Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2026 - HUM 333W B100

Italian Films, Italian Humanities (4)

Shooting the Mafia

Class Number: 2018

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 11 – Jun 19, 2026: Tue, Fri, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Jun 26, 2026
    Fri, 1:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores the representation of modern Italy through the medium of film. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Shooting the Mafia



This seminar makes an offer you can’t refuse: studying the Sicilian Mafia through Italian cinema.   

Since the end of World War II, Italian filmmakers have taken a sustained interest in the Sicilian Mafia (a.k.a. Cosa Nostra), Italy’s most notorious crime syndicate, and represented it in cinematically diverse ways. The stories that they put on screen draw upon and experiment with a variety of forms, including the Italian “western,” political/investigative cinema, black comedy, melodrama, the police procedural, the biopic, contemporary art cinema and the social-justice film. Their dynamic approaches to exploring the problem of organized crime in contemporary Italy differ – often significantly – from Hollywood mafia films with which you may be more familiar. 

To sharpen our skills of critical thinking, we will approach our subject in two complementary ways. First, we will read and contextualize our films as audio-visual histories, examining how the Mafia emerged in Sicily and why it flourished; why it has remained an endemic scourge in Italian society for so long; and the extent to which anti-mafia campaigns have succeeded in curbing its influence over time. Second, we will analyze our films as humanistic texts, interpreting their authors’ narrative and aesthetic strategies and, in turn, filmmakers’ contribution to historical knowledge, cultural debate, and civic action through their artistic works.  

For this “blended” intersession course, you will watch two films out of class each week (one for Tuesday class, the other for Friday). Films will be streamed on Canvas and subtitled in English. To situate films in their social and political contexts, supplemental readings will be assigned each week.  

No background in Italian or film studies is necessary. 

Grading

  • In-class participation 33.3%
  • Writing portfolio 33.3%
  • Final exam 33.4%

NOTES:

This course fulfills the Global Humanities requirements for the  

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

John Dickie, Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia

This text will not be sold via the SFU Bookstore but is widely available online. The e-book can be purchased on amazon.ca and Google Play for $1. A new paperback costs about $27.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.