When Benito Mussolini proclaimed that ãCinema is the strongest weapon,ä he was only telling half the story. The first English-language anthology devoted to this subject, Re-viewing Fascism examines just how many films failed as ãweaponsä in creating cultural consensus and instead came to reflect the complexities and contradictions of Fascist culture.
From the silent era and The Black Hand (1906) to The Sopranos, Hollywood has had a love-hate affair with Italian Americans. This book is a celebration of nearly one hundred years of images of Italians in American motion pictures. It covers all the stars as well as directors: Danny Aiello, Frank Capra, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Brian De Palma, Leonardo Di Caprio, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Dean Martin, Vincente Minnelli, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Martin Scorsese, Frank Sinatra, Marisa Tomei, John Travolta, Rudolph Valentino, and scores of others.
Italian Film examines the extraordinary cinematic tradition of Italy, from the silent era to the present. Analyzing film within the framework of Italy's historical, social, political, and cultural evolution during the twentieth century, Marcia Landy traces the construction of a coherent national cinema and its changes over time. Her study traces how social institutions--school, family, the Church--as well as Italian notions of masculinity and femininity are dealt with in cinema and how they are central to the conceptions (and misconceptions) of national identity.
Very nicely illustrated catalog for the Florence Film Festival at Carnegie Hall. A 60 page tribute to Alberto Sordi.