Il Generale Della Rovere is a 1959 Italian film directed by Roberto Rossellini, based on the writings of Indro Montanelli. The film is set in Italy during World War 2 and follows the character Emmanuele Bardone, played by actor and former neorealist director Vittorio De Sica. Upon its release it was widely acclaimed and was…
Even for those that have not seen the Scarface movie, directed by Brian De Palma, it would be a rare event to find someone who was not aware of Scarface’s influence and popularity, and especially of the infamous line “Say hello to my little friend!” The Scarface movie, released in 1983, was an instant hit,…
The Bicycle Thief (original Italian title, Ladri Di Biciclette) is a 1948 neorealist film by director Vittorio De Sica that has persisted as one of the most influential films in the history of Italian and world cinema. It has captured audiences for decades with its juxtaposition between hope and hopelessness, between the joy and misery…
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene, became the world’s first horror film and an exemplary example of German Expressionism upon its release in 1920. German Expressionism was a popular film movement during the 1920s, especially in Berlin, and focused on portraying the world in an anti-realistic fashion (which is quite in contrast…
Have you heard of Italian director Vittorio De Sica? On July 7th, 1901, in the small Italian town of Sora that lay between Rome and Naples, actor and Neorealist director Vittorio De Sica was born. His father, Umberto De Sica, had composed a song, “Tarallo Tarallino,” in the case that a boy was born to…
The 1950 Stromboli film (also know as Land of God) directed by Roberto Rossellini is today considered a classic example of the Neorealism movement. However, its initial release was very negative, especially in America, as the film was engulfed by the news of a scandal between the film’s main star, Ingrid Bergman, and Rossellini. Only…
Little did anyone know, when Federico Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita was released in 1960, it would soon become a world-wide sensation. Today, it is known to be one of the greatest films in the history of world cinema and it still remains very popular in the realm of Italian cinema. The film focuses on…
The 1952 Neorealist film Umberto D. directed by Vittorio De Sica is not the film you’d want to watch if you’re trying to brighten your day. In fact, it might be just the film to watch if you want to make your day thoroughly depressed. This is not to say that the film should not…
This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. The Wandering Antiquarian may earn a commission from purchases made through these links. What is Italian Neorealism? Consider Italy immediately after the end of World War II. Fascism and its harsh censorship on the media was dead along with Mussolini. Bombs no longer fell on the grand cities…
8½ (Otto e Mezzo in Italian) made in 1963 by Italian director Federico Fellini is an incredible mixture of surrealism, drama, and comedy. Most of the movie utilizes dreamlike scenes and logic as well as symbolism. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell whether a scene in the movie is really happening or if it is…