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An Overview of French and Italian "National" Cinema

An Overview of French and Italian "National" Cinema

At issue herein is the question of how successful French and Italian filmmakers have been in creating a "national" cinema that addresses or depicts relevant social and political themes or issues that define a film as being from a particular country. Such a film, as referenced by Aaron Sultanik (167-168), is readily identifiable as positioned ideologically as well as physically within the context of events or ideas shaping the socio-political landscape of a country. By examining a select assortment of French and Italian films released between the early 1970s and 2000, and exploring relevant critical literature, it will be argued in this report that both France and Italy are home to established "national cinemas" that do represent each country's guiding ethos.

In a discussion of Italian cinema since 1945 to the present, Mirco Melanco (387) stated that Italy has experienced several periods of political and social crisis that are often examined in film. Indeed, Said Melanco (387): "The cinema is often a perfect witness of changes affecting a societyĆ .The cinema is a source of evidence, a safe filled with past documents." This is readily apparent in 1974's The Night Porter, directed by Liliana Cavani and focusing on Fascism and its sadomasochistic aspects.

Nora Sayre (1) says of this film that this film explores the effects of rape, of the Nazi era and of the lingering effects of Fascism. Exploring the post-war impact of events from the past is a common theme in European cinema, suggesting in part that the various forms of trauma associated with World War II continue to shape European consciousness today. This is also the case with respect to 1994's Life is Beautiful, in which the tragedy of the concentration camps is played out against the eternal optimism of the human condition ("Review: Life is Beautiful," 76). Though a fable, this film exploits the pathos of the Ho...

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An Overview of French and Italian "National" Cinema. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 14:39, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1705970.html