Italian Neorealism

Italian Neorealism was a big influence on On the Waterfront, so it would be worth our time to look into this interesting movement.

It came out of post-WWII Italy. Italy throughout the ’30s was under Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, and it suffered great economic instability as it made its first transitions into an industrial economy. The high cost of the war only made matters worse. Italy had terrible social and economic issues throughout WWII, and no one could speak up about it under the censorship of their government. So when Mussolini’s regime fell in 1943, filmmakers immediately began to broach the issues they felt were important. Italian Neorealism was born out of this situation.

This movement sought to depict the reality of Italy’s working class in the wake of the war. It had an anti-Hollywood aesthetic; no “happy endings” were allowed. These films focused on social problems and difficult moral decisions. Ordinary people were the subject, and the dialogue was simple, not literary. In general, Italian Neorelaism lacked big stylistic flare, opting instead to portray itself with simplicity.

The filmmakers who wanted to expose Italy did not have very much money to fund big projects, so their movies were filmed largely on location with nonprofessional actors. These characteristics were functional too because filming where the social problems actually took place with the people actually effected would present the situations authentically.

The only Italian Neorealist film I have personally seen is Bicycle Thieves (1948). It is one of the movement’s typical examples. It matches the characteristics point by point. The plot involves a father who has a very difficult time finding work and once he finds a job, he needs to own a bicycle to do it, so he gets one with all of the money he has left, but it is soon stolen. What follows are some devastating moral quandaries. The movie really has a helpless feel, and it puts you right into the mindset of the working class. This film goes highly recommended from me.

On the Waterfront very much takes from its Italian Neorealist predecessors. Obviously the subject matter deals with the working class and with difficult moral issues involved therein. But also On the Waterfront was filmed on location in Hoboken, NJ. Of course the main characters were played by professional actors, but many extras and minor roles were played by Hoboken residents. Clearly Kazan and Kaufman took some inspiration from Italy to give the film its gritty feel.

 

Source:

http://cinecollage.net/neorealism.html

https://www.hobokenmuseum.org/self-guided-walking-tours/on-the-waterfront

Leave a Reply