Cinema and Fascism: Italian Film and Society, 1922–1943University of California Press, 2008 M02 1 - 248 pages This study considers Italian filmmaking during the Fascist era and offers an original and revealing approach to the interwar years. Steven Ricci directly confronts a long-standing dilemma faced by cultural historians: while made during a period of totalitarian government, these films are neither propagandistic nor openly "Fascist." Instead, the Italian Fascist regime attempted to build ideological consensus by erasing markers of class and regional difference and by circulating terms for an imaginary national identity. Cinema and Fascism investigates the complex relationship between the totalitarian regime and Italian cinema. It looks at the films themselves, the industry, and the role of cinema in daily life, and offers new insights into this important but neglected period in cinema history. |
Contents
1 | |
1 Amnesia and Historical Memory | 19 |
2 The Political Economy of Italian Cinema 19221943 | 52 |
3 Leisure Time Historiography and Spectatorship | 77 |
Fascination and ReNegotiation | 125 |
5 The Fascist Codex | 156 |
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Alessandro Blasetti American films attempted audience’s Brunetta Cabiria Camerini’s censorship character cinema italiano cinema under fascism cinematografica Condottieri construction contemporary context country’s critical decade discourse discussion Dona Paola dubbing Duce economic Editori Edizioni example fascist cultural Fascist Italy fascist period fiction films Figure film industry film’s Firenze Forgacs Frame enlargement genre Gianni Giovanni Hollywood ideological Il signor Max important Istituto LUCE Italian audiences Italian cinema Italian culture Italian fascism Italian film production Italy’s located LUCE newsreels Maciste major Mario Camerini Massenzio Milano modern narrative national identity neorealism neorealist newsreels number of films organization overall Paisà particular percent political popular practices presented print version propaganda public sphere readership reading refer regime’s relationship representation role Roma Roman Rome Sica significant social specific state’s Storia del cinema texts textual theaters tion Treno popolare University Press view this image Vittorio Vittorio De Sica