History of Italian Cinema, from Neorealism to 1970 to Present - Essay Example

History of Italian Cinema, from Neorealism to 1970 to -Present In an analysis of the history of Italian Cinema, it becomes clear that the cinema industry in Italy started in few months since the discovery of cinema by the Lumiere brothers and it is most significant to undertake an analysis of its history from Neorealism to the present. The history of the Italian film industry dates back to 1903-1908 with the contributions by organizations such as the Roman Cines, the Ambrosio, and Itala Film, along with other major companies of film production. Due to highly regarded production quality of the film industry here, the Italian film industry attained a great stature in a short period of time. With its unrivaled contribution to the growth of the plastic art in Western Europe from the period of Giotto, Italy has made one of the most important additions to the cinema of the early periods. "Much of its claim to artistic hegemony on the European continent for a number of centuries rested upon not only a steady succession of artists of genius but also upon the resolution of certain technical problems, such as the study of perspective, which would eventually raise similar problems and demand equally ingenious artistic and technical solutions in the realm of photography." (Bondanella, 1) The contributions made by Filoteo Alberini, who is known for the Alberini Kinetograph, are especially remarkable and his La presa di Roma, 20 settembre 1870 inaugurated one of the most important and opening Italian filoni or sub-genres, i.e. the historical film. Along with the domination of the genres of the historical film and costume drama, there existed several significant types of films during the early periods of the silent cinema in Italy. "There existed a variety of topics - ranging from the celebrated Roman epics to filmed theatrical works, dramas inspired by Italian verismo or regional naturalism, adventure films in episodes or in series, comic works, and several experimental films produced by the Italian artistic avant-garde. All of these genres contributed something to the evolution of Italian film art, although it is ultimately the historical film which must be given special attention." (Bondanella, 1-2) The influence of the dictatorship and fascist rule affected influenced the industry considerable and the most important transition of the film industry in Italy followed the neo-realism in the cinema which happened after the Second World War. The neo-realism in Italian Cinema produced several memorable films including the famous Rossellini's trilogy Rome, Open City (1945), Paisa (1946), and Germany Year Zero (1948). Significantly, the most important masters of Neorealism in Italian cinema were Rossellini, De Sica, and Visconti who made salient contribution to the progress of film industry in Italy. The history of Italian Cinema since the Neorealism has an important story of great progress to tell which in the modern period has gained considerable position among the various film traditions of the world and this paper undertakes an investigation of the history of Italian Cinema from Neorealism through 1970 to the present. The Italian Cinema had an important growth from the influence of Fascism since the beginning of neorealist brand of cinema that followed the Second World War. Neorealism in Italian Cinema can be comprehended as describing the complicated and inconceivable economic and moral conditions of Italy, along with the transition in the public mentality in the way of life in the land during the period. The neorealist brand of cinema soon turned out to be an essential political tool. However, the significant directors of this genre in the film industry were effective in making essential distinction between the art of film and politics. "In fact, the Italian neorealist cinema relied upon directors, scriptwriters, directors of photography, actors, set and costume designers, and producers who were all active in the industry during the period of fascist government in Italy. All too many ideological, political and personal interests were served in Italy by pretending that neorealism marked a sharp break with the fascist past." (Badley et al, 29) Though the Italian neorealist directors were mainly concerned with the social realism in their works, they were also seeking the progress of new trends in the film industry. It is obvious that the cinema neorealists were mainly concerned with the pressing problems of the time including the war, the Renaissance and the Partisan struggle, unemployment, poverty, social injustice, and so on. However, one cannot find a programmatic approach in the cinema neorealists's attempts to deal with the issues of the time and they were not employing any preconceived methods of rendering the situation on their celluloid. The neorealist cinema in Italy cannot be termed as an exact movement like the avant-garde movements. "In short, neorealism was not a "movement" in the strictest sense of the term. The controlling fiction of neorealist films, or at least the majority of them, was that they dealt with actual problems, that they employed contemporary stories, and that they focused on believable characters taken most frequently from Italian daily life. But the greatest neorealist directors never forgot that the world they projected upon the silver screen was one produced by cinematic conventions rather than an ontological experience, and they were never so naive as to deny that the demands of an artistic medium such as film might be just as pressing as those from the world around them." (Bondanella, 4) In short, it becomes obvious that the Neorealism in Italian cinema was an essential defining moment in the evolution of the seventh art in Italian cinematic history and the masters of Neorealism were Rossellini, De Sica, and Visconti. The artistic achievements of Italian neorealism were so essential that even the directors with different visions found it extremely difficult to disregard an important concern for social realism and the semi-documentary techniques. However, after a short period of the first appearance of the major neorealist films, newer and more different trends and forces in film began to change the direction of the Italian cinema. "Federico Fellini (1920-93) and Michelangelo Antonioni (1912- ) were primarily responsible for this shift in direction, although the contribution of Rosellini, the father of neorealism, cannot be ignored. The attitude of these three men toward neorealism was an ambivalent one. All three played an important role in scripting or directing neorealist works, but they all felt continued critical association with the implicit goals or techniques of neorealism to be increasingly confining." (Bondanella, 103) The main works by Rosellini includes The Machine to Kill Bad People, The Ways of Love and Rome, Open City. The works by Michelangelo Antonioni have closest resemblance to those by Rosellini and both the directors were increasingly impatient about the neorealist aesthetics or themes. Therefore, they attempted to create a cinema of the construction period. Therefore, the works by Rosellini and Antonioni were significant contributions to the development of the film in the Italian tradition. Federico Fellini, one of the most revered and influential filmmakers of the twentieth century, is another major contributor to the development of Italian cinema and his known for his distinct style which meshes fantasy and baroque images. Fellini's evolution beyond his neorealist origins started with his dissatisfaction of the confines of a critical label felt by Rosellini and Antonioni. He realized neorealism as a moral position rather than a true movement. He also considered it as a way of understanding reality without prejudices or preconceptions. "Moreover, he insisted upon the director's control over his material and the role of fantasy and imagination, as opposed to documentary and fact, drawing no real dividing line between imagination and reality. Commenting upon Rosellini's conviction that neorealism represented an act of humility toward life, Fellini set his approach to film clearly apart from those neorealist theoreticians, such as Zavettini, who insisted upon forcing cinema to reflect only the "reality" before the camera" (Bondanella, 114) Therefore, Fellini's departure from neorealism was an essential factor contributing to the development of Italian cinema. Fellini's La Dolce Vita (La dolce vita, 1959) was a works of unquestionable artistic importance which also earned huge profits. Such examples of the so called "art" films amazing huge recognition also suggest the popularity of these new trends in Italian cinema and this film marks the origin of a new trend in the film industry. "Beginning with La Dolce Vita, Fellini creates a highly idiosyncratic and surrealist world of images and dream fantasies which leave behind forever any connection to traditional cinematic "realism." Yet, Fellini's obsession with his private, egocentric vision reflects his positive concern with combatting the outmoded, obsolescent ways of seeing or thinking, rejecting dead mythologies that no longer sustain modern civilization but, rather, serve as obstacles to human development." (Bondanella, 229) Italian cinema has grown dramatically from the neorealist tradition and the contemporary scene of the new Italian comedy suggests the change that has taken place over several decades of development. In the contemporary environment, the Italian film industry encounters perpetual crisis and the commercial and artistic hegemony of the Hollywood film industry has affected the industry in Italy, as in any other nation. In short, the history of Italian cinema has been momentous with various genres and traditions cropping up all through its history. In conclusion, Italian cinema industry has made vital contribution to the development of cinema all over the world, through its neorealistic trends and the contemporary development. Works Cited Badley, Linda et al. Traditions in world cinema. Rutgers University Press. 2006. P 29. Bondanella, Peter E. Italian cinema: from neorealism to the present. Continuum International Publishing Group. 2001. P 1. Read More