ITAS 245 - Mafia Movies

This course explores the cinematic portrayal of the Italian mafia, highlighting the different storytelling methods, characterizations, and visual aesthetics employed in American and Italian cinema. Through films, readings, discussions, and analysis the goal of this course is to provide a broad understanding of how seemingly unrelated historical events and cultural factors (such as: the Italian unification process, the impact of Italian mass migration to the US at the turn of the 20th century, Prohibition, Fascism, the rise of organized crime in Italy, the Hollywood studio system and the Italian Neorealist movement) contributed to the transnational representation of the mafia.

Credits 4

Compass Attributes
Humanities, Global Honors