Italian Film [Paperback]

Examines the extraordinary cinematic tradition of Italy, from the silent era to the present.Italian Film examines the extraordinary cinematic tradition of Italy, from the silent era to the present. Analyzing film within the framework of Italy's historical, social, political, and cultural evolution during the twentieth century, Marcia Landy traces the construction of a coherent national cinema and its changes over time. This study traces how social institutions school, family, the Church as well as Italian notions of masculinity and femininity are dealt with in cinema and how they are central to the conceptions (and misconceptions of national identity.Italian Film examines the extraordinary cinematic tradition of Italy, from the silent era to the present. Analyzing film within the framework of Italy's historical, social, political, and cultural evolution during the twentieth century, Marcia Landy traces the construction of a coherent national cinema and its changes over time. This study traces how social institutions school, family, the Church as well as Italian notions of masculinity and femininity are dealt with in cinema and how they are central to the conceptions (and misconceptions of national identity.Italian Film examines the extraordinary cinematic tradition of Italy, from the silent era to the present. Analyzing film within the framework of Italy's historical, social, political, and cultural evolution during the twentieth century, Marcia Landy traces the construction of a coherent national cinema and its changes over time. Her study traces how social institutions--school, family, the Church--as well as Italian notions of masculinity and femininity are dealt with in cinema and how they are central to the conceptions (and misconceptions) of national identity.Introduction; 1. Early cinema attractions; 2. National history as retrospective illusion; 3. Challenging the folklore romance; 4. Comedy and the cinematic machine; 5. The urban landscape, before alÃU