Neorealismo, also called Italian Neorealism, is the first major film movement worldwide. Many successful directors in Italy drew inspiration from Neorealismo cinema.
However, the Italian Neorealism film movement also influenced many others, including the Yugoslav Black Wave and the Czechoslovak New Wave. It’s the birth of the idea that the rules of film can be broken. Therefore, it also suggests that filming taboos can be overcome.
Before we address each significant aspect, let’s start with what Italian Neorealism is.
What is Italian Neorealism?
In essence, the Italian Neorealism definition is simple. It’s a film movement that focuses on the struggles of Italians and their daily life during but mainly after World War 2. However, it has many other aspects, which we’ll address in the characteristic section below.
This movement began in 1943 and lost its power in 1952. Even though some believe Neorelistic films grew from the Soviet montage movement, that’s not entirely true. Italian Neorealists showcase individual resistance to reality in the social environment, unlike Soviet filmmakers who show the people’s resistance to class struggle.
Italian Neorealism History
The history of Italian Neorealism began as World War 2 was ending and Mussolini lost power. It began also from necessity since during the war the Cinecitta film studios were damaged.
France and Italy were on Cold War’s Western Bloc but their movements were different. Regarding French New Wave vs Italian Neorealism, the difference is that the French Wave focuses on technique experimentation and individuals. The Italian movement focuses on realistic portrayal of life after the war and political and social problems.
Interestingly, film critics who were connected with the “Cinema” magazine made the Italian Neorealism style. Some of the most important critics are Cesare Zavattini, Gianni Puccini, Luchino Visconti, Pietro Ingrao, Giuseppe De Santis, etc. However, the magazine’s chief editor was Mussolini’s son, so these critics couldn’t write about politics. Therefore, they attacked “Telefoni Bianchi” movies and thought their cinema should turn to realism.
Some of the main influences on Italian Neorealism were the verismo movement, poetic realism, Marxism, Christian Humanism, etc. Neorealism film elements can be seen in Francesco De Robertis and Alessandro Blasetti’s films. Still, the most important forerunners were Blasetti’s “1860” (1934) and Renoir’s “Toni” (1935). Luchino Visconti’s “Ossessione” (1943) is considered the first truly Neorealist movie. Rossellini’s “Rome, Open City” (1945) brought worldwide popularity.
The movement didn’t last long since socialists and liberals couldn’t ‘sell’ the image of poverty. People were desperate for change and positivity. Also, the economic rise of Italy made Neorealism themes irrelevant. Therefore, most people were drawn toward American films since they brought optimism.
What Are the Characteristics of Italian Neorealism?
The main Italian Neorealism films’ characteristics are realistic portrayals of real-life struggles after the war and critique of society. Directors explore serious problems like poverty, injustice, despair, oppression, and post-war issues, and focus on the lower working class.
Furthermore, films didn’t have conventional narrative structures. Instead, their storytelling was episodic and showcased the unstable lives of people. Like most New Wave film movements, directors often used non-professional actors and actresses. However, they would sometimes use famous actors in leading roles but instead of extras, they would use local people in the background.
Most Italian Neorealism movies are shot in location, avoiding studios. Neorealism directors mainly shot in rural areas and rundown cities.
Other Italian Neorealism characteristics include using dialogue improvisation to achieve natural performances. The budgets were low, which made the characters and the story most significant. As written above, this wasn’t so much a choice but also a necessity since the directors didn’t have resources.
Most Influential Italian Neorealism Directors
Some of the most significant Italian Neorealism directors include:
- Vittorio De Sica
- Luchino Visconti
- Roberto Rossellini
- Giuseppe De Santis
- Alberto Lattuada
- Federico Fellini
- Michelangelo Antonioni
Best Italian Neorealism Films
Here are some of the most important Italian Neorealism movies:
- “Bicycle Thieves” – Vittorio De Sica
- “Ossessione” – Luchino Visconti
- “La Terra Trema” – Luchino Visconti
- “Bellissima” – Luchino Visconti
- “I bambini ci guardano” – Vittorio De Sica
- “Miracolo a Milano” – Vittorio De Sica
- “Umberto D.” – Vittorio De Sica
- “Sciuscià” – Vittorio De Sica
- “Rome, Open City” – Roberto Rossellini
- “Germania anno zero” – Roberto Rossellini
- “Paisan” – Roberto Rossellini
- “Stromboli” – Roberto Rossellini
- “Europe ‘51” – Roberto Rossellini
- “Bitter Rice” – Giuseppe De Santis
- “Rome 11:00” – Giuseppe De Santis
- “O sole mio” – Giacomo Gentilomo
- “The Last Shoeshine” – Francesco Maurizio Guido aka Gibba – The only animated Italian Neorealism film.
A common question is which film is considered the biggest masterpiece of Italian Neorealism? The answer is simple – “Bicycle Thieves” by Vittorio De Sica.
One of the most important Italian Neorealism actresses is Anna Magnani.
Notable Awards and Nominations
Even though working under and portraying difficult times, Italian Neorealism films were highly successful. The movement got nominations and won awards at prestigious events, including:
- BAFTAs
- Oscars
- Golden Globes
- Cannes Film Festival
- Venice Film Festival
- Locarno Film Festival
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Final Thoughts on the Italian Neorealism
The Italian Neorealism movement was the first major film movement in worldwide cinema. Both out of artistic inspiration and necessity, it showed everyone that filming rules are here to be broken.
Even though it didn’t last long, it remains an inspiration not only for filmmakers from Italy but also worldwide. Apart from reading about it, now it’s time for you to watch Italian Neorealism movies!
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