Annotated Bibliography on Italian Cinema: From Hollywood to Realism

Badley, L, Palmer, RB, & Schneider, SJ 2005, Traditions in World Cinema, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.

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The author outlines changes in the cinema shooting such on location shooting and nonprofessional Italian actors. The sitting in the Hollywood films initially could not represent the really life of Italian people. After war the Italian people lives in poverty and lack of employment. Peter Bondanella shows a change in film making by Italian actors who reflect the reality life of the Italian people after war. He calls this neorealism because Hollywood films could not represent reality on the ground. Hollywood films were fictional as compared to the films produced after war. The setting and historical context in the bicycle thieves story is useful as it reflects a change in European cinema. The characters in the bicycle thieves are represents Italian people after war and miserable lives they are experiencing. Bicycle thieves cinema is useful in bringing new change in film making. The ordinary Italian characters who were not professional in film making are used in the production of bicycle thieves' cinema.

Bazin, A, Andrew, D, Truffaut, F, Gray, H &Bazin, A 2004, What is cinema?, Vol 2, University of California Press, Berkeley.

The authors explains what the camera captures could fail to represent what is on the ground. The scene could be from different setting. Therefore, an aspect of reality in the cinemas lacked in the hollywood cinemas. Before a cinema was made, its components was drawn from different environments in order to represent a certain reality on the ground according to Bazin. The purpose of the film made was mainly for entertainment thus they were full of fantacy. Films background did not represent the actual setting, historical context of the audience and the characters. In the bicycle thieves' story, the historical context, characters and the setting are drawn from poor locals after post war. The characters helps to create a reality to a film as people could relate the scenes with their present lives after war. Challenges people are facing after war are brought forth by use character who get a job but need a bicycle. The scenes depicted are more real to the people.

Cook, P 2007, The Cinema Book, 3rd edn,British Film Institute, London.

The author shows a milestone in film making coupled with advancement in technology. Modern development in cinema are associated with the use modern cameras, real scenes and really life settings that make modern cinemas appear real. Hollywood cinemas were basically drawn from urban centers. The instances in the urban areas were totally different from what was happening in the rural setting, an aspect which made cinemas appear more fictional. Therefore, in the bicycle thieves' story, the characters are drawn from a rural setting making the cinema more lively. The entire filming of the story is taken from outdoor scenes just like the present day films. It captures streets representing the real world away from the world of fantasy. The setting in bicycle Thieves cinema is in the rural area whose character represents, the real Italian citizens an aspect which was not found in Hollywood movies. In essence, Neo-realism was brought on board by a shift in the setting, on-location shooting as well as the use of unprofessional Italian actors.