Italiene Neo-Realism and Bicycle Thief

List the key Ideology and Thematic Goals

Italian Neo-Realism's major influence was the "anti-Fascism that marked World War II's immediate postwar period". The films portray the real lives of people after that period to "focus on collectivity rather than the individual". Their key ideologies are "Solidarity" and "criticism of the status quo". Their goals is to try to push film makers out onto the streets to emphasize on "reality".

Describe the historical context of the movement

The movies made before the postwar of World War II was American, where paradise is shown in a country called America. The American imports movies did not reflect the Italian realities, therefore, the Italians rarely saw movies that reflected their lives. "As early as 1935, anti-Fascist journalist Leo Longanesi urged directors to 'go into the streets, into the barracks, into the train stations; only in this way can an Italian cinema be born.' " Italy was also in its first transitions from agriculture to manufacturing which proved to be difficult for people. Much of the country was in poverty so it led to the movement where people expressed the reality of their country. First, the philosophers like writers wrote about the reality. There was need to actually emphasize the reality so film making made its way. Neo-realism affected Europe's film making and gave Italy a sense of freedom with these films.

List the Cinematic Techniques

The techniques are: scenes are shot on location, with no professional extras and often a largely unprofessional cast, set in rural areas or working-class neighborhoods, the stories focus on everyday people, shows the streets of Italy, unhappy endings, reflects poverty and desperation, and close to documentary style but not quite because it is staged.

Identify key contributors and give a short summary of their contributions

Jean Renoir's Toni (1935) and Alessandro Blassetti's 1860 (1934) influenced neo-realism because they were one of the first to create neo-realism movies with cinematic techniques like shooting on location and using unknown actors which were very rare at those times.

Identify the key films of the movement and why they were significant.

DeSica directed Bicycle Thief. The movie showed criticism of the unemployment and working conditions in Italy. The cast is nonprofessional.

The Earth Trembles, 1948, directed by Luchino Visconti , used a completely nonprofessional cast and emphasized on economic hardships. Its emphasis on the honor and dignity that had been attached to a life earned from the unpredictable sea.The cast speaks their native dialect.