Special Topics in Italian Studies: Culture, Film, Language
Examines varying aspects of Italian studies including culture, film, and language, focusing on literary and cinematic analysis.
Summary
Past student reviews · Grazia Menechella
A past student reported that test questions were ridiculously specific and that slide decks were not posted online after being flipped through quickly.
What you’ll be able to do
Analyze literary texts and films from diverse critical vantage points (historical, formal, visual, theoretical).
Write a thoughtful critique of literary and cinematic works.
Articulate an understanding of key literary and cinematic terms.
Recognize and discuss technological terms as they apply to cinema.
Articulate an understanding of the relationship between drama and the historical/cultural contexts in which it was created.
Recognize and discuss themes of gender, ethnic identity, and diversity.
Identify key elements of film techniques, including camera angles such as subjective camera, diegetic and extradiegetic music, visual citation, and narrative approaches.
Apply technological terms to the analysis of film and literature.
Distinguish between and among different theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of literary and cinematic texts.
Know how to conduct advanced research in the field of film studies.
Articulate different approaches to film adaptation.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapOne of: (ITALIAN 230, 301, 310, 311, 312, 321, 322, 340, 350, or 365) or graduate/professional standing
- ITALIAN 230
- ITALIAN 301
- ITALIAN 310
- ITALIAN 311
- ITALIAN 312
- ITALIAN 321
- ITALIAN 322
- ITALIAN 340
- ILS/ITALIAN 350
- ILS/ITALIAN/LITTRANS/POLISCI 365
- graduate/professional standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Any of
- Any of
- graduate/professional standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
GRAZIA MENECHELLA is recorded teaching in Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
PATRICK RUMBLE is recorded teaching in Spring 2010, Spring 2012, Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Patrick Rumble
Students described the Italian film course as engaging due to the instructor's passion and outgoing teaching style.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2021: 3.85 GPA, 96.2% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Fall 2022: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=7 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Grazia Menechella
A past student reported that test questions were ridiculously specific and that slide decks were not posted online after being flipped through quickly.
Past student reviews · Patrick Rumble
One student felt the class was enhanced by the instructor's enthusiasm and recommended the course.
Topics
- Italian culture, film, and language
- Themes of gender, ethnic identity, and diversity
- Film adaptation approaches
Skills
- Analyzing literary texts and films using historical, formal, visual, and theoretical perspectives.
- Writing critiques of literary and cinematic works.
- Identifying film techniques like camera angles, music types, and narrative approaches.
- Conducting advanced research in film studies.
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2026
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
[]
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
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