Marco Bellocchio, Italy’s second generation of film directors after WW2, highly influenced by the British cinema, provides in his film debut a counter and radical approach to the bourgeois family values, religion and the Neo-realism movement. Charged with the director’s autobiographical elements, over the edge acting style and Ennio Morricone’s circular vocal treatments – the… Continue reading Fists in the Pocket – I Pugni in Tasca (Marco Bellocchio – 1965)
Story of a Love Affair – Cronaca di un amore (Michelangelo Antonioni – 1950)
Rainy dark streets, unfulfilled love, alienated ambience, restless camera movement and mimialistic soundtrack come together here in Michelangelo Antonioni’s first full-length feature film. With the recent passing of this incredible director that has largely shaped the course of Italian cinema – it is fascinating to go back to the early years and observe the origin… Continue reading Story of a Love Affair – Cronaca di un amore (Michelangelo Antonioni – 1950)
Salvatore Giuliano (Francesco Rosi – 1962)
In this masterpiece classic director Francesco Rosi tells the story of Salvatore Giuliano, a famous Sicilian gangster that during the mid-40’s collaborated with a Sicilian separatist group, Movement for the Independence of Sicily (MIS), with close ties to the Mafia engaging with small-scale attacks on government and police targets. Rosi delivers a poignant documentary that… Continue reading Salvatore Giuliano (Francesco Rosi – 1962)
A Special Day – Una Giornata Particolare (Ettore Scola – 1977)
I consider this movie a masterpiece. Starting from the photography. The seppia/monocolor gives an impressive touch of visual art. I could spend 5 minutes observing each frame. And every single object, profile, thing, is just perfect. Do you remember when everybody leaves, and Sofia is sitting alone at the messed up table in the kitchen?… Continue reading A Special Day – Una Giornata Particolare (Ettore Scola – 1977)
Swept Away – Travolti da un insolito destino nell’azzurro mare d’agosto (Lina Wertmüller – 1974)
Summertime and the living is easy…so why not enjoy a summer masterpiece from Lina Wertmüller who started her career as an assistant director in Fellini’s 1962 film 81/2? The film, is by no means your typical summer movie, weaves together issues of sex, politics, male-female, poor-rich, relationships into comedy turned drama. Swept away by an… Continue reading Swept Away – Travolti da un insolito destino nell’azzurro mare d’agosto (Lina Wertmüller – 1974)