneke.

- Reality  (Italy-France, 2012), directed by Matteo Garrone.

- The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (Uk-Austria-Holland 2006), directed by Sophie Fiennes.

Expected learning outcomes and acquired competencies

- Basic knowledge of the mechanisms of cinema as a cultural industry, of the history of cinema and its main stylistic currents.

- Ability to analyze the communicative composition of a film, its technical and stylistic aspects.

- Basic knowledge of the main theories of cinema and of the paradigms of spectatorship associated with such theories.

- Understanding of the psychological and social event (forms of suggestion, individual and collective catharsis, projective Identification, empathy and mirroring) solicited by the cinematographic device.

- Acquisition of a greater critical outlook on film language and on the cinematographic medium; an increased ability to interpret them.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Frontal lessons. Vision and analysis of the films projected during the cineforum laboratory.

Attendance

Frequency obligations. Individual study of course books.

Course books

- Giaime Alonge. Il cinema. Tecnica e linguaggio. Edizioni Kaplan, Torino, 2011.

- Francesco Casetti. The Lumière Galaxy. Seven Key Words for the Cinema to Come. Columbia University Press, New York, 2015.

- Massimo G. Eusebio. Lo sguardo dello schermo. Teorie del cinema e psicoanalisi. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017.

Assessment

Evaluation methods: oral exam.

Evaluation criteria:

- relevance and effective ness of the responses in relation to the content of the program;

- level of response articulation;

- adequacy of the disciplinary language used.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Individual study of course books.

Attendance

There are no frequency obligations.

Course books

- Giaime Alonge. Il cinema. Tecnica e linguaggio. Edizioni Kaplan, Torino, 2011.

- Francesco Casetti. The Lumière Galaxy. Seven Key Words for the Cinema to Come. Columbia University Press, New York, 2015.

- Andrea Pinotti, Antonio Somaini. Cultura visuale. Immagini sguardi media dispositivi, Einaudi, Torino, 2016.

- Massimo G. Eusebio. Lo sguardo dello schermo. Teorie del cinema e psicoanalisi. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017.

Assessment

Evaluation methods: oral exam.

Evaluation criteria:

- relevance and effective ness of the responses in relation to the content of the program;

- level of response articulation;

- adequacy of the disciplinary language used.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

For additional information write to:

massimoeusebio@email.it

massimo.eusebio@uniurb.it