ITTR: fantasy test

The Peplum

• took place during antiquity and

• usually featured epic-style plots and an emphasis on battles and conquests

Divismo:

• Divismo refers to a social phenomenon found primarily in the Silent Cinema of Italy. It refers to actors who become ‘Divas’ – Diva being the Latin word for a goddess.

White Telephones:

• similar to romantic comedies. Featured characteristics belonging to a middle class background, often happy endings, traditional gender roles. Gli Uomini, che mascalzoni(1932)

Verismo:

• It is a style that became popular associated with Giovanni Verga, Focuses on Regular people , 3rd person limited: narrator telling what they see not how they feel

Neorealism:

• This film movement, emerging in the aftermath of World War II, focused on depicting the harsh realities and struggles of ordinary people in post-war Italy. The films often featured real locations, amateur actors, and stories that highlighted economic hardship and moral dilemmas, rejecting studio-based artificiality in favor of an authentic, documentary-like feel. 

pink neorealism

• : Pink neorealism was a subgenre of Italian neorealism that emerged in the 1950s, blending neorealist conventions with optimistic romantic comedies and tales of love to reflect Italy's economic recovery and a desire for hope over suffering.

neorealismo nero

refers to the core principles of the original Neorealist movement that emerged after World War II, showcasing the harsh realities of postwar Italy. dark, serious, poverty, injustice, desperation

The Taking of Rome:

• "The taking of Rome" most often refers to the Capture of Rome on September 20, 1870, a pivotal event of the Italian unification (Risorgimento) where Italian troops conquered the Papal States and incorporated Rome into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.

cabiria

a cornerstone of Italian cinema for its groundbreaking use of innovative camera techniques like tracking shots, its massive scale and production, and its influence on global cinema by elevating film from a novelty to an art form

Gli uomini, che mascalzoni:

•  White telephones: similar to romantic comedies. Featured characteristics belonging to a middle class background, often happy endings, traditional gender roles. Gli Uomini, che mascalzoni(1932)

Obsession

• Subversive movies: Obsession (1943), were more defiants of fascist sensibilities, one of the 4 major films during facism 

Rome, Open City:

•  ignited italian neorealism film movement capturing the urgent reality of nazi occupied rome through authentic location shooting and non professional actors to create a shocking documentary like portrayal of ordinary people resisting oppression 

Giovanni Verga

• perrismo genre, Italian Verismo movement, a form of literary realism focused on depicting the struggles of ordinary people

Filoteo Alberini:

• Filoteo Alberini was a pioneering Italian figure in early cinema, important for inventing a motion picture camera and projector in 1894, before the Lumière brothers, and for producing La Presa di Roma, considered Italy's first feature film with a complex plot

Elvira Notari:

Elvira Notari was important as Italy's first and most prolific female filmmaker, pioneering a unique cinematic style that blended realism with melodrama, particularly through her "city films" that captured Neapolitan life and influenced later Italian Neorealism. Her films, focused on female protagonists and societal issues, resonated with immigrant audiences in the US and Italy, though her work was largely forgotten due to Fascist censorship and the rise of sound film. lvira Notari was both an actress and a director during the silent film era. Her films were set in Naples and often focused on female characters. They featured many scenes shot in authentic locations and characters of humble origins. She is considered by some to be a precursor of neorealism.

Functions:

key moments in the plot that push it forward, for example protagonist lea e to complete a mission, challenge to the protagonist, the protagonist meets an enemy mysterious stranger etc.

• Fairytale v Folktale: 

• Fairytale= are more literary, written collections, Fairtales put an emphasis on correct behavior, There is always an element of magic or wonder and shape shifting, Women play a key role  

• Folktale= usually entertainment, orally being passed from generation to generation

Carlo Collodi:

•  Carlo Collodi is important as the author of the enduring children's classic The Adventures of Pinocchio, he was poor

Enrico Mazzanti:

• illustrated the first edition of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio.

Giannettino:

•  The character Giannettino was central to a series of educational books for children written by Carlo Collodi, the same author who later wrote The Adventures of Pinocchio. 

Metonymy

 this symbolizes that, symbolic imagery to represent inner turmoil

Giambattista Basile

author of Il Pentamerone (The Tale of Tales), the first published collection of European fairy tales, which provided source material for later writers like Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm.

The Pentameron/Lo cunto de li cunti:

• ​​the first full collection of European literary fairy tales, establishing the genre and providing a source for later tales like those by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. Written by Giambattista Basile

Camorra:

•  one of Italy's most powerful and oldest organized crime syndicates, originating in Naples and Campania. Its importance stems from its historical involvement in various illicit activities like smuggling, extortion, drug trafficking, and money laundering, which have deeply permeated Campanian society. Operating through independent clans in a less hierarchical structure than other Italian mafias, the Camorra exerts territorial control and influences politics and business, both in Italy and internationally.  

Gothic Fantasy/Horror:

• Passionate emotion, darkly lush scenery, macabre elements and eerie atmosphere, Emotional turmoil , Mystery and suspense, Ancient prophecies, Metonymy, Inexplicable events, Mortality, Human nature

Urban Fantasy:

supernatural or inexplicable events take place in what is usually depicted as a gritty, urban setting

Film poliziottesco:

• always some kind of crime at the center, multiple crimes, the protagonist is a police officer or might be more than one officer. Emphasis placed on the procedures and techniques that the police use to solve a crime, police sometimes belongs to working class. Ambiguous endings. 

What types of films characterized the silent era in Italian cinema?

• Peplums( took place during antiquity and usually featured epic-style plots and an emphasis on battles and conquests), literary sources, historic films. 

What genres were popular during Fascism and why?

•  1. The patriotic film: heroism revolving around italians who made great sacrifices for their countries, Luciano Serra, Pilota(1938) propaganda and national identity, 2. Historical Film: subtle criticism of fascism. Set in a distant era, it was separated enough from contemporary issues to avoid being too obvious. Blasetti Nerone (1930), 3. White telephones: distraction and escapism, similar to romantic comedies. Featured characteristics belonging to a middle class background, often happy endings, traditional gender roles. Gli Uomini, che mascalzoni(1932), 4. Subversive movies: Obsession (1943), were more defiants of fascist sensibilities. More suppressed.

How did Neorealism evolve in the Italian cinema?

• Literary verismo(regular people, giovanni verga), literary neorealism(blending with fantasy), neorealism turning point was Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, open city, neorealism shows real life problems like unemployment elderly neglect corruption of the ciminal justice system child abuse and exploitation of workers. 

• How did Italian cinema begin to change in the 1950s?

• 1950s: competition to Italian film industry Financial rewards were determined by the government 

• Horror movies began to emerge

• 1952: decline of neorealism 

• 1959: La dolce Vita, societal crisis, Italy was going through rapid industrial economy

How is The Singing Princess influenced by Disney films?

• Influenced the disney princess format, passive, least active in the story, classic years. Villains are assertive and powerful. Singing to animals, only purpose to find true love. 

What are some important moments in fairytale adaptations from Italy?

•  Fairytales put emphasis on correct behavior, there is always an element of magic or wonder, women play a key role, singing princess WWII reflect what issues were present at the time, showed negative view of colored people 

What are the main characteristics of Neorealism? Do we see any of them in Miracle in Milan?

• Focuses on the working class, homeless people, Focuses on the working class, homeless people; shows the daily struggle of poverty, hunger and lack of security, Had non-professional actors, Focusing on poor post world war II , But adds elements of comedy and magical realism, Location was in a real wasteland near a railroad in Milan. 

Is it correct to categorize Miracle in Milan as a fairytale film? Why or why not?

• Yes, it has fairytale aspects like the miracles with umbrellas and the eggs, magical dove, the ending is up to interpretation but feels magical. He was even born organic, almost being born in the cabbage pack, showing the food insecurity of the time. 

What kind of fairytale is Miracle in Milan? How can we tell?

• Neorealist fairytale, magical aspects, fantastical, toto has innocent goodness, magic dove, flying broomsticks. 

Describe and explain the Christian imagery found in The Adventures of Pinocchio:

Story of a Puppet. “God helps those who helps themselves”, Carpenter is father, Fairy is mother like virgin mary , He is killed and resurrected.

• How has the image of Pinocchio as a fictional character evolved since the publication of the original novel? 

• Enrico Mazzanti: original illustration of pinocchio 

  • He looks like a young man 

  • Skinny

  • Clown dressed 

• Giulio Antamoro, 1911: first film adaptation

  • He looks more like a child

  • Clown dressed

• Disney: most famous, 1940

  • Technologically advanced

  • More innocent looking, childlike 

  • His clothing is a lot different, more german-like 

  • Face appears to look human like 

• Luigi Comencic(1972): human plays him 

  • German hat isn’t there 

  • He is an actual child 

  • Clown dressed more 

• Roberto Benigni: 2002, autobiography

  • Adult actor, looks childlike

  • Clothing similar to clown like 

• Enzo D’Alo( 2012):

  • Clothing different

  • No hat

  • Looks like a teenager

What are the main characteristics of Gothic literature? Do we see them in Matteo Garrone’s adaptation, Pinocchio?

• Pinnochio v the sea: darkly lush scenery, eerie atmosphere, weird looking tuna, thought of what is going to happen?Is he going to die now? What is the light over there? suspense moment, When he sees Babbo passionate emotion, mortality because he constantly survives these events that keep happening to him

• Mangiafuco’s theater: mysterious puppets and characters, fear, dark lighting, 

• Pinocchio v cat and fox: demonic, steering him the wrong way, didn’t realize he actually has whiskers 

• Pinocchio and the rabbits: rabbits and undertakers convinced Pinocchio to take the medicine, 

• Passionate emotion, darkly lush scenery, macabre elements and eerie atmosphere

In what ways is Pinocchio similar to Miracle in Milan? How does it differ?

• Use of fantasy and representation of societal struggles like poverty. Pinnochio is about a child’s character development and journey, while miracle in milan is a critique on class conflict. 

Roberto Benigni has observed that the Blue Fairy is the character around whom the entire story of Pinocchio revolves. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

•  I agree and disagree, I think that she serves as the moral compass and aid in transforming into a real boy, but I feel that the story is also about returning back to babbo and the struggles/ journey he has to take to reach babbo. 

How does Cinderella the Cat reflect tropes and traits that are associated with the film poliziottesco?

• There is crime at the center of the movie, the protagonist is a police officer, urban setting taking place in Naples, focused organized crime and corruption of the institutions.

Can you define Cinderella the Cat as a fairytale film? Why or why not?

• It contains core elements of the classic narrative, revolves around good vs evil, has the evil stepmother and the ship acts like a fairy godmother in a sense. But it has a very dark plot with crime and an almost dystopian setting with a futuristic Naples.