Italian Neorealism Genre

Documentaries are a form of realistic cinema that is often used to deliver emotional messages based upon the elements of truth and genuineness as opposed to beauty through manipulation. Italianamerican, a traditional film directed by Martin Scorsese, aims to depict the lives of his parents as they grew up in their neighborhood on Elizabeth Street through a series of questions answered by Catherine and Charlie Scorsese themselves. From these personal recounts, sociological and ethnological issues such as the struggles of Italian immigration and assimilation to American soil along with the similarities and differences between second-generation Italian-Americans and their immigrant parents are gradually revealed. The discussed traditions and customs

The 1940’s were a time of war and then prosperity for Americans, not only in wealth but in a chance for a better education and social economic status. Films went from patriotic during the war to a more realistic portrayal towards the end of the war in 1945. By the second half of the 1940's, with an injection of expatriate directors trained in the German visual evocation of emotion to the French poetic realistic films, a new style of films were about to emerge. A similar change was also happening in reality, from the hope of the formation of the United Nations to the start of the Cold War.

With the historical importance of its time with the war ending Rossellini wanted to show what the citizens of Italy had to endure, the working class life and of the struggles the people have to go through and social conditions, one of the major aspects of the film Open City was that Rossellini used nonprofessional actor in anticipating the real expressions and feelings of the character, he wanted to show the raw film and the realistic faces and the genuine emotions of the actors in where they showcased the way the character felt, where there acting was more real, where the character acted in accordance to their emotions of the after effect of the war in which this was a personal effect on the characters. Italian Neorealism came about as World War II ended and Benito Mussolini's government fell, causing the film industry to lose its idea and the foundations of the film, the majority of the films needed to be very carefully written and directed

The Italian Renaissance was a time for great cultural change and achievements, which began in Italy approximately during the 13th century and lasted up until the 16th century. It marked the transition between the Dark Ages and Early Modern Europe. The European Renaissance originated in Central Italy, and centered in the city of Florence.i The distinctive characteristics of northern Italian states such as art, literature, philosophy, and culture produced an atmosphere of learning and artistic expression.

The Italian and Northern Renaissance share a few common things in terms of their artwork. However, they also have many differences. I will be focusing on the differences between these two renaissances. Some of the differences include the main forms of medium that they used, their subject matter, and what each era was known for. I will be talking about these three differences, and will also provide examples.

there was a sort of cultural dominance taking place by the outsiders. the Old European culture was dying it was being lost and the American culture was infiltrating in. judt acknowledgesthat “ in more ways than most contemporaries could have foreseen, a new Europe was being born. (Judt, 237). he first introduces the German victims which he separates from the German aggressors, so we first get this picture of Germany destroyed and under occupation and then he states that the greedy Americans were coming in and using their cultural imperialism to change Europe. He 's almost trying to challenge all the different assumptions and narratives that people have on such a controversial view. The soviets and the Nazis are no longer the enemy in his narrative but the Americans are.the author comments that “American films flooded into Italy in time for the pivotal 1948 elections; Paramount was encouraged by

Consider the intricate sociopolitical climate of Italy just before the film’s release in 1948. Italy would hold its first election after almost twenty years of rule, Benito Mussolini was overthrown as head of Fascism and prime minister of the Italian government on July 15, 1943. The political framework of the Italians

Italian neorealism (1945-1953), through directors like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica, made its trademark on cinematic history not only in Italy, but also throughout the world. It was films such as Rome Open City (Roma città aperta, 1945), The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette, 1948), and Umberto D., (1952) whose style of depicting the harsh economic and social realities of the poor and working class of Italy took off as a new cinematic style after World War II. Neorealism is a response to desperate economic situations and often illustrates suffering, poverty, injustice, and/or discrimination. Many argue that neorealism is a way of seeing reality without prejudice due to the documentary-like technique of the film and its ability

Both Hitler Youth Quex by Hans Steinhoff and Rome, Open City by Roberto Rossellini interrogate the domestic lives of women under the Fascist regimes. These two films rely upon two different visions of womanhood that form part of German and Italian Fascism 's propaganda. These prevailing images divide women into two possible camps: one is cosmopolitan, decadent, and sterile, which Gerda in the Hitler Youth Quex represents; while the other is national, floridly and robust, Pina in the Rome, Open City represents. The former symbolic of modernity, was an obvious threat to the regime 's efforts to enfold women in the economic and social structures demanded by German Fascism. The latter, however, encapsulates the regime 's efforts to boost population growth and to remove the women from competition with the men in the labor force. To depict these two female camps, both films oscillate between subjective and objective forms of camera work and uses characters ' dressing to reveal different female images. In Hitler Youth Quex, Steinhoff focuses on Gerda 's legs and feet, while, Rossellini catches the body and facial expressions of Pina. Also, both film use the amorous dressing of Gerda in Hitler Youth Quex and the old-fashioned dressing of Pina in Rome, Open City as corollaries of Gerda 's frivolity and Pina 's conservativeness. With the traditional women propaganda, the fascism reserves and broadcast worldwide its core value of women

The film portrays Tokyo after the destruction caused by World War III. Tokyo has now turned into neo-Tokyo, a dystopian society built from the ruins. In just thirty years the government has managed to help build the economy up, allowing the city to prosper. With all of this progress and prosperity, the people have become self centered, making a social and economic gap. The gap has grown so significant that the wealthy cling to what money they have and those on the bottom suffer with nothing. There does not seem to be much help from city officials, as well. They only focus on their own advancement, which causes problems for the citizens. Riots occur in the streets and gangs are becoming more violent resulting in terrorizing the good citizens.

In Italy, directors focused on the moral and economic conditions that came with the postwar generation quickly after the war and addressed the war instead of not acknowledging as German cinema did for so long. Unlike Alice in the Cities and The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, films such as Bicycle Thieves depicted dislocation during the postwar period in the Neorealist style, made in 1948, this film differs greatly from the two former films discussed. In Bicycle Thieves, Vittorio De Sica delivers a political message regarding the difficulty of survival in postwar Italy, but also conveys a sense of psychological dislocation through the character development of Antonio Ricci. In many ways, Italy’s economy is much to blame for Ricci’s two-year unemployment in which the film begins, however, Ricci has as many internal struggles as he does externally. Neorealism lies heavily on the depiction of real life problems depicting common people and often used people from the street as actors, in this film the man who played Ricci, Lamberto Maggiorani, actually was a factory worker, which helps solidify the film’s authenticity. Towards the end of Bicycle Thieves, Ricci’s efforts to retrieve his stolen bicycle fail when the people that live near the boy who stole it side with the epileptic boy as he has a

​Released in 1988 by director Giuseppe Tomatore, “Cinema Paradiso” follows the life of a young boy in Italy who dreams of being a filmmaker. The road the boy, who eventually becomes a famous Italian film director named Salvatore Di Vita, takes to reach his goal is difficult and includes many sacrifices and trade-offs. Today, the film is widely regarded as one of the most popular foreign films ever to be released in the United States. Given that foreign films are fairly common in America, it is fair to consider why “Cinema Paradiso” received such critical acclaim, as well as relative mainstream popularity. “Cinema Paradiso” received critical and popular praise because the film includes several timeless themes

When Ida and Urbano Fellini bore their first son, Federico, they must have known that he would be far from a calm easygoing person. On the evening of January 20, 1940, the weather at the seaside resort of Rimini on the Adriatic coast of Italy, was not pleasant. There was thunder, lightning, high seas, winds, and heavy rains; quite a setting for the entrance of one who was to be regarded as one of the greatest film directors in history.

It was a beautiful day in Rome, Italy. The sky was a clear, baby blue and the weather was warm, just hot enough to need a fan in the August day. People were walking on the streets, hand gestures everywhere as if they are so passionate about what they are talking about. I hear ‘Ciao Bella’ and ‘buongiorno’ from the friendly Italians I come across. I know what they are saying and find myself laughing, the mere sound of the language amuses me. Walking down the street, I took note of the siesta time, also known as riposo time in Italy. The stores and restaurants close down from noon until about 3:00 pm, giving people the time to go home and rest or take care of other things. From my room in my hotel, I noticed the acoustics in the city are

Early neo-realist films such as Rossellini’s ‘Rome Open City’ (1945). Which received the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival contained many of these elements which are associated with neo-realist cinema. However Rossellini was also able reverse the ideological and cultural emphasis of the film as discussed by Bondanella: