Comedy Italian Style

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In this course we will trace the boundaries of the Italian film cycle defined as la commedia all’italiana (Comedy Italian Style). Combining laughter with a sense of desperation, these film comedies provided an often scathing social commentary, flourishing at times when economic, social, and political upheaval were putting the country through rapid social transformations. To situate the genre, we will explore its historical and aesthetic roots, as well as its descendants in Italian and world cinema.