Italian Neorealism is a
film movement back in the 1940s. It lasted from 1942-1952 which engaged with
Post-World War II in Italy. Italian Neorealism influenced greatly on directors
and film traditions around the world as this movement are engaging narrative
technique that brought up social issues and shows on how cinema could shape and
redefine national identity.
During the fascist rule
under Mussolini, cinema was produced only to promote the good image of Italy
and was different from reality as the government district that crime and
immorality should be execute from the screen. Films on that time were usually
about middle-class melodramas. However, by 1944, fascist rule was occupied by
Allies and the fall of fascist allowed the truth of impoverished conditions of
working classes and urban life to be told. Italian Neorealism, national film
movement characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class.
These movement basic tenets were focus on its own nature whereas it should
confront audiences with their own reality; about poverty and unemployment.
Dialogue and language should be natural to maintain realism; hence, regional
dialects are used.
Italian Neorealism
movement is naturalistic and aimed to give Italian cinema a new degree of realism,
which promoted the use of non-professional actors. It is filmed on location,
with difficult economic and moral conditions of post-World War II Italy, and it
shows the psyche and condition of poverty, desperation, injustice, and
oppression. This movement usually shot at real locations like streets to show
the damages after world war instead of the custom-built sets & studios. It
also shows the impact of neorealism and complexity of relationships in
different national film tradition, style, or historical period. Normally it was
shot in natural light with a handheld camera and keep the images of grainy film
stock technique to enhance the narrative and bring out a more realistic film.
One of the best
examples of Italian neorealism is Bicycle
Thieves (1948) directed by Vittorio De Sica. Marlon Brando, an American
screen and stage actor once said, "Bicycle
Thieves (1948) is the perfect example of what can be done in front of the
motion picture camera and is so rarely done" – Marlon Brando.
Synopsis:
Bicycle Thieves (1948) is a story about an unemployed man, Antonio Ricci which was depressed during the Post-World War II economy of Italy. He was finally offered a job which requires him to own a bicycle in order to work in the street of Rome. However, his bicycle is stolen during the first day of work and leads him to search for his bike high and low by streets of Rome with his son’s companion, Bruno Ricci. Painful relationship exists between a father and a son was shown in this film. Antonio Ricci knows that he won't be able to keep his job without the bike.
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