Italian director Vittorio De Sica
The Italian director Vittorio De Sica (1902-1974) and screenwriter Cesare Zavattini are one of the most influential teams in neorealist cinema. Together, they made four neorealist films. This paper will discuss three of those films: Shoe-Shine (1946), The Bicycle Thief (1948) and Umberto D. (1952). Each of these films were shot in Rome, the capital and center of the Italian government. The narrative of these films each reflect different aspects of a failing post-war Italian society; the overcrowded juvenile prison system during the American occupation of Italy (Shoe-Shine), the severe unemployment of post-W.W.II Italy (The Bicycle Thief), and the failures of social programs to provide for the retired white collar professionals and former middle class (Umberto D.). All of these films expose the viewer to the institutional insensitivity of the times and serve as a general portrait of post-war Italian disadvantaged class, which were the majority of the people. In a further analysis of neorealism, it is important to note that the general public, most of the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula, were victimized by a continually failing Italian "system." The struggle for these masses of Italian people was amplified by a short
Self-respect and all the related values such as pride, dignity, modesty and honor are very important in Italian society. Witness Bruno, whom at a young age, works full time at a gas station. Bruno's contributions to the Ricci family make him a "man" and strip him of his innocence. Being able to work is an optimistic endeavor which Bruno wholeheartedly engages in. In The Bicycle Thief, Antonio's new job can bring his family new hopes and happiness, but this optimism is destroyed when his bicycle is stolen. The banal circumstances are brought to life when it is realized that a modest bicycle is such an important element in determining the future survival of the Ricci family. Human optimism is there, beginning with Antonio's excitement when he gets his bike from the pawn shop, and the next morning when the family joyfully interacts before setting out for work. These scenes contain the promises that a modest job can bring and the dignity and pride of being able to once more function within Italian society. The embodiment of this self-respect is shown when Antonio and his son Bruno both smile at Maria as they leave home. The protagonist, Umberto Domenico Ferrari, is retired from the Ministry of Public Affairs after working there for 30 years. Due to government mismanagement, educated government employees such as Umberto, once part of the bourgeois, are now destitute. The collapse of the former middle class is especially evident in the scenes where Umberto sells his pocket watch to a destitute pan-handler and, when feverish from the flu, he checks himself in the Sanitarium to save money, which will ultimately pay the rent.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Bicycle Thief, De Sica's, Antonio Bruno, Flaig Flaig's, Baiocco Baiocco's, Thief Antonio's, Public Affairs, Andreotti Law, Dido Neapolitan, Italian Italian, bicycle thief, human optimism, italian government, government structure, prison system, neorealist films, italian society, prison assistant bartoli, unified italy, de sica's, bicycle thief umberto, job bring, former middle class, shoe-shine bicycle thief,
Approximate Word count = 2813
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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