NOTES/SUMMARY: ITALIAN NEO-REALISM

There is no definitive source for the term Neorealism, but it first appeared in the early 1940s in the writings of Italian critics. The term presented a younger generation's desire to break free of the conventions of the ordinary or mainstream Italian cinema. Today, most historians believe that Neorealism was not a complete break with Italian cinema under Mussolini. Pseudo-documentaries such as Roberto Rossellini's White Strip, even though propagandist, prepared the way for more forthright handling of contemporary events.

Regional dialect comedy and urban melodrama encouraged directors and scriptwriters to turn towards realism. Foreign influence and indigenous traditions made several filmmakers in the post-war era make films with the goal of revealing contemporary social conditions or even propagandistic styles. This trend became the Neorealistic movement. It was about showing the real world in Italy, it showed the real conditions of the economy, culture and society.

Italian neorealism was known for on location shooting. Neorealist's mise-en-scene relied on actual locales, and its photographic work tended toward the raw roughness of documentaries. They made use of nonactors to show a more realistic look and behavior. Roberto Rossellini is the number 1 Italian neorealism director.

The Italian Neorealism movement came to and end when Italy regained its economic state. The economy became stable again and censorship was brought back, large film companies began to rule in the Italian film industry making small film companies close down. Though the movement ended, many directors were influenced and began using the style in their own films.