Italian Neorealism Lecture Notes

Introduction to Italian Neorealism

• Post-World War II film movement in Italy.
• Focus on stories set amongst poor and working-class.
• Address difficult economic and moral conditions of post-war Italy.
• Films typically depict people oppressed by uncontrollable situations.

Origins and Terminology

• Identified as "neorealism" – "neo" meaning new.
• Connects to emerging realist tradition in Italian literature.
• Influenced by realism in Italian cinema between 1913-1916.
• Giovanni Verga's writings inspired early realist cinema.

Aesthetic Characteristics

• Low-budget productions.
• On-location shooting, use of natural light, non-professional actors.
• Narrative conventions differ from classical Hollywood cinema (less focus on cause-effect and closure).
• Marked by a focus on ordinary people.

Historical Context

• Begins in 1945, coinciding with Mussolini's execution and Italy's liberation.
• Under Mussolini: focus on historical epics and upper-class melodramas (e.g., "white telephone films") produced in studios like Cinecittà.
• Post-war: studios destroyed, film industry in disarray.
• Emergence of small production companies, free from censorship (1945-1949).
• Neorealism had socialist influences (1945-1947).

Misconceptions and Realities

• Neorealist films sometimes mischaracterized or overemphasized.
• Not all elements (e.g., non-actors, location shooting) present in every film.
• Still used artifice to create realism.
• Limited number of neorealist films produced.

Key Films and Directors

• Luchino Visconti: 'Ossessione' (1942)
  • Sometimes considered the first neorealist film.
  • Adaptation of 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'.
  • Focus on class tension and ordinary life.
• Roberto Rossellini: 'Rome, Open City' (1945)
  • Official start of Italian neorealism.
  • War drama, set during Nazi occupation.
  • Production challenges (e.g., black market film stock).
• Vittorio De Sica: 'Bicycle Thieves' and 'Umberto D'
  • Screenwriter Cesare Zavattini's influence.
  • Loosening of classical narrative conventions.

Narrative and Aesthetic Exploration

• Bicycle Thieves:
  • Focused on undramatic storytelling and chance events.
  • Lack of closure, focuses on impacts of systemic issues.
  • Integrates material world into narrative (e.g., the weight of water buckets).
• Umberto D:
  • Even less dramatic, focuses on daily life and chores.
  • Demonstrates rejection of traditional narrative closure.

Influence and Legacy

• Emphasis on realism through integration of the material world.
• Use of camera to capture reality.
• Influence on film studies and realism in filmmaking.

These notes provide a high-level summary of Italian Neorealism, capturing its origins, characteristics, historical context, key figures, and influences on filmmaking.