Paisa

"Paisa" or "Paisan" is a film by the great Roberto Rossellini. It is the second film in is War Trilogy series and was filmed in 1946. It is a unique film in that it isn't one story, but several, each told in a short episode. This is not to say that the stories are unrelated, because that isn't the case, it just isn't what I (along with plenty of other Americans) are used to. The six episodes that make up the film span from when the Allies landed in Italy in 1943 to the end of the WWII. Narration is done in between episodes so the audience knows what is happening at that time in the war in Italy. The title, Paisan, is (according to dictionary.com) another name for a compatriot or friend.

The first episode is a story about a troop of American soldiers who land on a beach in Italy at night. They come upon an Italian village where they ask of the whereabouts of the Germans. None of the villagers speak English and only one of the soldiers, the son of an Italian immigrant, can speak Italian. They manage to get a young woman from the village to lead them past the German land mines to a safe spot (a ruined castle). Once there, most of the soldiers scout on ahead and leave one man in charge of the girl at the castle. He speaks no Italian, except for a few words he'd picked up in the US, but pours out some deep inner thoughts to her that she gets a sense of. A small troop of German soldiers wound the American soldier, who is then hidden by the girl. The Germans investigate the castle, find the girl and say they mean her no harm (though they cast lots for who "gets" her first). She, in grief over the now dead American, shoots at the Germans. The episode ends with the American's returning and thinking the young woman killed him while the Germans, at a distance from the castle, execute the girl.

The second episode takes place in the busy port of Naples. A drunk African American soldier is taken around the city by a boy. The soldier reveals his troubled thoughts, though the boy speaks no English. The boy then steals the soldier's boots while he is asleep. The soldier later finds the boy and demands his boots back. When the boy takes him to where he lives, the man is overcome with the sight of so many homeless and poor and leaves the boots.

The third episode begins in Rome with the Germans being driven out the victorious and welcomed American soldiers arrive. It then goes forward six months to a tavern filled with women and drunken soldiers. A beautiful Italian woman takes one of the drunken soldiers home with her and wants to "be with him," but he says to leave him alone, all the Italian women are "the same now". He then tells her about a woman he first met in Rome and we see his flashback. The same Italian woman greets the new American soldier and asks him into her home for some water. They talk and really hit things off since she knows English and he Italian. She says to come back and he promises he will. The story comes back to the present where the woman is telling the soldier that the woman he loved waited for him and where he can find her now. She leaves before he wakes up and puts her address on a piece of paper. Later that day, the American is leaving Rome for good and throws the paper away. The story ends with the woman waiting in the rain in front of her house for the soldier who never turns up.

The fourth episode occurs in Florence which is half controlled by the Allies and the other half by the Germans. An Italian man and an American nurse (a previous resident of Florence) team up to try and find their loved ones in the German occupied part of the city. They go through the war torn city, crouched and being shot at. They refuse to let anyone deter them from their goal. It ends with the man running off being shot at and the nurse comforting a dying man who informs her that the man she is looking for is dead.

The next episode takes place at a Monastery in Italy (perhaps Assisi?) where Franciscan monks live. The Germans are gone and they praise God for his deliverance. Three American Army Chaplains show up, ask for shelter and are welcomed. The monks live very simple, pious lives and are horrified to find out one of the chaplains is a Protestant and another a Jew. The speak to the Catholic man about saving his friends' souls. The episode concludes at dinner where the monks are fasting to save the "lost souls" of the two men and the Catholic chaplain thanking the monks for giving his heart peace.

The final episode is a story about American soldiers and Italian Partisians fighting the Germans together, behind the lines. All the men, both American and Italian seem to get along and the American speak Italian. The Americans receive orders to cease activity and get out, however they can. The entire unit ends up getting captured by Germans, though some have died fighting or taken their own lives rather than be captured. The German officer tells the Americans that they are prisoners of war but that they don't recognize the Italian Partisians as such. The story concludes with the Italian men being bound and thrown overboard to drown.

All in all, this film is extremely depressing. None of the stories have happy endings, but I think the director was trying to show that in war, there aren't happy endings. It was very insightful to see the different ways the Italians and Americans related to one another, varying from no communication to camaraderie. All the episodes focused on the relationship of these two groups of people and showed how the war effected both. It was a good film, though not a happy one.

Who Cares About Italian Neorealism?!? (AKA: The Impact of Italian Neorealism on World Cinema)

Maybe you've been reading this blog and thinking, "All right, so Italian Neorealism was important for Italians back in the day, but what is the point of watching a bunch of black and white depressing movies for me today?" Well, I would say to you that, first of all, it's important for human beings to understand the histories of other people and other countries, if for no other reason than to put our own history into perspective. But, let's assume for the sake of argument that I don't believe that, and nobody else does, either. Forget history altogether! Who cares! Then what's the point of The Bicycle Thief? What's the point of Rome, Open City? Who cares about Shoeshine? The article "'A Poetics of Refusals': Neorealism from Italy to Africa" shows exactly why Italian Neorealism matters to the film world (and our world) today.

First of all, Gabara makes the point that Italian Neorealism made such an impact and a point against traditional Hollywood cinema (and Italian cinema at that time) because it refused to take part in certain conventions. For example, the directors of the films usually cast non-actors for the main roles. The films were shot on the streets as opposed to in studios. Things like that. Without the context of other films that did do those things, the choices the Italian Neorealists made don't really matter. That's what she means when she refers to it as a "poetics of refusals." The Italians, trying to find an identity for Italy without the black mark of facism, refused the status quo of movie making to show what "their" Italy was really like.

Fast forward to Spain in the 1960s. Spanish filmmakers were attempting to distance themselves from Americans and Europeans, and so, similarly to the Italian Neorealists, rejected traditional ways of telling stories. However, although they admired the way that Italian Neorealists made their films, they could not really identify with them as a movement because they were trying to distance themselves from Europe. As a result, those Spanish filmmakers called those in the Neorealist movement a kind of enemy. This initially seems a kind of betrayal; after all, it was the Neorealists who showed that things like non-professional acting or limited soundtracks were not necessarily the mark of a poor film, inspiring Spanish filmmakers to make do with the equipment they had. Once you think about it though, it makes sense. The Spanish filmmakers called what they made "third cinema," distinguishing themselves from "first cinema," which would be something like Inception, but also from "second cinema" which is non-traditional, but still "artsy" and, in a way, pretentious. The Italian Neorealists could have made "first cinema" because they had the resources, but they chose not to. Third cinema makes a conscious decision to make do with available resources.

The ideas behind third cinema have translated to African filmmaking. One of the main directors mentioned in the article sounded a little familiar to me, and I realized that Sembene was the director of Xala, and once I realized that, I could make the connection between Xala and Italian Neorealist films. The films all focus primarily on social issues, and highlight the disparities between classes. They are also shot in a simple way, and "seem" realistic. There isn't a lot of dramatic action or lighting or makeup; the people in the film seem like they just happen to be living their lives in front of the camera. African filmmakers, although they might identify with Italian Neorealists, face the same problem that Spanish filmmakers faced: when trying to establish a cultural identity, it isn't the best idea to use another culture's filmic movements as the basis for your own. So African films are different from Italian Neorealist films. Still, they focus on the same kinds of things, like power struggles and poverty, and all seek to establish their own cultural identity. They just take a similar style in doing so.

So that's why you should care about Italian Neorealism. The films of other countries are inspired by this historic movement. Xala might seem to be like a slow-moving film, but when we realize why it goes at that pace, and why it focuses so much on the mundane, I think we can better appreciate why those stylistic choices were made, and we are able to become better citizens of the world.

Gabara, Rachel. "‘A Poetics of Refusals’: Neorealism from Italy to Africa." Quarterly Review
     of Film and Video 23.201 (2006): 201-213. Web. 13 Apr 2011.

Umberto D.

When I go to the movies, I don't usually go because I want to be shown how I should live my life. I don't go to expose myself to the way that those less fortunate than I am are forced to live their lives. It isn't that I don't care about those things, because I do care a lot. It isn't even that I don't think that movies should do those things, because I think that, ideally, movies should expose us to ways of living that are different from our own, and show us new things about ourselves and the world. Still, when I go to the movies, I want to escape. I want to laugh and have a good time and not worry about the fact that I have to have movie critiques posted on a blog by a certain date. I don't think it would be unrealistic for me to say that most people go to the movies with that expectation. If people went to the movies only because they wanted to better themselves in some way, then I don't think that anyone would have gone to see Twilight, or even Vampires Suck. (Let's face it; I saw both of those movies, and I can't see them having made anyone a better person for having watched them.)
Still, just because people don't go to the movies to make themselves aware of the disparities between social classes doesn't mean that the people who make movies don't want people to do just that. If you've been reading this blog, I'm sure you recognize by this point (unless you started reading at the top and are working your way down, in which case you will recognize this in short order) that Italian Neorealist films were made for just that purpose. Instead of focusing on the rich, they focus on the poor. Instead of focusing on the young, they focus on the old. That is the case with Umberto D, a film directed by Vittorio de Sica later in the movement. The film pits the younger, rich, socialite landlady against Umberto, a poor retired old man. The narrative itself does this, but the film also uses visual tropes and cinematic devices to show us their struggle as well.
The film starts out with a crowd of older men protesting the fact that they don't get enough money from the government for their pensions. Umberto is in the crowd, basically because his rich landlady, Antonia Belloni, is trying to drive him out of her house by making the rent higher and higher, and now he owes her 15,000 lira, more than he can hope to afford. When we get to the boarding house, we are introduced to Antonia for the first time, and she is obviously meant to be a foil. That is, her primary features are the opposite of Umberto's. Umberto is contrasted with his landlady most noticeably at the surface level. She wears fancy clothing, where he dresses conservatively. Her hair is always perfectly styled, whereas Umberto, though clean and well-groomed, is a little haggard-looking. In addition to their surface differences, their values are also deeply different.

Umberto D and his dog, Flike

Umberto seems to be fairly conservative. He has worked hard in his life, and he holds traditional moral values. Not so with Antonia, who has been renting out his room by the hour as a discrete place for married couples to have affairs. Umberto is scandalized by this. He is shocked to find people in his room, and is shocked to discover from the maid, his only human friend, that it is a common occurrence. At the same time, even though Umberto is dismayed to hear that the maid is not only pregnant out of wedlock, but is sexually involved with two men, he is supportive of her. He offers to force the men to do right by her, and offers advice to Maria, the maid. On the other hand, Maria fears that Antonia will fire her if she finds out about the pregnancy, even though Antonia is far from scrupulous in sexual matters. Umberto is moral, even though he is one of the lesser members of society, but he also cares about people who do not abide by his morality. Antonia is neither moral nor caring.
Umberto's friendships, the few that he has, are also more meaningful than Antonia's. At one point, Maria confides in Umberto that Antonia is only interested in her fiance because he owns a movie theater and would be able to get her tickets for free. Umberto’s two best friends are the maid, who is barely able to provide for herself, and his dog, Flike, neither of whom are able to help him materially in any way, not does he expect them to do anything other than provide him with company.

The socialite landlady.

The shots are set up to pit Umberto and Antonia against each other, as well. In one scene in particular, Umberto has a conversation with Antonia, and she is shown from a low angle to be standing at the top of the staircase. The shot of Umberto is at eye level, but he is lower in the screen, and also lower down the staircase than Antonia. She holds the power in the relationship, but it is Umberto with whom we empathize. Our empathy is heightened by the ratio of close ups between the two. Umberto, and even Maria, are often shown at close range, often considering a painful choice they are considering. Antonia is never shown at close range, and is also never shown with any truly human emotions. During this time, it was more common for members of the wealthy class to be portrayed positively, and the poor were shown negatively. This is exactly the opposite of what happens in Umberto D.
I think the film accomplished what it sets out to do. It's a very sad movie, and I certainly wouldn't go see it to escape from my problems, but it isn't overly preachy, either. Umberto, although a good person, is thoroughly human and not infallible. He's kind of a grumpy old man. He is not angelic. He calls Antonia "a bitch," which is definitely not the traditionally moral thing for him to do. But Umberto D helped me to empathize with a character who was much older than I am, and in a much different circumstance, which few films do well. In fact, the only movie I've seen recently in which I identified with an older male character was Up! If nothing else, this film is worth watching because it does offer such a different view, and broadened my ability to empathize with others.

Spoiler Alert! The endings of Italian Neo-realist films

One of the things I've really noticed about all of the Italian Neo-Realist films I've watched is that the endings are very similar, both narratively and stylistically. For example, the first film that I watched was The Bicycle Thief, which ends with the character of the father attempting to steal another bicycle so that he will be able to keep his job and take care of his family. Here is a clip.


The entire time you're watching, you know exactly what is going to happen. The father is going to try to steal the bike, but it's not going to work out. Still, De Sica makes us sit through the entire ordeal, repeatedly cutting back to the son's crying face, and the father's expression of (at first) his conflicted feelings about his actions and then the resignation that he is going to have to resort to theft. Although the man who he tried to steal the bicycle from lets him off the hook, the end of the film is not happy, because we are left wondering how on earth the father will be able to provide for his family when he has no way of doing his job without a bicycle.

The next film I watched, Umberto D, had a very similar ending. In it, an old man is trying to survive in a society where he is no longer considered useful or valuable. He attempts to commit suicide, but is stopped at the last second when his dog runs away from him.


Once again, the ending is bittersweet. Although Umberto is able to win back the affection of his dog (his only friend) and does not decide to end his life, he is left without any options. He is homeless, jobless and friendless. He is alive, but his future is far from bright.

Shoeshine, the next film on the list, wasn't exactly any brighter. I couldn't find a clip of the ending, but basically what happens is two boys, Giuseppe and Pasquale, who were best friends get into a fight because, while they were in jail for a crime that Giuseppe's brother committed, Pasquale told the authorities that it was the brother who committed the crime. As a result, the boys get into a fight which escalates to the point where Pasquale accidentally kills Guiseppe. Once again, during the last 20 minutes or so of the movie, I was able to predict that the fight was going to escalate to that point, and winced during each and every scene the two boys were in together.

The final movie is Germany, Year Zero. In this film, a family living in Germany after the Second World War struggles to get by as their father wastes away from an unidentified illness. The youngest son, Edmund, is eventually persuaded by a former teacher that the best thing for him to do is to put his father out of his misery, and poisons him. When he confesses his crime to the teacher, the man turns on him, saying that he never said that at all, and calling Edmund a monster. Edmund is filled with remorse, and throws himself out the window of a ruined building across the street from where he lives.



In all of these endings, the viewer is completely aware that something terrible is about to happen, but neither De Sica (the director of the first three films) nor Rossellini (the director of the last) allows the audience to look away from the tragedy that is unfolding. The films use long shots that don't look away from the tragedy that is going on. That is, I think, the entire point of these endings. They aren't surprising, just like the ending of Romeo and Juliet isn't surprising. They are long and drawn out, and all the more tragic because of it. The reason the Italian Neorealist movement happened was because filmmakers were tired of the false happy endings that Hollywood was providing, and they wanted to show everyone what the "real world" was actually like. In the real world, children are driven to acts of violence, and suicide is one way that people consider to get out of their horrible life situations. Instead of trying to soften the blow of these tragic events, Italian Neorealist directors seek to show an unblinking account of what happens when people are driven to the ends of their ropes. You can't cut away from tragedy in real life, and so the directors choose not to take that option in their films. And that's the crux of Italian Neorealism.

Italian Neorealist Cinema: an Aesthetic Approach

In Christopher Wagstaff’s Italian Neorealist Cinema review he takes a look at the three neorealist films Open City, Paisa and Bicycle Thieves. He discussed how these films were the part of the core films from this genre and how neorealist cinema has represented the foundational story of Italian cinema. The article discusses how it is the “moral responsibility” of Italian Neo-realism to document the Nazi occupation, the resistance and the reconstruction of the world after the war. I think that’s a great way to put it. These films were made with the intention of the world understanding what happened during this time period and giving the audience a realistic view of what post war really looked like.

Wagstaff also talks about some of the themes that are typical in neo-realist films. This includes the long shots of the scenery, prostitution of woman and even the unevenness in the sound recording. He says that this “works to disorient the viewer”, which I can certainly see to be true. All of these observations have been present in the movies I have seen on my own and with our group. We see the remains of the land and the desperation in the faces of the people whether they are the main characters or just extras walking by. Women stoop to humiliating levels to provide and the sounds of the movie are not easily understood. This all makes me more attentive to understanding each plot.

Wagstaff concludes by saying “it might be appropriate to consider Neorealism as a mode that spans texts, periods and cultures rather than as a set of techniques.” I would have to agree. With over fifty-five neorealist films, the message is much deeper than just the similar styles and a reflection of Italian cinema. It’s about the moral responsibility.

Nazis and Drifters: The Containment of Radical (Sexual) Knowledge in Two Italian Neorealist Films by Terri Ginsberg

This article by Terri Ginsberg was a challenging read. The author suggests that Italian Neorealist films use radical/sexual themes to portray deeper, sociopolitical themes & patriarchal/capitalism hegemony. Hegemony (something the author expects the reader to know) is when when the dominant group uses it's power over other groups in society. It can be political, economic, cultural or ideological power. Ginsberg claims that the Neorealists supported & helped exert the power of a patriarchal, capitalist society. The two films he uses as examples are Rome, Open City directed by Roberto Rosselini & Ossessione directed by Luchino Visconti.

Ginsberg begins by explaining that the best way to critically read these films is to look at the way homosexuality (verses heterosexuality) are portrayed in these films. He says that, rather then representing material sexuality, the use of homosexuality in these films is an "indicator of all that is wrong with society the signifier of the transgression of bourgeois humanist mores." However, though it shows what is wrong in society, it is shown as never being a real threat to the "system" aka bourgeois society.

Rome, Open City is the first film analyzed. In Roma, homosexuality is used in a way that suggest "psychic ambivalence," or an inability to choose a role. This fickle attitudede is in contrast with heterosexuality where gender roles are stable. In the film, homosexuality plays a role in the relationship between Ingrid (an agent for the Gestapo, a Nazi) & Marina (an actress & informant of Ingrid's). Their homosexualities are allegories for the socially & politically "sinful" activities they are involved with. The way Ingrid is first presented is significant to how the audience perceives (perhaps subconsciously) her role. She is first shown as only a reflection in the mirror Marina is looking in. This reflection shows that Ingrid has no depth is only a representation of the "imperialist exploitation" taking place, a stereotypical, heartless Nazi. Therefore, Nazism can be seen as not a material phenomenon, but as sexual perversion - bringing up the audience's negative feelings about such things. Marina is not a Nazi or a German though, she is an Italian. She is shown as being guilt ridden & vulnerable, giving her a character with more depth & more easily empathized with. She is shown as being the one seduced by Ingrid, suggestion perhaps that Italy's compliance with Nazism was a moment of weakness & not of character. Marina is also shown swaying between homosexuality & heterosexuality, since she is in love with a man as well as having a relationship with Ingrid. Marina is portrayed as delicate & feminine, while Ingrid is portrayed in a more masculine light. By showing the relationship in this way, homosexuality is seen as a ridiculous impossible love that is ultimately no threat to the patriarchal dominance.

What's interesting is that there is one other portrayal of homosexuality in this film. The gestapo, Major Bergman, is implicitly homosexual. Unlike the female same-sex relationship however, the gestapo is single & has no partner. Therefore, it seems to point to the fact that female sexuality is a greater threat to "hegemonic stability" than male sexuality.

Ginsberg also analyzes the film Ossessione. He suggests that it is an allegorical representation of Christian democracy & Italian communism. These two views are posed as the only conceivable stances to take since they are politically organized, while anything other that is politically radical is inconceivable. This is shown through the homosexual relationship between Gino (drifter) & Lo Spagnuolo (traveling performer, "citizen of the world") in contrast to the heterosexual relationship of Gino & Giovanna (a married woman). The homosexuality shown deals with a drifter & is thus showing the futility & harm of drifting aka not choosing one of the preferred paths before mentioned. Gino, just like Marina, is constantly swinging between a homosexual & heterosexual orientation. He has relationships with both a man (Lo Spagnuolo) & a woman (Giovanna). The heterosexual relationship is much more complicated than the homosexual one. It also is conjoined with the "dominant ideological structures" such as Giovanna's wife. The homosexual relationship seems to almost be a relationship between alter egos, which is destructive, pointless & unrealistic. It shows that the heterosexual, patriarchal dominant system is clearly the better choice. Gino is directionless & must choose which path to take (choice being significant in a capitalistic economy). The relationship between the two men is also shown to be amoral & wrong (allegorically) when Lo Spagnuolo admits his pseuodonym & thus his falsity, to the police. Therefore, heterosexuality, a metaphor for an organized, patriarchal economy, is the only position that is able to be expressed.

Citation:

Nazis and Drifters: The Containment of Radical (Sexual) Knowledge in Two Italian Neorealist Films. Author: Terri GinsbergSource: Journal of the History of Sexuality, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Oct., 1990), pp. 241-261. Published by: University of Texas

Encountering "the real" in the films of Roberto Rossellini

I don't know about you, but reading dense academic articles about foreign films is my idea of a good time. In the article “Encounters in the real: subjectivity and its excess in Roberto Rossellini,” film and psychoanalytical expert Fabio Vighi takes a look at the films of famous Italian director Roberto Rossellini. We've watched two Rossellini films so far (Rome, Open City and Germany, Year Zero), and the article mentions both of them. Vighi takes a psychoanalytical approach to viewing the films, drawing heavily on the work of 20^th century psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan.

I have to admit that this article was incredibly hard to understand. The author wrote in an impenetrable academic style that made my eyes gloss over on more than one occasion. From what I gather, Vighi's main premise was that Rossellini's films, especially Rome, Open City and Paisà, are best viewed through a psychoanalytic lens. The main characters in the films “encounter the real” in tragic ways that allow them to overcome their subjective limitations and die heroically...or something like that.

The article dealt a lot with the term jouissance, which comes from the magical realm of Lacanian psychoanalysis. Since it was used about a hundred times, I decided I should look up what the term meant so I could feel slightly better about myself. Turns out the term is synonymous with pleasure or enjoyment. The author of the article was basically arguing that the characters came to terms with their desire in each of Rossellini's films. The author also pointed out the sexual tension that existed between male and female characters and how Rossellini depicts the impossibility of communication between the sexes. I found this section of the article to be the easiest to understand, primarily because it dealt with some ideas I've already been exposed.

Overall, this article provided a lot of insight into the sheer depth and complexity of film criticism. It also made me feel incredibly dumb. It's amazing to know that academics who seriously study film have intense conversations full of polysyllabic words about aspects of films that I never even think about. So next time you watch one of Rossellini's films, apparently you should have a psychology textbook and a graduate degree in psychoanalytic theory with you, just to be on the safe side.

Germany Year Zero

Germany Year Zero was filmed in 1948 as the final chapter to director Roberto Rossellini’s War Trilogy.  According to the criterion collection, Rossellini was one of the most influential film makers of all time and his works came to define the neorealist movement.  The review suggest that by being“shot in battle-ravaged Italy and Germany, these three films are some of our most lasting, humane documents of devastated postwar Europe, containing universal images of both tragedy and hope.”

This film is titled “Year Zero” to correlate with “Anno Zero” which identifies the time when new currency was introduced, and the economy started again from scratch. Each German family was given the same small amount of money to rebuild their lives and their country. Glimpses of the black market, prostitution and the destroyed city are portrayed in scene after scene. The desperation of the people is displayed as the people jokes about jumping in the graves they’re digging and scavenge after the meat of a fallen horse.

Specifically, the film frames the young character Edmund in the disheartening story set in the actual post World War II Berlin. Between the sister who is caring for their ill father and his ex-Nazi brother in hiding, Edmund is forced to be the man of the house in order to help his family survive. He drops out of school in hopes of finding work, only to be denied this desire because of his young age. When this plan falls through, Edmund rummages the city in search of any means of employment or food. 

It is after running into a previous teacher, that Edmund finds himself taking desperate measures in order to support his family. At age twelve, he is too naive to understand the remaining presence of the Nazi regime and the danger of their thinking. With each attempt, he fails and finds himself in a bigger dilemma than before. This is emphasized when he misunderstands his teacher’s Nazi speech about the survival of the stronger and makes the bold decision to poison his father’s food so that he will no longer be a burden to his starving family. When his teacher denies ever giving Edmund the suggestion of murder, he enters a state of overwhelming guilt. As he moves to the top of an abandoned building, he sees no other choice than to end his own life.

One review suggests that Germany Year Zero “hammers the audience with an unpalatable truth: the ones who suffered most as a result of the scourge of Nazism are the German people themselves."This is clearly evident in the lives of the families and the state of desperation that shadows the nation.

Bellissima

Bellissima is a black-and-white Italian Neo-Realism film that was made 1951. The opening scene portrays hundreds of girls, ages six to eight, rushing to be the first in line at the tryouts. One girl will be chosen from the tryouts to be in the next film. Meanwhile one mother is desperately looking for her daughter Maria. Finally the mother finds Maria by the pool, and yells at her for disappearing. The mother believes it is too late for Maria to tryout, until one of the directors tells her that the auditions are not over. The mother demands that Maria tries out for the part.

Meanwhile the father is worried about them because they are never home after dark. Upon arriving home the mother says that they went to the city, but the father does not believe her. Eventually she ends up telling the truth. The father is not pleased, but he knows that he cannot change his wife’s wishes. Next, the film shows how the mother is always working, so that she can pay for the expanses. Also, the mother makes Maria take acting lessons from a retired actress. Maria wants nothing to do with anything concerning film. Next, the mother demands that Maria gets her picture taken, but Maria cries instead of smiles. Eventually the father asks Maria what is wrong, and she tells him that she does not want to be in film. Since, the mother is not very successful, she wants Maria to be famous to make up for it. Everything the mother does is to get Maria into film. Maria still does not want any part of it.

After several acting and dance lessons, the mother believes that Maria is ready to go to the screen test. The screen test displays how individuals will act while being taped. At first, Maria is fine with the screen test. Then she sees the camera and starts to cry. Meanwhile the mother is watching the screen test, and becomes upset that everyone is laughing at her daughter. The mother is heartbroken, and realizes that all her dreams are destroyed. Maria and her mother go to a park, but lose track of time. Finally, they return home, only to find the film contractors in the kitchen. The film director states how he needs a girl that can show emotion, and Maria is the best one for the part. Maria’s mother is upset with the film director. In fact, she tells him to leave the house, and that Maria will never be in film. This film demonstrates how individuals have to be themselves. People should not try to live their life through someone else.

A Visual Journey through Italian Neo-Realism

Here's a link to a video about Italian Neo-Realism we found on YouTube. It provides a look at a number of the key figures in the movement. Enjoy!

 

Source: YouTube.com - User: dakrew01

Italian Neorealism: A Mirror Construction of Reality by: Ben Lawton

Italian Neorealism can be loosely defined as a trend or movement in Italian art, literature, and cinema (Lawton). This term first appeared in an essay written by Arnaldo Bocelli in 1930, but it was not until after World War Two that neorealism reached its peak. Neorealist art, literature, and cinema inherited the reality of everyday life, and the differences between social classes. Also, this movement reflected the “Italian fascination with the American dream and its glorification of the limitless potential of the individual” (Lawton 9). Most of the Italian neorealism films were created between 1945 and 1951. Also, some of the major directors are Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio DeSica, and Luchino Visconti.

Some critics say that Obsession, Four Steps in the Clouds, The Children are Watching Us, and People of the Po are the beginning of the Italian Neorealist movement. Still others say that Rossellini’s Rome Open City was the first successful neorealist film. Often neorealist films will have the protagonists be individuals of the lower class, and the films will portray a documentary style. Also, neorealist films will use non professional actors to display reality of the situation. Some Italian films that were successful include: Paisa, In the Name of the Law, Bicycle Thieves, and Bitter Rice. Others such as: The Earth Will Shake, Shoeshine, Year Zero, Miracle in Milan, and Umberto D are considered classics, but they were not as successful.

Several of the films use details to reveal the misery of the lower class people. For example, in Rome Open City the crowded apartments, family squabbles, and the scarcity of food, and water describe some of the conditions people were forced to face The Germans were shown having control of the people (Lawton 12). On the other hand, some critics believe that this film does not reflect reality because it is filtered through creative minds, and it limited by several factors (Lawton 14). Another film is Paisa, which does not reflect the lower class breaking loose from higher authority, but reflects alienation of characters. Several of the actors in this film are “pursuing their personal concern” (Lawton 16). Paisa is known as “modern art” and requires the participation of the spectator (Lawton 16). Throughout both of these films the question of identifying the truth and reality is still in jeopardy.

One of the most important neorealist films is Bicycle Thieves. De Sica, the director, did not want his films to be influence by propaganda, and he worked hard to achieve his goal. The protagonists, setting, and narrative patterns were carefully planned to make everything seem natural (Lawton 17). For instance, several doors and shutters are closed to exclude the poor people that wander in the streets. At certain times through this film the filmmaker creates images that do not reflect reality. For example, when Antonio is deciding to whether or not to steal the bicycle the background shows two statues fighting. In reality the background image would not display what is going to happen in the film (Lawton 18). Also, De Sica took great care to not mix politics and art in his films.

In order to be successful in the future Italian Neorealism films need to remain open ended, slightly threatening, and interesting. Also, these films have to continue reflecting reality.

Lawton, Ben. "Italian Neorealism: A Mirror Construction of Reality." Film Criticism 3.2 (1978): 8-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.

The Penumbra of Neo-Realism

I read an article about the Italian Neorealism time period by Roger Hillman. "The Penumbra of Neorealism" is an article about a series of opera's and films that are can be compared and contrasted in light of Italian Cinema. Verdi is a national icon and a political alibi. He was a 19th century writer of national unification because of eviction of foreigners. The main issue was the Nazism as the "irrational myth" variant of Italian Fascism and the cultural war of Neorealism against Hollywood. There are 6 points that the author makes about this topic and how these specific opera's influenced this time in Italian Cinema.

1. Rossellini's ionic film Rome, Open City is a neorealism seminal for New Iranian Cinema and was made in 1987. It was an object of homage in Malle's "Au revoir les enfants". Carmine Gallone's "Before him all Rome Trembled" (1946) featured a Tusca production staged during the German occupation of Rome and premiered in Rome in 1900. This production brought unity to the opera stage! Gallone and Tosca's dramatic effectiveness fades at the end of Gallone's film. He implemented fascism, so he was banned for six months from production.

2. Before the Revolution is the next opera examined. It features Verdi's Macbeth where Fabrizio and Clelia are aurally experienced. His eternal fiance represents the bourgeois which he must leave. Clelia sleepwalks to show unreality, and they eventually marry. Death in the bosom of Clelia and the bourgeois shows that opera is the ultimate bourgeois institution. Macbeth was Verdi's last opera premiered to Italian audiences before the revolution of 1848.

3. La Stragegia del Ragno was written in 1970. An advanced stage of Fascism in Mussolini's Italy occurred in 1936 and was viewed through the prism of the watershed year for Europe of 1968. Draifa was the character that was the traitor to the Resistance cause recuperated by postwar mythology. His actions led to the postwar survival of Fascism. This movie taught the audience, through Cinema, that Fascism will never end. This was a very strong political message to be taught through a movie, but was common during this time. Cinematography of this film establishes a continuity between Athos Sr. and Jr. Anti-Fascist postwar Italy which proclaimed that there was no positive program but evoked negation.

4. Tonetti is featured in this section, and he establishes a balance between humorously ironic transfiguration of history into a timeless and a "serene northern Italian countryside". This Opera is well known for the positive view that it sheds on Italian landscape, and cinema.

5. Hollywood: Borge's film about the assassination of Lincoln is an interesting take on this historical event. The viewer does not witness the killing, but experiences the after-effects and psychology of the killing. He tries to keep the myths about these important events out of the story. Bertolucci's film seals the deal of the Italian nation. There is a total assimilation of Hollywood into popular culture announcing a dubbed film. Neorealism equals opera, and opera equals neorealism in this situation.

6. The Tavianis' valediction is the summation of historical and cultural memory of the 50's, 60's, and 70's, with reconciliation sought between feuding historical factions and competing myths of identity. When Verdi passed away, he took with him a particular stage of Italian cinematic national identity. He had such an influence on the Italian and world Cinema, that he left an impact.

Roger Hillman, "The Penumbra of Neorealism"

The Bicycle Thief

The Bicycle Thief was filmed in 1948 by director Vittorio De Sica, who also filmed the 1946 film Shoeshine. It is considered one of the foundational stones in the Italian Neo-Realism and also the most well known.

The film takes its audience to post World War II Rome where the people are in a state of despair and main character Antonio Ricci is in need of a job in hopes of supporting his family and pulling them out of their depression. When he finally receives a job, he is ashamed that he cannot take it because he does not own the necessary bicycle. After expressing this sadness to his wife, Maria, she quickly strips the sheets off their beds and decides to sell them so Antonio can buy a bike.

On his first day of work, Antonio finally has a sense of accomplishment. It is within the same day, however, that his spirits are once again crushed after a young man steals his bike and rides away. To fearful to face the realization of this truth, he tells his son Bruno that the bike is broken and goes to seek help before telling Maria. The remainder of the movie is spent following the father and son relationship unwind over the shared concern for finding the lost bicycle so Antonio can go back to work. The chase eventually comes to a gloomy ending, where the bike is never found and Antonio lowers himself to a bicycle thief to save the day.

The theme of overcoming desperation is revealed in the very beginning of the film when Antonio’s joy is restored by simply obtaining a job from the government. Throughout the film, this continues to be his one objective in finding happiness and supporting his family. He wishes to stand away from the poverty surrounding him and will stop at nothing until he reaches this goal. His persistence is shadowed by his son and as they travel together in search of a bicycle the truth of his life and the society around him is truly revealed.

This film reveals the ability that we all have to do heartless things to maintain our way of living. Desperate times call for desperate measures has never rung more true than it does in this film and in this post war era. Antonio Ricci discovers in one day’s time that there is no escaping the world and time period he is a part of.

Rome, Open City

Every movement has its beginning, and Italian neo-realism is no different. Directed by Roberto Rossellini, Rome, Open City is widely considered the first film in the Italian neo-realism movement. The film paints a dire picture of how ordinary Italians suffered during the Nazi occupation of Rome during World War II.

The film begins with Giorgio Manfredi, a leader of an Italian resistance group, on the run from the Gestapo in Rome. He takes refuge with his friend Francesco in his apartment. With the help of Don Pietro, a Catholic priest, Giorgio plots to escape Rome in order to continue his subversive activities against the Germans.

During his time, Rossellini bucked a number of filmmaking conventions by filming in real locations as opposed to using a fabricated set. Rome, Open City portrays real-life locations throughout the city of Rome, including scenes which take place in the street. According to a documentary that was included on the DVD of the film, shooting film in the street was viewed as “beneath” many filmmakers of the day.

Rome, Open City takes a number of twists and turns as Giorgio's escape unfolds. The film serves as a realistic and sometimes harsh depiction of life under Nazi rule, as the strength and solidarity that exists among families and friends is pitted against the cruel and overwhelming force of the German secret police. Loyalty and friendship are elevated to the highest importance during a time when torture and execution are the penalty for helping enemies of the state.

The characters in this film come across as real people. Pina, Francesco's fiancée, is a mother who has a child from a previous marriage. Her relationship with Francesco is filled with hope for the future and yet carries the weight of living in the midst of a war under an oppressive regime. This serves as a microcosm of the experience of the Italian people during World War II.

Gritty and depressing, Rome, Open City is a film that remains dramatic and (at times) suspenseful in spite of the technological limitations of 1940s cinema. It's incredible when you realize this movie was released in 1945, which was literally right after Italy was liberated by Allied forces. Created in the wake of a devastating war, the movie carries the sense of foreboding that must have permeated society at the time. Rossellini went on to make two other films—Paisà and Germany, Year Zero—in what became known as his “War Trilogy.” Rome, Open City, however, will always be recognized as the first Italian neo-realist film, one that inspired an entire movement within Italian cinema.

Sciuscia aka Shoeshine

The film "Sciuscia" or "Shoeshine" was made in 1946 in Italy. It was directed by the great Italian director, Vittorio De Sica. This movie follows a period in the lives of two boys who work as shoeshine boys in Rome. The boys' names are Pasquale & Giuseppe & the audience learns that they are good friends. The film begins by showing the two boys in a horse race & their love for the horse. They want to buy the horse but they don't have enough money.

Pasquale & Giuseppe decide to make some extra money delivering blankets to a woman from a friend of Giuseppe's older brother. While delivering the blankets to the woman, some men show up & hand the boys quite a bit of money if they'll leave & say they never saw anything happen. The boys take the money & buy the horse they've been dreaming of having.

A short while later, police arrest the boys after hearing they may have been involved in the sale of stolen goods. Both boys refuse to say they know anything & are thrown into juvenile prison.The prison if full of boys of all ages who have committed various crimes. Pasquale & Giuseppe are separated but make new friends in their cells.

Meanwhile, Giuseppe's older brother & his friends in crime decide to remind the boys not to talk by sending them a nice package of food. The package is recieved but only Giuseppe gets it. The boys are again questioned about the stolen goods & Pasquale finally talks because he thinks Giuseppe is being beaten. When Giuseppe finds out, he accuses Pasquale of being a "grass" & Pasquale is shunned by most of the boys.

The boys no longer speak & Giuseppe even gets Pasquale beaten for something he didn't do. Other boys in the prison who are Giuseppe's & Pasquale's friends try & get them to make up, but thanks to one older boy who is a big trouble maker, they don't.

The boys' case comes to trial & Giuseppe's family hires him a lawyer but since Pasquale is an orphan, he only has the public defender. Giuseppe's lawyer convinces him to blame everything on Pasquale which he agrees to do. Giuseppe is sentenced to a year in juvenile prison & Pasquale is sentenced to two.

Giuseppe's cell mate comes up with a plan to escape & he & all the cell mates try. Only Giuseppe & the older boy who made the plan get away. Pasquale hears what has happened & figures out that Giuseppe is going to take their horse & so tells the director of the prison. Pasquale is taken along on the trip to apprehend the runaways & while the men are looking for the boys, Pasquale runs off. He finds Giuseppe & his cell mate on their horse & confronts them. The cell mate runs off & leaves Pasquale to deal with Giuseppe. The film ends unexpectedly, but I'll leave it up to you to watch the movie & see the ending for yourself.

This movie was similar to the other Italian Neo-Realism film I saw, in that both deal with tragedy & hopeless situations. During this period of history right after World War II, Italy was still in economic hard times & I believe De Sica wanted to show the common man's plight at this time. Although there are funny parts in the movie, it is overall quite depressing. Both boys are in extreme poverty & become involved in crime (though accidentily). Their friendship doesn't withstand prison & justice isn't seen for either boy. Though sad, this movie was well done & has an interesting point of view.

The Children are Watching Us

"The Children are Watching Us” is a black and white Italian neo realism film that was made in 1944. In the beginning of the film Mrs. Resta, the maid, takes Prico to the neighborhood park where he can ride his scooter. While Prico is riding his scooter he sees Nina, his mother, and her lover Roberto talking under a tree. The conversation stops when Prico interrupts. Later that same night Prico’s father has an important meeting, so Nina stays home with him. She puts him to bed, and then once he is sound asleep she runs away to be with her lover.

The next morning everyone discovers that Nina has disappeared. Since the father is the head of a business he cannot stay home with Prico who is only four years old. Throughout the film Prico is taken to his aunt’s house, or to his grandmother’s house where everyone portrays him as being a nuisance. As a result of being neglected Prico becomes extremely ill and almost dies. Nina receives word about her son, and she comes home to be with him. Eventually, Prico recovers and is ready to conquer the world. One day Roberto, Nina’s lover, comes unexpectedly to their house, and demands to talk to Nina privately. Prico is sent to the play room, but he over hears the conversation, and comes charging in to save Nina.

Next the entire family takes a vacation on the beach. After a while the father has to return to work, but Nina and Prico stay. During a magic show Nina notices Roberto out in crowd, and later they are together. Nina continues to neglect Prico, so he runs away and tries to get back to his father. Eventually Nina and Prico return home, but when Prico comes into the house alone the father realizes that Nina has run away again. The father has no way of caring for Prico, so he puts him in a boarding school. Upon arriving at the school the father says good-bye and leaves without turning back, which leaves Prico heartbroken yet again. After some time has passed Prico gets word that his father has died. Also, he does not want to talk Nina because he realizes that she caused his father to die of sorrow.

Overall, this film demonstrated a child being neglected by his parents, and how that affected his life. Prico only wanted his parents to show him affection, but he hardly received any throughout the film. Also, this film reflected on the idea that the choices people make have influence on other’s lives. Often as college students we do not realize that the choices we make now will impact our lives in the future.

La Strada

I watched my first movie for our project and it was titled La Strada. It was made in 1954 during the Italian Neo-Realism time period.It is a black and white film about a poor family with a naïve girl, Gelsomina, who is sold to a brutish man, Zampano, to join him on the road for his itinerant strongman show after her sister Rosa died doing the same thing. Zampano treats her badly even though she learns to play the drum, trumpet and to dance as she helps with his show. She finally gets up the courage to run away from him and she meets El Matto, “The Fool”, who puts ideas in her head that maybe Zampano loves her. After a time in jail, El Matto tells Gelsomina that even a pebble has a purpose, and this gives her great hope. They encounter El Matto on the side of the road and Zampano beats him up until dead, and pushes his car off the road to pose an accident. While napping one day, Zampano leaves Gelsomina by the side of the road. He later learns that a man found her, and took her in until her death. Zampano gets drunk and falls with tears on the beach.

Zampano’s show and the sound of the drum that Gelsomina plays before his trick is a visual trope. This shows us that his trick is about to begin and it prompts the audience to pay attention. Narrative patterns include the absence of a narrator, and the fact that there is little music present. Only when they are producing the music, watching a show, or in a bar is music playing. This leads to a very depressing atmosphere because it is often silent as people speak about their poor lifestyles. Poverty is another visual trope because it is so obvious that everyone is poor. They struggle to make ends meet and to survive in their environment. This is Zampano’s encouragement to continue to work hard at his show because without it, he would have no money to continue. This leads to giving him purpose in his life.

Gelsomina works hard to search for her sense of purpose. When El Matto gives her the pebble and tells her that she still has a purpose, it changes her life because no one treats her that positively. She is also very naïve which explains why she is so impressionable. She believes everyone, takes everything seriously and has quick changes in emotional highs and lows. She is involved in a visual trope as she gets in and out of the wagon behind the motorcycle. She often dives in head first and this occurs often and usually before they re-locate themselves. Another visual trope is how naïve Gelsomina is. She is naïve about her body, her purpose, her ability, and is very gullible. These characteristics lead to her naïve character and her drive to find purpose in her life.

This film is an interesting depiction of Italy during the 1950’s. People are in poverty and have an overall depressing outlook. People sleep around and do what they can for money and to find happiness. I did not enjoy the depressing outlook or the morals encouraged but I do appreciate the many devices and patters that were used to portray the message of the film. Purpose in life is something that everyone struggles with around the world, so this was an interesting depiction of how Italians during this time dealt with that personal issue.

Welcome to the Ins and Outs of Italian Neo-Realism!

The story behind this blog, of how it came to be and the mystery of the people behind the pseudonym "The Italians"--who are they, anyway?--is simply fascinating. It goes something like this: One cold January morning, six students who were enrolled in a World Cinema course at Malone University in Canton, Ohio formed a group. And lest you think this was just some group, let me tell you, this was not just any group. This particular group had a special task--to study and learn about something known as Italian Neo-Realism. And lest you think Italian Neo-Realism is just some style of film developed in post-World War II-era Italy that focused on the working class and attempted to present life as it really was through the use of non-professional actors and filming on location...well, you probably wouldn't think that, but if you did, you'd be right. (According to Wikipedia, at least.)

So that's the deal with the blog. We'll be posting reviews, links to a variety of information about the movement (such as professional reviews, interviews, etc.), and an assortment of other information for your edification and enlightenment.

We hope you'll join us as we watch films and learn the ins and outs of Italian Neo-Realism!