By: KEVIN JOLLY
Staff Writer
Italy was the birthplace of fascism and where the first fascist government came to power. As such, along with Germany, Italy is another great example of what fascism looks like in practice. The story of Italian cinema’s relationship with the ideology is different from Germany however, as the interesting part is in the immediate aftermath of the war, not before. In this second installment, the subject matter is how strict censorship and lack of change led to a polarized pendulum swing backlash and the creation of a new type of film.
Italy had been home to one of the main dominant film industries of the world, alongside America and France since the beginning of the technology. This trend continued throughout the 1910s when Italian cinema triumphed in quantity and quality in their films, mainly being historical epics and comedies. During the 1920s however, there was a significant decline of the industry due to inability to adapt to modern global competitiveness as other areas, mainly Hollywood, began to master the new art.
Still From “Quo Vadis” 1913
Censorship of Italian cinema didn’t begin with Fascism, however. It first began in the early 20s but was greatly increased later. Censorship was similar to Germany’s but was relatively more lenient. Guidelines for media in Italy during this time focused on building up and promoting a national consensus on issues relating to the regime. Films under Mussolini were characterized by light comedies called ‘white telephones’, which came from most movies being focused on wealthier families and characters who always had a white phone in their lavish set designs. White telephone characters were conservative in values and demonstrated a model of having a deep respect for authority. The difference from Germany was that films didn’t necessarily have to be total political propaganda, but plots, themes, and characters all had to uphold fascist values. That’s not to say the film wasn’t utilized in that way at all however, as many Italian politicians or officials of film divisions of the government would often commission the same types of pure propaganda documentaries which were designed to make Italians believe their wars were spiritually, culturally, and racially connected to that of the Roman Empire or other historical entities of the Italian peninsula, among other fascist items.
Still From An Unknown White Telephone Film
The reaction to fascism in Italy can be characterized by the brutal execution of Mussolini and the subsequent destruction and parading of his corpse by the Italian people. Italian filmmakers responded with a rhetorically similar change in pace, with ‘Italian neorealism’. Italian neorealism was a movement of films about flawed or conflicted characters living in impoverished and or destroyed cities from the war, going on ordinary journeys which regular people could relate to. The films were shot with more realistic cinematography which was reminiscent of a documentary. Popular star actors of white telephones were replaced with amateur actors and sometimes just ordinary people as protagonists or background characters. Italian neorealist films were often directed by leftist filmmakers who incorporated Marxist and progressive ideas into their work. Some of the best films which came from Italian neorealism are “The Bicycle Thieves”, “8 ½”, and “Paisan”.
“Bicycle Thieves” Poster
Italian neorealism didn’t just impact Italy though. Throughout global cinema, every industry had its own white telephone repetitive styles which were contested by neorealism. For example, “Thieves’ Highway”, and “Salt of the Earth” are both examples of incredible American films inspired by Italian neorealism. These films helped bring on a movement in Hollywood which meant films didn’t always have to be about John Wayne’s larger-than-life type characters, but could instead just portray average or even impoverished American life.
