Itilian Neo-Realism

• List the key Ideology and Thematic Goals- (use quotes from article)
Italian Neo-Realism was a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location. It was successful because it shows real life situation and how there is a distinguished gap between social classes. “The aim was not to record the social problems but to express them in an entirely new way.” It was a way to show others how people would deal with the emotional and physical problems presented to them, and how would they make it. Films were shown seeing that the main character didn’t succeed in his/her task.

• Describe the historical context of the movement
“Despite the rather short run - 1943 to 1952 - the heavyweight films of the period and the principles that guided them put Italian cinema on the map at the time and continue to shape contemporary global filmmaking.” Non-professional’s did the type of filmmaking, and the edits were rough with no real transitions, with them usually being fades to black.

“By the outbreak of World War II, the country had been under Benito Mussolini's hefty thumb since 1924. In the regime's 1930s heydays, swank productions set in big hotels, tony nightclubs and ocean liners made up the "white telephone" movies, the shorthand term for their decadent Deco interiors. The protagonists always found a resolution to their insipid dilemmas, the prevailing Italian style as unchallenging as blowing bubbles.” This shows how the build up was after WWII and how the countries we in suffering after the war.


• List the Cinematic Techniques
Cinematically, neo-realism pushed filmmakers out of the studio and on to the streets, the camera freed-up and more vernacular, the emphasis away from fantasy and towards reality.”

“For many Italians, neo-realist films put images to the ideas of the Resistance”

• Identify key contributors and give a short summary of their contributions

Raffaello Matarazzo- The most successful director during the movement, Treno popolare was the best movie he directed.

Vittorio De Sica- Recognized as one of the best directors during the movement, and his movie The Bicycle Thief is recognized as one of the best movies during this movement.

Luchino Visconti- Italian theatre, opera, and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter.

Identify the key films of the movement and why they were significant.

• The Bicycle Thief
• Umberto D
• Sciuscià
• Germania anno zero