The History of Italian Cinema: A Guide to Italian Film from Its Origins to the Twenty-first Century

Gian Piero Brunetta

Princeton University Press, 2009 - Motion pictures - 385 pages

The History of Italian Cinema is the most comprehensive guide to Italian film ever published. Written by the foremost scholar of Italian cinema and presented here for the first time in English, this landmark book traces the complete history of filmmaking in Italy, from its origins in the silent era through its golden age in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and its subsequent decline to its resurgence today.

Gian Piero Brunetta covers more than 1,500 films, discussing renowned masters including Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini, as well as directors lesser known outside Italy like Dino Risi and Ettore Scola. He examines overlooked Italian genre films such as horror movies, comedies, and Westerns, and he also devotes attention to neglected periods like the Fascist era. Brunetta illuminates the epic scope of Italian filmmaking, showing it to be a powerful cultural force in Italy and leaving no doubt about its enduring influence abroad. Encompassing the social, political, and technical aspects of the craft, he recreates the world of Italian cinema, giving readers rare insights into the actors, cinematographers, film critics, and producers that have made Italian cinema unique. Brunetta's passion as a true fan of Italian movies comes across on every page of this panoramic guide.

A delight for film lovers everywhere, The History of Italian Cinema reveals the full artistry of Italian film.

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The history of Italian cinema: a guide to Italian film from its origins to the twenty-first century

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As Brunetta (history & criticism of cinema, Univ. of Padua; The Cinema of Italy) guides readers through the halls of Italian cinema-overlooked by busts of Bernardo Bertolucci, Vittorio De Sica ...

Contents

• INTRODUCTION The Epic History of Italian Cinema: 1
• The Silent Era: 15
• From Sound to Salò: 67
• From Neorealism to La dolce vita: 108
• From the Boom Years to the Years of Terror: 167
• From the 1970s to the Present: 245
• EPILOGUE 2007: 315
• NOTES: 323
• INDEX OF NAMES: 345
• INDEX OF FILMS: 363

About the author

Gian Piero Brunetta is professor of the history and criticism of cinema at the University of Padua in Italy. His many books include the acclaimed five-volume History of World Cinema.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The History of Italian Cinema: A Guide to Italian Film from Its Origins to the Twenty-first Century
• Author: Gian Piero Brunetta
• Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2009
• ISBN: 0691119880, 9780691119885
• Length: 385 pages