Italian Neorealism Essay

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Italian Neo-Realism Italian Neorealism has often been referred to as the “Golden Age” of classic Italian cinema. These neorealist films were evidence of the cultural change in Italy after World War II. Traditionally these films presented a contemporary story which was often shot in the streets due to the destruction of the film studios that were significantly damaged during World War II. In DeSica’s 1952 film Umberto D. you see postwar neorealist everyday life. Umberto Domenico Ferrari is an elderly pensioner who is returning home after a protest on the reduction in pensions. Antonia Belloni is Umberto’s landlady and demands to be paid 15,000 lire or else she will force Umberto to leave. Maria is both the maid of the boarding house and Umberto’s …show more content…

By adding the clips involving the ants in the kitchen DiSica reveals the unglamorous postwar living situations that the poor and middle-class experienced everyday. Maria mentions the ant problem and then casually mentions to Umberto that she’s pregnant. By sharing personal information with Umberto you can tell that the two have a trusting relationship. Umberto is shocked by how coy Maria was; acting as it isn’t a big deal. This information is only between between the two of them, Maria is scared to tell Antonia probably because it could risk her losing her job. The water fails to rid the ants from the wall, so Maria uses the gas stove to light newspapers on fire, waving the homemade torch on the ants shows that she is resourceful. Once again DiSica uses diegetic sound when off screen Antonia shouts, “the room is yours”, because the couple has moved to another room. On his way out Maria tells Umberto that she’s been pregnant for three months along, he doesn’t respond anything- just walks with his head down; seeming upset about the news. The view of the camera is wide and level with the floor showing the majority of the kitchen, so you can see Umberto exit while Maria continues to burn the ants off the

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