History Main / ItalianNeorealism

The first Italian neorealist film is traditionally credited to be Creator/RobertoRossellini's ''Film/RomeOpenCity'' in 1945. This was produced, made, and shot right after the liberation of Italy, made with left-over film stock bought from the black market, and while it had major stars (namely comedian Alberto Soldi in a serious role as well as Anna Magnani's StarMakingRole), it turned heads for its use of non-professional in background roles, and its use of real locations, where background shots emphasized wartime devastation. Rossellini's second film ''Paisan'' is considered the actual beginning of neorealism, since it had no stars, non-professionals in leading roles, and used even more location shooting than the previous one. The most famous of all Italian neorealist films, and arguably the most famous Italian film was Creator/VittorioDeSica's ''Film/BicycleThieves'' which was a bleak, sad, sentimental and compelling story about how a poor father has his life wrecked when his bicycle, which he depends on for his work, gets stolen.

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If UsefulNotes/FascistItaly covered up the truth about Italian society with their "white telephone" films, produced by dictator Benito Mussolini's Cinecitta, a huge propaganda studio for the Italian state, Neorealism was a post-fascist and late-fascist attempt at BrutalHonesty: show just how much life can suck for the people at the bottom rung of society. At the same time, the neorealism style pointed out how poverty and poor people have stories and adventures where "little" things cause tremendous tragedy, and how almost anyone in the world, regardless of class is a HeroOfAnotherStory which is also TheGreatestStoryNeverTold.

!!Tropes often seen in Italian Neorealism include:

If UsefulNotes/FascistItaly covered up the truth about Italian society with their "white telephone" films, produced by dictator Benito Mussolini's Cinecitta, a huge propaganda studio for the Italian state, Neorealism was a post-fascist and late-fascist attempt at BrutalHonesty: show just how much life can suck for the people at the bottom rung of society. At the same time, the neorealism style pointed out how poverty and poor people have stories and adventures [[ForWantOfANail where "little" things cause tremendous tragedy]], and how almost anyone in the world, regardless of class is a HeroOfAnotherStory which is also TheGreatestStoryNeverTold.

* ''Film/TheIcicleThief'' -- a parody of ''Bicycle Thieves'' and a critique of late-1980s consumer culture.

* ''Film/UmbertoD''

* ''Film/TheIcicleThief'' -- a parody of ''Film/BicycleThieves'' and a critique of late-1980s consumer culture.

* ''Film/UmbertoD''


!!Parodies of Neorealist films include:
* ''Film/TheIcicleThief'' -- a parody of ''Film/BicycleThieves'' and a critique of late-1980s consumer culture.

* ''Film/UmbertoD''

The first Italian neorealist film is traditionally credited to be Creator/RobertoRossellini's ''Film/RomeOpenCity'' in 1945. This was produced, made, and shot right after the liberation of Italy, made with left-over film stock bought from the black market, and while it had major stars (namely comedian Alberto Soldi in a serious role as well as Anna Magnani's StarMakingRole), it turned heads for its use of non-professional in background roles, and its use of real locations, where background shots emphasized wartime devastation. Rossellini's second film ''Paisan'' is considered the actual beginning of neorealism, since it had no stars, non-professionals in leading roles, and used even more location shooting than the previous one. The most famous of all Italian neorealist films, and arguably the most famous Italian film was Creator/VittorioDeSica's ''Film/BicycleThieves'' which was a bleak, sad, sentimental and compelling story about how a poor father has his life wrecked when his bicycle, on which he depends on for his work, gets stolen.

If UsefulNotes/FascistItaly covered up the truth about Italian society with their white telephone films, Italian Neorealism was a post-fascist and late-fascist attempt at BrutalHonesty: show just how much life can suck for the people at the bottom rung of society, point out how poverty and poor people have stories and adventures [[ForWantOfANail where "little" things cause tremendous tragedy]], and how almost anyone in the world, regardless of class is a HeroOfAnotherStory which is also TheGreatestStoryNeverTold.

Nonetheless, in the years of its release and afterwards, Italian Neorealism had a huge and defining impact on international cinema, playing a major role in heralding the market for world cinema, for encouraging other countries to fund directors to shoot on the margins and document poor people, and generally offer a less pretty take on society and culture. The likes of Creator/SatyajitRay, Creator/AbbasKiarostami, Creator/LuisBunuel among many others were inspired by Neorealism, and the films were also championed by the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave, British KitchenSinkDrama producers, Creator/JohnCassavetes and many many others. It also influenced French New Wave and Commedia all’italiana.

Nonetheless, in the years of its release and afterwards, Italian Neorealism had a huge and defining impact on international cinema, playing a major role in heralding the market for world cinema, for encouraging other countries to fund directors to shoot on the margins and document poor people, and generally offer a less pretty take on society and culture. The likes of Creator/SatyajitRay, Creator/AbbasKiarostami, Creator/LuisBunuel among many others were inspired by Neorealism, and the films were also championed by the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave, British KitchenSinkDrama producers, Creator/JohnCassavetes and many many others.