Modern Italy

A look at the dramatic events that transformed Italy over the past two centuries and the ways that this history has been represented in film. For the nineteenth century, the focus is on the violent birth of the modern Italian nation-state. For the twentieth century, the course focuses on the drama of Benito Mussolini and the birth, life, and death of Italian Fascism. In addition to examining the transformation of Italian history, the course investigates the many issues involved in turning a book of history into a commercial film.