Description Ossessione was directed by Luchino Visconti and was released in 1943. The main characters are Giovanna Bragana (Clara Calamai), Gino Costa (Massimo Girotti) and Giuseppe Bragana (Juan de Landa). In the film, the drifter Gino comes across a inn/restaurant and meets the wife of the owner, Giovanna. An affair begins as she is unsatisfied with her husband, Bragana, as she only married him for his money. Gino and Giovanna plot to kill Bragana and eventually do so succesfully but then they must deal with the aftermath.
Observation The camera is used very effectively in this scene. The inn/restaurant are simple and plain enough, with tables and chairs, a piano and what looks like some posters on the wall. It seems to be somewhere in between early morning and lunch. As Gino walks into the inn he hears Giovanna singing in the kitchen. As he stands in the doorway he blocks the cameras view of her, as to build suspense of her beauty. When she is revealed in a different shot she looks up at Gio, and the camera zooms in on his face, playing as her eyes and focus. This along with the dialogue makes it obvious to us that there is some level of attraction. At the end of the scene the camera focuses on Giovanni as she is thinking of Gio, and possibly what schemes they could hatch together. Gino's attire looks the part as he and his clothes appear unwashed, Giovanna is dressed simply but still rather nice, and Bragana has dressed himself to seem a bit more upper-class than he may be. The lighting is natural or is supposed to act as natural.
Analysis This film aims to play at your sense of romance. We see how Bragana talks to Giovanna, how disrespectful we seem him be, and how she has no love for him. Witnessing the instant attraction between Giovanna and Gio is a good way of putting us on their side from the start, but it also allows us to forget the true nature of Giovanna. After all, she only married Bragana for his money, and now she plans to kill him to gain the insurance money. Gio is a bit of a different , as in the film he is reluctant to attempt committing this crime at first. But nonetheless, he still goes along with it. This leaves us with the question what would each of these characters choose if forced, their lover or the money? I think we may find different answers for each character.
Evaluation Ossessione is a film adaptation of the James M. Cain novel The Postman Always Rings Twice. It has been considered to be the first Italian neorealist film, therefore setting the bar for many films to come. Much like the later films you'll see on this list, it deals with the lives of everyday, average, lower-class to middle-class citizens. Although these aren't your everyday average struggles, they are the struggles of everyday average individuals. They don't have easy, fabulous, care-free lives and the film doesn't do anything to show that they do. This is the basis of Italian neorealism.
Observation The camera work is fairly simple, focusing on the characters during this scene. The lighting is done how you would imagine it would be in real life, with the office lighting being neither too dim or too bright, the interrogation room being dimly lit except for the light above Giorgio's head, and the outside light for the firing squad scene being natural. The officers all appear in police or military outfits and the priests in their robes. The old-friend-turned-traitor is dressed in a fur coat, one of the many material items she was bribed with.
Analysis This isn't supposed to be much of an uplifting movie. The ending isn't happy, the characters don't live happily ever after. This is supposed to be a look into what life was like for some civilians in Rome. It forces you to witness the unfairness of it all, of a mother being killed in front of her son. Of friends being forced to run, leaving their friends behind, or staying with them just to watch them die and die with them. You're supposed to feel something, be it anger at the injustice these citizens saw or lack of forgivingness of the enemy. But whatever emotions you feel, you are haunted by the fact that these characters represent real people.
Evaluation Rome, Open City was loosely based on a true story. The film didn't do very well upon release as people did not wish to relive the war, but it's popularity eventually grew. This film was an important movie to the time period to show what the people of Rome were going through during the war, to show that even within the Axis aligned country, the Nazis had effected everyone in similar ways. It isn't hard to see how this ties in with the theme of Italian neorealism. This represents the dealing with the struggle of their lives, the complete lack of glamour or comfort, the situations they are put in. This is a welcome addition to the time period.
Bicycle Thieves
Description Ladri di Biciclette, or Bicycles Thieves, is an Italian neorealist film from 1948. It was directed by Vittoria De Sica, the production company being Produzioni De Sica, with Lamberto Maggiorani as the lead role of Antonio Ricci. Ricci is struggling to find a job in post-World War 2 Italy, but luckily finds a job hanging up posters. The only requirement for the job is a bike of his own. After acquiring his bike, it is stolen while he is on the job. Later in the film, Ricci locates the thief, but receives little help from the police when they cannot find his bike. At the end of the film, Ricci is driven to steal a bike for himself, but unlike the thief who wronged him, Ricci is caught by the owner and a mob of witnesses. They begin to lead him to the police station when the owner decides to let him go as Ricci's son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), is with him crying. The film ends with Ricci and his son walking in the streets away from the camera.
Observation The film takes place in Rome, Italy. The costumes are that of what I assume are typical clothes/uniforms you would find in 1948 Italy. The music works well in each scene to convey the emotion we see from the characters, going hand in hand with their expression and with what's going on in the scene. The actors do a good job of portraying their characters, with Bruno's crying and Antonio's desperation being examples. The use of camera work varies in each scene, with some still shots focused on just one character, usually Antonio or Bruno, while having many wide moving shots as well, from focusing on the crowd to the mob. The lighting in these scenes is done as natural light, with the main light being or representing the sun.
Analysis This film may leave some viewers with mixed feelings, not because it is a bad film, but because it plays with your emotions. As a neorealist film, it's job is to portray the possibilities of real life and the struggle within it. The final scene leaves us questioning the character and looking at ourselves, asking "Was what Antonio did that wrong considering what he went through?" It plays on how we may be able to relate to the characters if we or our parents have struggled with work, or if we can't relate to them we can sympathize with them. Not only has Antonio lost his bike, but he has lost his job and his dignity, and now he must come to terms with himself while searching for a new job.
Evaluation Bicycle Thieves had a lasting impression in cinema, inspiring many other directors to incorporate neorealism into their films. The influence spread to Spanish, Soviet, Indian and even, or especially, Iranian, with influences being relevant in more recent films such as Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! (1988). Some importance of the film is the use of non-actors to portray the characters, with Lamberto Maggiorani having worked in a factory prior to filming and Enzo Staiola being found while watching the shoot. This film accurately represents the goal of Italian neorealism, to portray the tragedy of real life that the average man faces.
Description
Ossessione was directed by Luchino Visconti and was released in 1943. The main characters are Giovanna Bragana (Clara Calamai), Gino Costa (Massimo Girotti) and Giuseppe Bragana (Juan de Landa). In the film, the drifter Gino comes across a inn/restaurant and meets the wife of the owner, Giovanna. An affair begins as she is unsatisfied with her husband, Bragana, as she only married him for his money. Gino and Giovanna plot to kill Bragana and eventually do so succesfully but then they must deal with the aftermath.
Observation
The camera is used very effectively in this scene. The inn/restaurant are simple and plain enough, with tables and chairs, a piano and what looks like some posters on the wall. It seems to be somewhere in between early morning and lunch. As Gino walks into the inn he hears Giovanna singing in the kitchen. As he stands in the doorway he blocks the cameras view of her, as to build suspense of her beauty. When she is revealed in a different shot she looks up at Gio, and the camera zooms in on his face, playing as her eyes and focus. This along with the dialogue makes it obvious to us that there is some level of attraction. At the end of the scene the camera focuses on Giovanni as she is thinking of Gio, and possibly what schemes they could hatch together. Gino's attire looks the part as he and his clothes appear unwashed, Giovanna is dressed simply but still rather nice, and Bragana has dressed himself to seem a bit more upper-class than he may be. The lighting is natural or is supposed to act as natural.
Analysis
This film aims to play at your sense of romance. We see how Bragana talks to Giovanna, how disrespectful we seem him be, and how she has no love for him. Witnessing the instant attraction between Giovanna and Gio is a good way of putting us on their side from the start, but it also allows us to forget the true nature of Giovanna. After all, she only married Bragana for his money, and now she plans to kill him to gain the insurance money. Gio is a bit of a different , as in the film he is reluctant to attempt committing this crime at first. But nonetheless, he still goes along with it. This leaves us with the question what would each of these characters choose if forced, their lover or the money? I think we may find different answers for each character.
Evaluation
Ossessione is a film adaptation of the James M. Cain novel The Postman Always Rings Twice. It has been considered to be the first Italian neorealist film, therefore setting the bar for many films to come. Much like the later films you'll see on this list, it deals with the lives of everyday, average, lower-class to middle-class citizens. Although these aren't your everyday average struggles, they are the struggles of everyday average individuals. They don't have easy, fabulous, care-free lives and the film doesn't do anything to show that they do. This is the basis of Italian neorealism.
Rome, Open City
Description
Rome, Open City was directed by Roberto Rossellini and was released in 1945. It stars Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani and Marcello Pagliero. The film takes place in 1944 Rome, as it was an open city during World War 2, hence the name. The Nazis have occupied the city and are looking for a resistance leader by the name of Giorgio Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero) to arrest him. Giorgio is assisted by a fellow resistance fighter Francesco and his fiancée, Pina (Anna Magnani). Giorgio contacts a catholic priest helping the resistance, Don Pietro Pellegrini (Aldo Fabrizi), asking him to transfer money and messages to resistance fighters outside the city. The Gestapo suspect Giorgio of hiding in Francesco's apartment. They conduct a raid where Giorgio escapes but Francesco and many other men are arrested and thrown in a truck. Pina chases after the truck when discovering Francesco's arrest and is shot in the streets and killed in front of her son. The truck is attacked by resistance fighters outside the city and Francesco and Giorgio escape to find Pietro who has offered them sanctuary. Using information they persuaded out of an old friend of Pina and her sister, the Gestapo find Giorgio and Pietro, but Francesco witnesses this and gets away. Giorgio is tortured in the hopes of getting information out of him but the torture is unsuccessful. The Gestapo try to use Pietro to get information out of Giorgio but the former refuses and is forced to watch the torture. Giorgio dies without having revealed anything and Pietro is sentenced to be executed. During the execution, members of the Italian firing squad deliberately miss because they do not want to kill a priest, causing the German officer in charge to kill Pietro himself.
Observation
The camera work is fairly simple, focusing on the characters during this scene. The lighting is done how you would imagine it would be in real life, with the office lighting being neither too dim or too bright, the interrogation room being dimly lit except for the light above Giorgio's head, and the outside light for the firing squad scene being natural. The officers all appear in police or military outfits and the priests in their robes. The old-friend-turned-traitor is dressed in a fur coat, one of the many material items she was bribed with.
Analysis
This isn't supposed to be much of an uplifting movie. The ending isn't happy, the characters don't live happily ever after. This is supposed to be a look into what life was like for some civilians in Rome. It forces you to witness the unfairness of it all, of a mother being killed in front of her son. Of friends being forced to run, leaving their friends behind, or staying with them just to watch them die and die with them. You're supposed to feel something, be it anger at the injustice these citizens saw or lack of forgivingness of the enemy. But whatever emotions you feel, you are haunted by the fact that these characters represent real people.
Evaluation
Rome, Open City was loosely based on a true story. The film didn't do very well upon release as people did not wish to relive the war, but it's popularity eventually grew. This film was an important movie to the time period to show what the people of Rome were going through during the war, to show that even within the Axis aligned country, the Nazis had effected everyone in similar ways. It isn't hard to see how this ties in with the theme of Italian neorealism. This represents the dealing with the struggle of their lives, the complete lack of glamour or comfort, the situations they are put in. This is a welcome addition to the time period.
Bicycle Thieves
Description
Ladri di Biciclette, or Bicycles Thieves, is an Italian neorealist film from 1948. It was directed by Vittoria De Sica, the production company being Produzioni De Sica, with Lamberto Maggiorani as the lead role of Antonio Ricci. Ricci is struggling to find a job in post-World War 2 Italy, but luckily finds a job hanging up posters. The only requirement for the job is a bike of his own. After acquiring his bike, it is stolen while he is on the job. Later in the film, Ricci locates the thief, but receives little help from the police when they cannot find his bike. At the end of the film, Ricci is driven to steal a bike for himself, but unlike the thief who wronged him, Ricci is caught by the owner and a mob of witnesses. They begin to lead him to the police station when the owner decides to let him go as Ricci's son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), is with him crying. The film ends with Ricci and his son walking in the streets away from the camera.
Observation
The film takes place in Rome, Italy. The costumes are that of what I assume are typical clothes/uniforms you would find in 1948 Italy. The music works well in each scene to convey the emotion we see from the characters, going hand in hand with their expression and with what's going on in the scene. The actors do a good job of portraying their characters, with Bruno's crying and Antonio's desperation being examples. The use of camera work varies in each scene, with some still shots focused on just one character, usually Antonio or Bruno, while having many wide moving shots as well, from focusing on the crowd to the mob. The lighting in these scenes is done as natural light, with the main light being or representing the sun.
Analysis
This film may leave some viewers with mixed feelings, not because it is a bad film, but because it plays with your emotions. As a neorealist film, it's job is to portray the possibilities of real life and the struggle within it. The final scene leaves us questioning the character and looking at ourselves, asking "Was what Antonio did that wrong considering what he went through?" It plays on how we may be able to relate to the characters if we or our parents have struggled with work, or if we can't relate to them we can sympathize with them. Not only has Antonio lost his bike, but he has lost his job and his dignity, and now he must come to terms with himself while searching for a new job.
Evaluation
Bicycle Thieves had a lasting impression in cinema, inspiring many other directors to incorporate neorealism into their films. The influence spread to Spanish, Soviet, Indian and even, or especially, Iranian, with influences being relevant in more recent films such as Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay! (1988). Some importance of the film is the use of non-actors to portray the characters, with Lamberto Maggiorani having worked in a factory prior to filming and Enzo Staiola being found while watching the shoot. This film accurately represents the goal of Italian neorealism, to portray the tragedy of real life that the average man faces.