My Brother Is An Only Child

I thought it was interesting to observe how Accio's life at home predisposed him for an attraction to the fascist party. Both of his parents made no effort to conceal their favoritism for Manrico and Victoria. When Accio returns from his failed stint at seminary school, Victoria has moved into his room. Additionally, while Victoria is permitted to go to classical school, Accio is forced to go to technical school like his brother (despite having followed through on his end of his deal with his father). Accio is also tormented by his brother's relationship with Francesca. He is frequently subjected to the sounds of the couple's lovemaking whilst doing his schoolwork. For the aforementioned reasons, Accio feels as though he is constantly "getting the short end of the stick." Rejected by his own family, his fascist mentor Mario acts as a father figure to Accio and indoctrinates him with fascist ideals. His feelings of alienation are assuaged by the sense of belonging and purpose that the fascist party gives him. The card he receives from the party serves as a symbol in the film (he later tears it up and joins the communist party).

My Brother is an Only Child

My Brother is an Only Child depicts the polarizing relationship between two brothers in the midst of political chaos between Italy's fascist and communist parties. The thing I found most interesting to witness was the character arc for Accio. He doesn't necessarily learn any lesson or become a better person. Once a fascist and then a communist, he still resorts to acts of violence and crime. He is even willing to aid his brother Manrico by bringing money to him after two years of hiding. It is not until the end of the film that Accio is able to use his controversial methods for what is just: stealing the keys to the redistributed homes that the poor Italians in his neighborhood need. He truly takes on the role that his brother would have played, learning to identify with the person he was.

My Brother Is an Only Child

This film captures the true violence that took place in Italy during the 1960s. The violence that is shown between the left and the right is very intense and brutal, and represents the total belief people felt at this time. This film stood out to me because it displays how during times of poverty, war, and disagreement, people will go to extreme extents for whatever they believe in, and how "mob mentality" can take over due to the lack of hope that exists in their minds. I found it to be powerful showing the brutality and violence that took place, as well as creating a story of brothers (one of the closest relationships that a person can experience) choosing opposite sides. This helped develop the fact that people can go against their own family during these hard times, and forget what truly matters to them, simply because of corruption. I thought this storyline was very interesting and powerful.

My Brother Is an Only Child

While watching the film My Brother Is an Only Child, I was caught off guard when the audience followed the story of Accio.  During the whole first half of the movie, I was expecting Accio to turn into a redeemable character and see the error of his ways. Instead the audience was shown his whole descent into the Fascist party, not at all shying away from the rage and violence that defined him. Initially, I felt as though it would have made the film easier to watch if instead of following Accio, the audience instead followed his brother, Manrico. If the entirety of the film was only the events of a Fascist, enraged Accio, I would still feel this way, but that doesn't happen. Instead the audience is treated to a redemption arc for Accio and Manrico's slower descent into political revolution and societal abandonment. With the context of this ending, the audience's anticipation and hope for Accio's betterment is fulfilled thereby making a more satisfying film.

Life is Beautiful

The film, "Life is Beautiful" is a perfect example of how you can mix tradegy and comedy to enhance the drama of the film. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this film due to the fact that it does have comedy even though it is meant to be a movie about the holocaust, but I think that the comedy used was in no way satirical, but was used to enhance the tradegy in the film. With Guido's character, he was the main source of comedy for the film. He was percieved by the audience as a very kind, supportive, theatrical, and loving father and husband, so his death at the end of the movie was even more tragic because of how much the audience had already connected with his character. There are many movies out there about the holocaust that have been turned into comedy that are much "worse" than this film. For example, "The Producers," and "Inglorious Bastards" are both movies that take the holocaust and make it funny, but not in a mocking way towards the people that were affacted. The comedy used in movies like this are almost always making a mockery of Hilter and the Nazi Party. An argument could be made that this was a way of coping from the tradgey that occured.

My Brother is an Only Child

My Brother is an Only Child presented a new relationship for us to analyze in comparison to the other Italian films we have watched thus far. Rather than a father and son film, we watched the story of two brothers. There are similarities of the brother and brother relationship to that of previous father and son relationships because Manrico as the older brother often takes on a fatherly role to Accio by telling him what to do and what to believe. Accio reacts with anger often like a disobedient child. However, the brother and brother relationship differs from previous father and son relationships in that both brothers are constantly competing –in political ideology and in relationships- presenting a new layer to the dynamic. The way the two brothers’ characters evolve by the end of the film appears to parallel the brothers characters at the beginning of the film. Accio is now seen as the more levelheaded and charismatic brother in comparison to his original violent and outspoken character at the beginning. In contrast, Manrico is now the political fugitive in comparison to his original charismatic character. After watching this movie, I can’t help but question the brothers’ relationships with their sister. Violetta is not necessarily a central character and her relationship with her brothers is not explored much throughout the film. What do you think Violetta’s character does to progress the plot of the film or was she not an essential character?

Stealing Beauty

Stealing Beauty is an interesting coming of age film, focused around a 19-year-old girl, Lucy Harmon. However, many argue that, while Lucy can be seen as the main character of the film, she also seems to be a "catalyst" for the other characters of the film, rather than a strong main character. As Lucy develops as a young woman, some may view her role to be more important as a character who helps those around her develop and grow, maybe even without them realizing. Her youthfulness and beauty are major factors that play a key role in influencing those around her realize things about themselves, that, in some cases, put them at peace with the negative future they are guaranteed to experience. Lucy herself, is on a journey to find the boy in which she thinks she loves, and wishes to lose her virginity to, as well as discover the meaning behind her late mothers poem and find her father in Italy. The ending of the film is very different from the previous films that we have watched, for everything that is problematic for the main character at the beginning of the film is resolved at the end, which is uncommon for Italian films. I found this to be very surprising when watching the film, as well as quite interesting. In conclusion, I enjoyed this film, and was intrigued by the fact that it was more similar to a Hollywood film in the sense that the ending gave us a clear-cut conclusion, however it also had the feeling of an Italian film, that the average American viewer may not feel comfortable with when first watching this film.

Stealing Beauty: The Italian Bachelorette

Bertolucci's Stealing Beauty, an Italian film deemed international for its English-speaking characters and happy ending, proved to be one of the stories that I wasn't as invested in so far this semester. The plot took a while to pick up, and the movie was littered with too many characters of little depth. However, I was able to get into the story once the drama grew. Having the ability to speak with our classmates during the screening was a big plus, as we were all able to give our two cents on where the plot was going to lead. In the end, watching the film was an enjoyable experience. I just think that any deep meaning behind this one of Bertolucci's lesser stories would be a bit contrived.

Life is Beautiful

The first time I watched Life is Beautiful was in English class in 8th grade during a unit in which we were researching literature and art on the Holocaust. Watching it a second time, years later and living in Italy, has been a much different experience. I talk with my host family a lot about the films we watch in this class, as they are huge cinema fans (especially my host father). They'll never stop talking about La Dolce Vita and Fellini's visionary talent; and other movie choices for the class they applaud with "Bellisimo!". My host family has made it clear their distraught hatred for Life is Beautiful. When they first said this, I was surprised because I knew the success and fame of the movie. When I pry and ask why they hate the movie, the answer is clear cut and should've been more obvious to anyone: it's not right to make such a light-hearted and comedic film regarding something so tragic as the Holocaust. When I watched the movie earlier in life, I didn't think of this point at all; I thought it was a loving movie regarding father and son and triumph over evils of the world. This time though, I held my host family's view points in mind and the movie did seem some sorts of disrespectful. Although the humor and light-heartedness was a major plot point in the movie and idea of father-son relationship, I feel the movie is out of taste trivializing an event of the magnitude.

Tragedy and Comedy in Life is Beautiful

The fusion of tragedy and humor in Roberto Binigni’s film “Life is Beautiful” made it both an intriguing and difficult film to watch. The movie certainly had poignant cinematic qualities to it but it was challenging as a viewer to look past the combination of Guido’s energetic antics, the music and sound effects, and humorous tone overall contrasted with the dark realities of the Holocaust later on in the film. Particularly at the beginning, the movie had a light hearted sitcom-like feel to it. However, it still managed to address serious issues and events in history. This further made me wonder why our American culture separates comedy and tragedy into such opposed genres without overlap. Shakespeare and other famous works have successfully merged them but most modern American cinema and television tends to stray away from this. Although it was difficult because I was not used to it, I thought the overlap of these qualities was relatively effective. In other words, I think the duality served to humanize Guido and those around him and represent them as regular and normal people in a difficult situation rather than distant sad figures in a tragedy. 

Life is Beautiful

The aspect of the film, Life is Beautiful, that I found most intriguing is the use of parallels between the first part and second part of the film. In the first part, Guido uses his imagination and storytelling skills to woo Dora. Then in the second part, he uses those same skills to make his son, Giosue, believe the concentration camp is a game. Guido also uses the Schopenhauer Method throughout the whole film. However, the outcome of the method is more vital in the second part when he ensures a dog does not discover Giosue’s hiding place. Whereas in the first part, Gido practices the method by making Ferruccio wake up and Dora look at him at the opera. Another example of parallels is the use of the fascist salute. In the opening scene Guido attempts to warn a crowd as his car barrels into them by waving his hands. The crowd assumes he is giving them a fascist salute. This is a subtle indication that this film is not as lighthearted as it appears. Then in the second part of the film the salute is used more obviously while at the concentration camp. The parallels in this movie are important in crafting Guido as a character who throughout his life has attempted to make others happy with humor despite their current condition. The parallels also indicate to the viewer that the second part of the movie will be much less enjoyable, however Guido will attempt to make it just as lighthearted as the first part.  

La Dolce Vita

In Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, Marcello experiences several episodes of lust and adventure in and around Rome. Each scene of the film is its own self-contained story arc, ascending in passion as the dawn approaches. By the time the sun rises, he remains alone and envious. Marcello’s career entails chronicling the lives of celebrities and famous people for the press, and most of his endeavors cover women of different varieties. Whether it was a sighting of the Madonna or a famous American actress, Marcello is there, but he doesn’t take interest in witnessing these subjects for the press. In many of his encounters, Marcello becomes submersed by lust and craving for a life that he doesn’t have. For example, his encounter with the American actress entails him following her everywhere, listening to her though never really reciprocating in conversation. He yearns to please her, going off to find milk for a stray cat, and following her into a knee-deep fountain. This desperation is carried throughout the film, and is implied to continue even after the final scene, where Marcello is aware of his actions and desires though still persists to catch the sweet life for himself.

Divorce Italian Style

When watching this film, I didn't really understand the comedy aspect of the movie until a few days after watching it. I realized that the film was very satirical, and very appropriate to the time period that it was produced in. This movie really portrayed the differences in Italian culture versus American culture, which I thought was very intriguing to watch. The whole ideology of honor during that era is very interesting to me; The fact that murdering your significant other for cheating is deemed as more morally correct rather than just getting a divorce is so different from American ideology of honor, divorce, and murder. I also thought the character of Fefe and the way he was perceived on film was very fascinating. Without the movie, a description of Fefe would cause someone to believe that the character was an evil and selfish man, but with the narration and visual aspects of the film, Fefe came off as a sort of 'anti-hero' and I found myself rooting for him, even though he had no redeeming qualities. In summation, Fefe was just a man who hated his wife and loved his cousin, so he plotted the entire movie to kill his wife even though she tried her best to love him and have him love her, but when watching the actual movie, it doesn't come off that way at all. I've always loved the fact that films can portray an idea in so many different ways, and I think that "Divorce Italian Style" is a perfect example of that. Overall, I really enjoyed identifying the major cultural differences in Italian cinema and American cinema through this film.

La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita, film illustrates the life of Marcello where he gets lost while trying to write a story over seven days. The title of this movie could be very controversial due to the Marcello experiences. It is clear that Marcello, ultimately, is faced with challenges while trying to write, such as, the death of Steiner.  In addition, Marcello takes advantage of meeting new women.  Ultimately,  La Dolce Vita continuously touches upon Jesus; however, Marcello is faces with unfaithful events.

La Dolce Vita

Throughout La Dolce Vita, there were aspects of life and what it feels like to live and remember. The film portrayed the glamorous and corrupt ways of the Italian people in the post-war setting of the 1950's and '60's. Throughout the film, Marcello chases happiness and love despite the difficult times in his life. While searching for a more meaningful way of life, Marcello has to chose between a life of fame and glory and his passion of being a writer.

La Dolce Vita

Upon watching this film, I immediately understood why Federico Fellini has a category all to himself. Just from the opening scene of La Dolce Vita with a helicopter flying over Rome carrying a statue of Jesus Christ, seemingly "blessing" the entire city, one can already discern that this movie will be something completely different from its contemporaries. This is perhaps most realized in the segmented scenes of the film. Rather than tell a complete story from beginning to end, Fellini and the screenwriters opted for brief vignettes in the life of the main character, Marcello Rubini. However in only showing us these fragmented episodes, Fellini has given the audience a more natural story and a more realistic look into the life of Marcello and of upper-class society in an economically booming Rome.

La Dolce Vita

Sylvia's character in Fellini's La Dolce Vita appears to be an early rendering of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" archetype that has been used heavily by filmmakers since the mid-twentieth century. Nathan Rabin, the film critic who coined the term, describes the MPDG as a "free-spirited life-lover" who exists to uplift unhappy men and teach them life lessons in the process. In St. Peter's dome, Sylvia is described as an "elevator": she darts to the top of the cathedral, leaving a trail of panting men in her wake. No one can match her energetic pace, and when Marcello finds her at the top, she is intensely focused on savoring the view. She is passionate in everything that she does.

Later in the film, she dances and captivates all of the men at a party, irresistibly sexy and exorbitantly bubbly. After leaving the party, she wades into the Trevi fountain fully clothed in the middle of the night. Her behavior is nonsensical and fantastical; she is more similar to a nymph than an actual woman. However, she helps Marcello forget about his wife's overdose and illustrates for him what it means to live the "sweet life." She serves as both a sex symbol and a spirit guide in the film.

La Dolce Vita

"La Dolce Vita" has a clear difference in style, cinematography, characters, and plot, compared to that of the previous films we have watched. This film is a post-war film that was made in 1959-1960. It represents the economic growth that had occurred in Italy after the end of WWII, and how differently people were living and acting due to this change. The nation as a whole was no longer feeling the complete poverty and lack of optimism that was felt in "Bicycle Thieves". However, although the film displays the lavish lifestyle that was experienced by some, this was not the case for many Italians at the time. This film represents the new idea of creating films that could allow viewers to escape their own lives and watch the lives of others whom they wished they could be, in this case rich people who love to party and fall in love. "La Dolce Vita" exemplifies the change in both attitude and interest during this time, and the influence other nations (Hollywood in the United States) had on Italy, whether it had been in film or just in the everyday life of the average Italian citizen. As Italy developed during this time, so did its cinema, which can now be viewed as a representation of the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the people living during that period.

La Dolce Vita

Fellini's famous La Dolce Vita provides extravagant visual insight on the alternative Italian lifestyle during the late 1950s/early 60s. However, I wonder how sweet protagonist Marcello actually considers his life to be. This skepticism is noticeable when he spends an evening with his father, whom he has had minimal relation with growing up. Marcello wants his father to spend more time with him, but even after momentarily falling ill, his dad decides to return home. Marcello's father lives a life that seems similar to his. He drinks, he dances, and he enjoys women. But Marcello's realization that his relationship with his father is the cost of his dad's lifestyle may lead him to second guess himself.

Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves is one of the most famous examples of post WWII Italian Neorealism. Italy was focusing on life "here and now" and how the nation survived the devastating war. This film represents how life during the war was hard, but also how life after the war was just as difficult. These ideas are shown through this films use of scanning reality, and exemplifying the total desperation that was felt by many during this time. Following the life of a poor family, post WWII, the father sadly transitions from the victim of a stolen bicycle, to a bicycle thief himself. With tears in his eyes, viewers sympathize with the character, while also pitying him for following through with the decision he was essentially forced to make.