21L.011 The Film Experience (Fall 2013, MIT OCW). Instructor: Prof. David Thorburn. This course concentrates on close analysis and criticism of a wide range of films, from the early silent period,
classic Hollywood genres including musicals, thrillers and westerns, and European and Japanese art cinema. It explores the work of Griffith, Chaplin, Keaton, Capra, Hawks, Hitchcock, Altman, Renoir, DeSica,
and Kurosawa. Through comparative reading of films from different eras and countries, students develop the skills to turn their in-depth analyses into interpretations and explore theoretical issues related to spectatorship.
(from ocw.mit.edu)
Lecture 20 - Italian Neorealism, Part II (2007)
A general account of De Sica's career as an actor and director, and a close reading of his most famous film Bicycle Thieves.