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The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had discovered the medium, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Pope Leo XIII ( March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903) born Count Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 256th Pope

Contents

Early years

The Italian film industry took shape between 1903 and 1908, led by three major organizations - the Roman Cines, the Ambrosio of Turin and Itala Film. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Other companies were soon to follow in Milan and Naples. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the In a short period of time, these early companies attained a respectable production quality and soon were selling films abroad as well as inside Italy.

One of the first Italian filoni (sub-genres) was the historical film: the first work in the genre was Filoteo Alberini's La presa di Roma, 20 settembre 1870 ("The Capture of Rome, September 20, 1870"), filmed in 1905. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Other films portrayed famous historical figures such as Nero, Messalina, Spartacus, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Spartacus (c 109 BC-71 BC according to Roman historians was a Slave who became the leader (or possibly one of several leaders in the unsuccessful slave Cleopatra VII Philopator (in Greek, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ; January 69 BC &ndash 30 BC was a Hellenistic ruler of Egypt Arturo Ambrosio's Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei (1908, "The Last Days of Pompeii") quickly became famous, so famous that it was remade by Mario Caserini in 1913. Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei ( English: The Last Days of Pompeii) is a 1926 Italian Historical Drama Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania, in Mario Caserini ( November 17, 1874 &ndash November 17, 1920) was an Italian Film director, as well as an In the same year Enrico Guazzoni directed the widely appreciated Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Marcus Antonius (in Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N ( c January 14 83 BC&ndash August 1, 30 BC known in English as Mark

Actresses Lyda Borelli, Francesca Bertini and Pina Menichelli were the first "divas" (stars), specialising in passionate tragedies. Lyda Borelli ( Genova, March 22 1884 – Rome, June 2 1959) is an Italian Actress of cinema Francesca Bertini (born Elena Seracini Vitiello; April 11, 1892 - October 13, 1985) was an Italian Silent film Francesca Bertini became the first "star" of cinema, as well as the first actress to appear on film partly naked. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works

Other filoni featured social themes, often based on published literature. In 1916 the film Cenere (Ash) was based on Grazia Deledda's book, and interpreted by the theatre actress Eleonora Duse (also famous as Gabriele D'Annunzio's lover). Grazia Deledda ( September 27, 1871 — August 15, 1936) was an Italian Writer whose works won her a Nobel Prize Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Eleonora Duse ( October 3, 1858 &ndash April 21, 1924) was an Italian actress often known simply as Duse. Gabriele d'Annunzio ( 12 March 1863 &ndash 1 March 1938) was an Italian Poet, Journalist, Novelist

Cinecittà studios
Cinecittà studios

Cinecittà

Main article: Cinecittà

Meanwhile, Fascism had created a board of judgment for popular culture. Cinecittà ( Italian for Cinema City) is a large Film studio in Rome that is the hub of Italian cinema. The term Italian Fascism denotes the totalitarian Fascismo political movement that ruled Italy from 1922 until 1943 under leader Benito Mussolini This administration suggested, with Mussolini's full approval, the creation of some important structures for Italian cinema. An area was founded in southeast Rome to build ex novo a town exclusively for cinema, dubbed the Cinecittà. The town was conceived in order to provide everything necessary for filmmaking: theaters, technical services, and even a cinematography school for younger apprentices. Even today, many films are shot entirely in Cinecittà. At the same time Vittorio Mussolini, the son of the dictator, created a national production company and organized the work of the most gifted authors, directors and actors (including even some political opponents), thereby creating an interesting communication network among them, resulting in several famous friendships and, beyond that, stimulating cultural interaction. Vittorio Mussolini ( September 21, 1916 - June 12, 1997) was an Italian film critic and producer the second son of Italian dictator Notable directors that worked at Cinecitta include Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni among many others. Roberto Rossellini ( May 8 1906 – June 3 1977) was an Italian Film director. Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( September 29 1912 &ndash July 30 2007) was an Italian Modernist

Neorealism

Main article: Italian neorealism

Italian cinema had only a small price to pay for dictatorship. Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and Working class, filmed on location frequently using nonprofessional Actors With the approaching war, many works were produced for propaganda purposes, as is the case in many countries at-war. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Nevertheless, in 1942, Alessandro Blasetti produced his Quattro passi fra le nuvole (Four Steps in the Clouds), which is the story of a humble employee, considered by many as the first neorealist work. Alessandro Blasetti ( 3 July 1900 - 1 February 1987) was an Italian film director who influenced Italian neorealism. Quattro passi fra le nuvole (US title Four Steps in the Clouds) is a 1942 Italian Drama film directed by Alessandro Blasetti

Neorealism exploded soon after the war, with unforgettable works such as Rossellini's trilogy and with extraordinary actors such as Anna Magnani, as an attempt to describe the difficult economic and moral conditions of Italy and the changes in public mentality in everyday life. Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and Working class, filmed on location frequently using nonprofessional Actors Anna Magnani ( 7 March 1908 &ndash 26 September 1973) was an Academy Award -winning Italian Stage and Film Also, because Cinecittà was occupied by refugees, films were shot outdoors, on the devastated roads of a defeated country. This genre soon also became an important political tool, although in most cases directors were able to keep a distinguishing barrier between art and politics.

Poetry and cruelty of life were harmonically combined in the works that Vittorio De Sica wrote and directed together with screenwriter Cesare Zavattini: among them, Sciuscià (Shoeshine, 1946), Ladri di biciclette (The Bicycle Thieves, 1948) and Miracolo a Milano (Miracle in Milan, 1950). Vittorio De Sica ( 7 July 1901 or 1902&ndash 13 November 1974) was a critically acclaimed Italian neorealist director Cesare Zavattini ( September 20, 1902 - October 13, 1989) was an Italian Screenwriter and one of the first theorists and proponents Shoeshine ( Italian: Sciuscià) is a 1946 film and the first major work directed by Vittorio De Sica. The Bicycle Thief redirects here For the band of the same name see The Bicycle Thief (band. The Bicycle Thief redirects here For the band of the same name see The Bicycle Thief (band. Miracle in Milan ( Miracolo a Milano) ( 1951) is an Italian film directed by Vittorio de Sica. The sad, bitter Umberto D. (1952), the touching story of a poor old man with his little dog, whom life forces to beg for alms against his dignity in the loneliness of the new society, is perhaps De Sica's masterpiece and one of the most important works in Italian cinema. Umberto D is a 1952 Italian neorealist Film, directed by Vittorio de Sica. Baptized with a heavy polemic with government, that would have censored it for alleged anti-national sentiments, the film was not a commercial success and since then it has been shown on Italian television only a few times. Yet it is perhaps the most violent attack, in the apparent quietness of the action, against the rules of the new economy, the new mentality, the new values, and it happens to have at the same time both a conservative and a progressive view.

Pink neorealism and comedy

It has been said that after Umberto D. nothing more could be added to neorealism. Whether because of this, or for other reasons, neorealism effectively ended with this film. Following works turned toward lighter atmospheres, perhaps more coherent with the improving conditions of the country, and this genre has been called pink neorealism. It was this filone that allowed better "equipped" actresses to become real celebrities: the encouraging figures of Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Silvana Pampanini, Lucia Bosé, Barbara Bouchet, together with other beauties like Eleonora Rossi Drago, Silvana Mangano, Claudia Cardinale, and Stefania Sandrelli populated the imaginations of Italians just before the so-called "boom" of the 1960s. Sophia Loren (born September 20 1934 is an Academy Award winning Italian film actress born Sofia Villani Scicolone Gina Lollobrigida (born July 4, 1927 in Subiaco Italy) is a Golden Globe Award -winning Italian Actress and Photojournalist Silvana Pampanini ( Rome, September 25, 1925) is an Italian Actress. Lucia Bosé (born Milan, 28 January 1931) is an Italian actress who was at the height of her fame during the period of Italian Neorealism Barbara Bouchet, (born as Barbara Goutscher on August 15, 1943 in Reichenberg) is an actress and entrepreneuse Eleonora Rossi Drago, born Palmira Omiccioli, ( September 23[[ 925]] &ndash December 2 2007) was an Italian film actress Silvana Mangano ( April 21, 1930 &ndash December 16, 1989) was an Italian actress Claudia Cardinale (born April 15, 1938) is an Italian actress born in Tunis, Tunisia. Stefania Sandrelli (born June 5, 1946) is an Italian actress famous for her many roles in the Commedia all'Italiana, starting from 1960s Soon pink neorealism was replaced by the Commedia all'italiana (Italian Comedy Style), a unique genre that, born on an ideally humouristic line, talked instead very seriously about important social themes. Commedia all'italiana or Italian-style comedy is an Italian Film genre.

At this time, on the more commercial side of production, the phenomenon of Totò, a Neapolitan actor who is acclaimed as the major Italian comic, exploded. Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis Di Bisanzio Gagliardi, Imperial Highness Palatine Count Knight of the Holy Roman Empire Exarch of Ravenna Duke of Macedonia His films (often with Peppino De Filippo and almost always with Mario Castellani) expressed a sort of neorealistic satire, in the means of a guitto as well as with the art of the great dramatic actor he also was, like Pier Paolo Pasolini would have shown. Peppino De Filippo ( August 24, 1903 - January 27, 1980) was an Italian actor Pier Paolo Pasolini ( March 5, 1922 – November 2, 1975) was an Italian Poet, Intellectual, Film director A "film-machine" who produced dozens of titles per year, his repertoire was frequently repeated. His personal story (a prince born in the poorest rione of Naples), his unique twisted face, his special mimic expressions and his gesture, created an inimitable personage and made this man one of the most beloved Italians in his own country. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the

Italian Comedy is generally considered to have started with Mario Monicelli's I soliti Ignoti (Big Deal on Madonna Street) and derives its name from the title of Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'Italiana (Divorce Italian Style, 1961). Mario Monicelli (born May 15, 1915) is an Italian director and screenwriter one of the masters of the Commedia all'Italiana Big Deal on Madonna Street ( I soliti ignoti, also released as Persons Unknown in the UK) is a 1958 Italian criminal- Pietro Germi ( September 14, 1914 - December 5, 1974) was an Italian Actor, Screenwriter, and Divorce Italian Style (Italian Divorzio all'italiana) is a 1961 Italian Comedy Film directed by Pietro Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For a long time this definition was used with a derogatory intention.

Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Alberto Sordi, Claudia Cardinale, Monica Vitti and Nino Manfredi were among the stars of these movies, that described the years of the economical reprise and investigated Italian dress, a sort of self-ethnological research. Vittorio Gassman ( September 1, 1922 – June 29, 2000) popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian Theatre Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (September 28 1924 &ndash December 19 1996 was an Italian film actor Ugo Tognazzi ( March 23, 1922 - October 27, 1990) was an Italian film TV and theatre actor director and screenwriter Alberto Sordi, also known as Albertone, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( June 15 1920 - February 25 2003) was an Italian Claudia Cardinale (born April 15, 1938) is an Italian actress born in Tunis, Tunisia. Monica Vitti (born 3 November 1931) is an Italian actress noted for her frosty expressiveness and starring roles in films by Michelangelo Antonioni Nino Manfredi (true name Saturnino Manfredi; March 22, 1921 - June 4, 2004) was an Italian actor one of the most

In 1961, Dino Risi directed Il sorpasso, now a cult-movie, then Una vita difficile (A Difficult Life), I Mostri (The Monsters, also known as 15 From Rome), In nome del Popolo Italiano (In the Name of the Italian People) and Profumo di donna (Scent of a Woman). Dino Risi ( December 23 1916 – June 7 2008) was an Italian Film director. The Easy Life ( Il sorpasso) is a 1962 Italian Cult movie directed by director Dino Risi. A Difficult Life (Italian Una vita difficile) is a Commedia all'italiana film directed by Dino Risi in 1961. I mostri (also known as Opiate '67 or in a cut version 15 from Rome) is a 1963 Commedia all'italiana Profumo di donna ( Scent of a Woman) is a Commedia all'italiana film directed by Dino Risi in 1974 based on Il buio e il

Monicelli's works include La grande guerra (The Great War), I compagni (Comrades, also known as The Organizer), L'Armata Brancaleone, Vogliamo i colonnelli (We Want the Colonels), Romanzo popolare (Popular Novel) and the Amici miei series. The Great War ( La grande guerra) is a 1959 Italian film directed by Mario Monicelli. I Compagni or The Organizer is a 1963 Italian Drama film directed by Mario Monicelli. For the Italian comune see Brancaleone (RC. L'armata Brancaleone (known in English-speaking countries as For Love and Gold

Peplum (aka Sword and Sandal)

Main article: Sword and sandal

With the release of 1958's Hercules, starring American bodybuilder Steve Reeves, the Italian film industry suddenly had an entree into the American film market. Sword and sandal films or pepla (singular= peplum) are a Genre of adventure or Fantasy films that have subjects set in Biblical Hercules ( 1958) is an Italian Feature film based upon the Hercules myths and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. Stephen L Reeves ( January 21, 1926 &ndash May 1, 2000) was an American bodybuilder, Actor, and author These films, many with Mythological or Bible themes, were cheap costume adventure dramas, and had immediate appeal with both European and American audiences. Besides the many films starring a variety of muscle men as Hercules, heroes such as Sampson and Italian fictional hero Maciste were common. Maciste (maˈtʃiste is one of the oldest recurring characters in cinema. Sometimes dismissed as low-quality escapist fare, the Peplums allowed burgeoning Direttores, such as Sergio Leone and Mario Bava, a means of breaking into the film industry. Sergio Leone ( January 3, 1929 &ndash April 30, 1989) was an Italian Film director. Mario Bava ( July 31 1914 – April 25 1980) was an Italian director, Screenwriter, and Cinematographer Some, such as Mario Bava's Hercules at the Center of the World are considered seminal works in their own right. As the genre matured, budgets sometimes increased, as evidenced in 1962's Sette Gladiatore (Gladiator Seven in 1964 US release), a wide-screen epic with impressive sets and matte-painting work. It should be noted that most Peplum films were in color, whereas previous Italian efforts had often been black and white.

The Spaghetti Western

Main article: Spaghetti Western

On the heels of the Sword and Sandal craze, another genre, the Spaghetti Western began to achieve great success, not only in Italy, but throughout the world. Spaghetti Western, also known in some countries in mainland Europe as the Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western Spaghetti Western, also known in some countries in mainland Europe as the Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western These films differed from traditional westerns not only in that they were filmed in Italy on low budgets, but also by their unique, vivid cinematography. The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts.

The most important and popular spaghetti westerns were those of Sergio Leone, whose Dollars Trilogy, consisting of A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which also featured Clint Eastwood and scores by Ennio Morricone, came to define the genre along with Once Upon a Time in the West. Sergio Leone ( January 3, 1929 &ndash April 30, 1989) was an Italian Film director. The Dollars Trilogy, also known as The Man with No Name Trilogy, refers to the three Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood A Fistful of Dollars ( Per un Pugno di Dollari in Italy and officially on-screen in the U For a Few Dollars More ( Per Qualche Dollaro in Più) is a 1965 Spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring The Good the Bad and the Ugly ( Il Buono il Brutto il Cattivo) is a 1966 Italian epic Spaghetti western film directed Clinton "Clint" Eastwood Jr (born May 31 1930 is a four-time Academy Award winning American Actor and Filmmaker. Ennio Morricone OMRI (born November 10, 1928) is an acclaimed Italian Academy Award -winning composer Once Upon a Time in the West ( Italian title C'Era una Volta il West) is a 1968 epic Spaghetti Western

Also considered spaghetti westerns is a genre of film that married the traditional western ambiance with the comic tradition of the Commedia all'italiana. Commedia all'italiana or Italian-style comedy is an Italian Film genre. Included among such films are Lo chiamavano Trinità... and ...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità, which featured Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, the stage names of Carlo Pedersoli and Mario Girotti, respectively. They Call Me Trinity, (Lo chiamavano Trinità also known as My Name is Trinity, is a 1971 Spaghetti western Trinity is STILL My Name! (Italian title Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità) is a 1972 Spaghetti western directed by Enzo Bud Spencer (born Carlo Pedersoli 31 October 1929 in Naples) is an Italian Actor, known for his height at 6'4 1/2" (194 cm and his past Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti March 29, 1939) is an Italian Actor. Bud Spencer (born Carlo Pedersoli 31 October 1929 in Naples) is an Italian Actor, known for his height at 6'4 1/2" (194 cm and his past Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti March 29, 1939) is an Italian Actor.

Auteurs

Italy produced many auteurs throughout its history, including Federico Fellini, Joe D'Amato Bruno Mattei Ruggero DeodatoRoberto Rossellini,Vittorio De Sica, Michelangelo Antonioni, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, Mario Bava, Marco Ferreri, Ermanno Olmi,Umberto Lenzi, Sergio Leone and Luchino Visconti. Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film Joe D'Amato, (birth name Aristide Massaccesi) ( December 15, 1936 in Rome - January 23, 1999 in Rome) Bruno Mattei ( 30 July 1931 – 21 May 2007) was an Italian Film director and editor who gained a cult following Ruggero Deodato (born May 7 1939 in Potenza) is a controversial Italian Film director, Actor and Screen writer Roberto Rossellini ( May 8 1906 – June 3 1977) was an Italian Film director. Vittorio De Sica ( 7 July 1901 or 1902&ndash 13 November 1974) was a critically acclaimed Italian neorealist director Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( September 29 1912 &ndash July 30 2007) was an Italian Modernist Pier Paolo Pasolini ( March 5, 1922 – November 2, 1975) was an Italian Poet, Intellectual, Film director Bernardo Bertolucci (born March 16, 1940) is an Italian Writer and Academy Award winning Film director. Mario Bava ( July 31 1914 – April 25 1980) was an Italian director, Screenwriter, and Cinematographer Marco Ferreri ( May 11, 1928 – May 9, 1997) was an Italian Film director, Screenwriter and Actor. Ermanno Olmi (born July 24, 1931) is a renowned Italian Film director. Umberto Lenzi (born August 6 1931) is an Italian Film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums spaghetti Sergio Leone ( January 3, 1929 &ndash April 30, 1989) was an Italian Film director. Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo ( November 2, 1906 - March 17, 1976) was an Italian These directors works often span many decades and genres. Nowadays auteurs are Marco Bellocchio, Nanni Moretti, Gianni Amelio and Paolo Sorrentino. Marco Bellocchio (born November 9 1939) is an Italian Film director, Screenwriter and actor Giovanni (Nanni Moretti (born August 19, 1953) is an Italian Film director, producer and Actor. Gianni Amelio (born January 20, 1945) is an Italian Film director. Paolo Sorrentino (born May 31 1970) is an Italian film director and screenwriter

Sophia Loren Wins Academy Award

In 1961, Sophia Loren wins the Academy Award for Best Actress for her exquisitely devastating role as a woman who is raped with her adolescent daughter in World War II in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women. Sophia Loren (born September 20 1934 is an Academy Award winning Italian film actress born Sofia Villani Scicolone Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Vittorio De Sica ( 7 July 1901 or 1902&ndash 13 November 1974) was a critically acclaimed Italian neorealist director Two Women (Original title La Ciociara, literally translated as "The Woman from Ciociaria " is a 1960 She became the first actress to win an Academy Award for a performance in any foreign language, let alone Italian. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy.

Thriller/Horror "Giallo"

This Italian gore style is known collectively as "Giallo", which means yellow in Italian.

During 1960s and 70s, Italians filmmakers Mario Bava, Riccardo Freda, Antonio Margheriti and Dario Argento developed horror films (belonging to the Giallo genre) that soon become classics and influence the genre in other countries. Mario Bava ( July 31 1914 – April 25 1980) was an Italian director, Screenwriter, and Cinematographer Riccardo Freda (born in Alexandria, Egypt, February 24, 1909 - died in Paris, France, December 20, 1999 Antonio Margheriti (born in Rome, September 19, 1930 - died in Monterosi, Viterbo, November 4, 2002) better Dario Argento (born September 7 1940) is an Italian Film director, producer and Screenwriter. Representative films include: Black Sunday, Danza macabra, Reazione a catena, L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo, Profondo rosso and Suspiria. Black Sunday ( Italian title La maschera del demonio) is a 1960 Italian Horror film directed by Mario Bava Danza Macabra ( Castle of Blood) is the title of a 1964 Black and white Italian Horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti Twitch of the Death Nerve ( Italian title Ecologia del delitto) is a 1971 Italian horror thriller film L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo, also called The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, is a " Giallo " suspense thriller directed Profondo Rosso (also known as Deep Red or The Hatchet Murders) is a 1975 Giallo Thriller film directed Suspiria is a 1977 Italian Horror film directed by Dario Argento, and co-written by Argento and actress Daria Nicolodi

Following the 1960s boom of shockumentary "Mondo films" such as Gualtiero Jacopetti's Mondo Cane, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Italian cinema became internationally synonymous with violent horror films. A mondo film is a Documentary film, sometimes resembling a pseudo-documentary, usually depicting sensational topics scenes and situations Gualtiero Jacopetti (born September 4 1919) is an Italian director of Documentary films He was born in Barga, in northern Mondo Cane ( A Dog's World, also a mild Italian curse) is a 1962 Italian Documentary film by Italian These films were primarily produced for the video market and were credited with fueling the "video nasty" era in the United Kingdom. Video is the technology of electronically capturing, Recording, processing storing transmitting and reconstructing a sequence of Still images " Video nasty " was a term coined in the United Kingdom in the 1980s that originally applied to a number of Films distributed on Video cassette that The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Directors included Lucio Fulci, Joe D'Amato, Umberto Lenzi and Ruggero Deodato. Lucio Fulci ( June 17, 1927 – March 13, 1996) was an Italian film director, Screenwriter, and Actor Joe D'Amato, (birth name Aristide Massaccesi) ( December 15, 1936 in Rome - January 23, 1999 in Rome) Umberto Lenzi (born August 6 1931) is an Italian Film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums spaghetti Ruggero Deodato (born May 7 1939 in Potenza) is a controversial Italian Film director, Actor and Screen writer Some of the most notorious films faced legal challenges in the United Kingdom, after the Video Recordings Act or 1984, it became a legal offense to poses a copy of such films as Cannibal Holocaust and SS Experiment Camp. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Cannibal Holocaust ( 1980) is a controversial Exploitation film directed by Ruggero Deodato from a screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici SS Experiment Camp is a 1976 Nazi exploitation film directed by Sergio Garrone. Italian films of this period are usually grouped together as exploitation films. Exploitation film is a type of film that eschews the expense of quality productions in favor of making films inexpensively attracting viewers by exciting their more prurient interests

Italian studios were charged with stepping over the line in many countries with the late 70s series of Nazi exploitation films, which were inspired by American movies like Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Exploitation film is a type of film that eschews the expense of quality productions in favor of making films inexpensively attracting viewers by exciting their more prurient interests Ilsa She Wolf of the SS is a 1974 Nazi exploitation film produced in the USA. These included the notorious but comparatively tame SS Experiment Camp and the far more graphic Gestapo's Last Orgy. SS Experiment Camp is a 1976 Nazi exploitation film directed by Sergio Garrone. These films showed, in great detail, sexual crimes against prisoners at concentration camps. These films are still banned in the United Kingdom and other countries. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

The crisis of the 1980s

Between the late 1970s and mid-1980s, Italian cinema endured a long period of crisis. During this time, "art films" became increasingly isolated, separating from the mainstream Italian cinema.

Among the major artistic films of this era were La città delle donne, E la nave va, Ginger and Fred by Fellini, L'albero degli zoccoli by Ermanno Olmi (winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival), La notte di San Lorenzo by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Antonioni's Identificazione di una donna, and Bianca and La messa è finita by Nanni Moretti. City of Women (Italian La città delle donne) is a 1980 film written and directed by Federico Fellini. And the Ship Sails On ( E la nave va) is a 1983 Italian film by Federico Fellini. Ginger and Fred is a 1986 film directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Giulietta Masina. Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( January 20 1920 &ndash October 31 1993) was an Italian Film L'Albero degli zoccoli is a 1978 Italian film written and directed by Ermanno Olmi. Ermanno Olmi (born July 24, 1931) is a renowned Italian Film director. The Leone d’Oro ('Golden Lion' is the highest prize given to a film at the Biennale Venice Film Festival. The Venice Film Festival is the oldest Film festival in the world The Night of the Shooting Stars ( Italian: La Notte di San Lorenzo, also know as The Night of San Lorenzo) is a 1982 Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (b November 8[[ 931]] and September 20[[ 929]] respectively both in San Miniato, Tuscany, Italy Bianca is an Italian comedy-mystery film directed by Nanni Moretti and released in 1984. La messa è finita ( English: The Mass Is Ended) is a 1985 award winning Comedy film, written starred and directed by Italian Giovanni (Nanni Moretti (born August 19, 1953) is an Italian Film director, producer and Actor. Although not entirely Italian, Bertolucci's The Last Emperor, winner of 9 Oscars, and Once Upon a Time in America of Sergio Leone cannot be ignored. The Last Emperor is a Biopic about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, whose autobiography was the basis for the screenplay Once Upon a Time in America (Italian title C'era una volta in America) is a 1984 Crime film directed by Sergio Leone

At the same time, "trash films" reached great success with the Italian public. Films of little artistic value, these comedies reached their popularity by confronting Italian social taboos, most notably in the sexual sphere. Several actors, including Lino Banfi, Diego Abatantuono, Alvaro Vitali, Gloria Guida, Barbara Bouchet and Edwige Fenech owe much of their popularity to these films. Diego Abatantuono ( Milan, 20th of May of 1955 is an Italian cinema and theatre actor and screenwriter Alvaro Vitali (born February 3, 1950) is an Italian actor He was an Electrician until he got discovered by Federico Fellini to Gloria Guida (born November 19, 1955) is an Italian Actress and model. Barbara Bouchet, (born as Barbara Goutscher on August 15, 1943 in Reichenberg) is an actress and entrepreneuse Edwige Fenech (born December 24, 1948 as Edwige Sfenek in Bône (now Annaba) in French Algeria) is a French-born

Also considered part of the trash genre are a group of films that have the ragionier Fantozzi, a comic personage invented by Paolo Villaggio; this character had a great impact on Italian society, to such a degree that the adjective fantozziano entered the lexicon. Paolo Villaggio (born 31 December 1932, Genoa) is an Italian actor writer director and comedian especially famous for his grotesque irony and satire Of the many films telling of Fantozzi's misadventures, the most notable were Fantozzi and Il secondo tragico Fantozzi. Paolo Villaggio (born 31 December 1932, Genoa) is an Italian actor writer director and comedian especially famous for his grotesque irony and satire Il secondo tragico Fantozzi is an Italian comedy film released in 1976

1990 to today

A new generation of directors has helped return Italian cinema to a healthy level since the end of the 1980s. The sign-bearer for this renaissance is Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, for which Giuseppe Tornatore won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1990. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso ( 1988) an Italian Film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 May 1956) is an Italian Film director. This victory was followed two years later by another, when Gabriele Salvatores's Mediterraneo won the same prize. Gabriele Salvatores (born July 30, 1950) is an Italian Academy Award -winning film director and screenwriter Mediterraneo is an Italian film that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1991. Another exploit was in 1998 when Roberto Benigni won three oscars for his movie Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella) (Best Actor, Best Foreign Film, Best Music). The year 1998 in film involved some significant events Events February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (born 27 October 1952 is an Academy Award -winning Italian actor writer and director of Life Is Beautiful (Italian La vita è bella) is a 1997 Italian language film which tells the story of a Jewish Italian In 2001 Nanni Moretti's film La stanza del figlio (The Son's Room) received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The year 2001 in film involved some significant events (For more about non-English films check sources in those languages Giovanni (Nanni Moretti (born August 19, 1953) is an Italian Film director, producer and Actor. The Son's Room ( La stanza del figlio) is a 2001 film directed by Nanni Moretti. The Palme d'Or ( English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice,

Other recent films of note include: Jona che visse nella balena directed by Roberto Faenza, Il grande cocomero by Francesca Archibugi, Il mestiere delle armi by Olmi, L'ora di religione by Marco Bellocchio, Il ladro di bambini, Lamerica, Le chiavi di casa by Gianni Amelio, Io non ho paura by Gabriele Salvatores, Le fate ignoranti, La finestra di fronte by Ferzan Özpetek, La bestia nel cuore by Cristina Comencini. Roberto Faenza (born February 21, 1943 in Turin Italy) is a successful Italian director. Francesca Archigubi ( Rome, May 16, 1961) is an awarded Italian Film director and script writer The Profession of Arms ( Il mestiere delle armi) is a 2001 Italian movie directed by Ermanno Olmi. Marco Bellocchio (born November 9 1939) is an Italian Film director, Screenwriter and actor Lamerica is an award-winning 1994 Film directed by Gianni Amelio. The Keys to the House ( Italian title) is a 2004 dramatic family film (based on the story Born Twice Italian Gianni Amelio (born January 20, 1945) is an Italian Film director. I'm Not Scared ( Io Non Ho Paura) is an Italian novel by Niccolò Ammaniti, published in 2001. Gabriele Salvatores (born July 30, 1950) is an Italian Academy Award -winning film director and screenwriter Le Fate Ignoranti (international English title The Ignorant Fairies; USA/UK festival title His Secret Life) is a 2001 movie by Turkish-Italian Facing Windows ( La Finestra di fronte) is a 2003 Italian movie directed by Ferzan Özpetek. Ferzan Özpetek (b February 3, 1959, Turkey) is a Turkish Screenwriter and Film director who currently resides in The Beast in the Heart ( La bestia nel cuore / Don't Tell) is a 2005 Film directed by Cristina Comencini, based Cristina Comencini (born May 8, 1956) is an Italian film director script writer and Novelist.

See also

References

External links

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