Bread & Chocolate / Golden Door

Bread & Chocolate

I enjoyed the small portion we saw of this movie. It's very silly, but also had some social commentary about  Italians emigrants. In the park, the main character wasn't even accepted by a child who was playing ball. And then he gets mixed up with a rape scandal and was only let go because the priest had already confessed to the crime. It was pretty clear that if the priest hadn't confessed, the main character would've been accused of the crime. At the restaurant, he has many fumbles trying to learn the ropes of professional waiting. He's not as graceful as the Turk, but he keeps trying to overcome. He keeps finding stashed away food in strange places around the restaurant, thinking he's trying to be framed, when really his bus boy (I think) is the one stealing the food. He makes a comment about how Italians are known for stealing, so he's being framed by the Turk. I thought that was interesting. Why are Italians treated in these ways? Why are they thought to be thieves and crazy chicken-coop people? This movie made jokes that some of them are like that, but that shouldn't define a whole culture.

Golden Door

This movie was interesting. The parts I saw were okay, but they weren't a dramatic re-telling that I thought it was going to be. It just didn't seem to be very powerful. But the subject matter was important. I already knew emigrants had to go through physical and psychological testing, but I never knew exactly what kinds of tests they were. I found it very interesting, and I feel sympathy for all emigrants (not just Italians) who had to go through the process. They believe the USA to be a great new world, but to get in you need to be tested and kept somewhere against your will. Besides the old woman, everyone seemed to be okay with the process. I found that to be a little strange. Most likely their excitement out-weighed their fear of the screening. I would like ot learn more about this, but not necessarily through this film.

Night of the Shooting Stars - Questions of Neorealism

This movie is very interesting and different from the other neorealism films.

It had its moments of neorealism, but it is mostly a non-neorealistic film. On the side of neorealism, it had historical and war content. Its main characters are on the side of the resistance. It is also raw, gritty and violent.

On the other side, the beginning is very strange. It opened like a storybook or fairytale with a beautiful starry sky and a narration. After that it goes into the actual story, but still that story element is strictly for fiction. Its letting the audience know from the beginning: this is based on real events, but this is a film, not a pseudo-documentary. Films like The Battle of Algiers are so convincing, people believe its a documentary, not a staged, fictional story. This is because of non-actors, locations, grittiness, content, and shot choices.

In Shooting Stars, there are many moments that take you out of the story and make it obvious that it's a put-together film, not a documentary. This includes shot choices, and editing. Unrealistic death scenes and hearing inner dialogue of some characters. When the city was being bombed, the resistance group is miles away, listening. For this scene there are appropriately many close ups of the people's reactions, but there are also some awkward shots of their ears to emphasize them hearing the bombs. Personally it took me out of the moment, and I found it a little funny to choose those shots for such a dramatic and important scene.

There is also the editing. The obvious "wipes" from one scene to the next is so distracting from the story. There is no way to stay in the moment with the characters when the scene abruptly changes like that. It's a device commonly used with less-serious content matter. I don't understand the meaning behind that decision. I would be very interested in the director's meanings and ideas behind this film because with such serious subject matter, some technical and artistic choices don't seem to make sense.

Bicycle Thief

I have also seen this movie before, and I enjoy it better than Rome, Open City. There are less characters so it's easier to connect with them. With a connection you end up caring about them, and want to see more of the movie to know their story.

Antonio Ricci and his family are suffering in a post-war world. The economy is poor. There is mass unemployment. The police authorities are unwilling to help. When Antonio has his bicycle stolen, no one helps him chase the thief or find him. When Antonio goes to find the thief in his neighborhood, a large angry crowd stops him. For some reason they are protecting the thief and don't care about a poor man who lost his job because of the thief. Antonio uses several ways to try and find the bicycle. He goes to an after-hours club, a church, the police, a psychic and a market. None of those places had helpful people. All the people there were angry, and telling him to be quiet.

When he finally resorts to stealing a bicycle of his own, suddenly the whole neighborhood is against him. No matter what he does the world is against him, keeping him from succeeding. All of that is made even more clear by the name of the bicycle, "Fides" meaning hope. Hope was literally stolen from him, and everyone around him is keeping him from having it.

Fortunately, his family is very supportive of him given the situation. His wife, Maria, let him sell all of their bed sheets to buy a bicycle. She is obviously exhausted and beat up from their lifestyle, but she does everything she can to help Antonio. Bruno, their son, helps him search for the bicycle for the most of the film. They do get in a fight, ending in Bruno getting smacked, but in the end Bruno stays behind and saves Antonio just by holding his hand. After all of Antonio's humiliation stealing the bicycle, Bruno is still by his side, supporting him the best way he can.

Besides all of the social-economic commentary, family values also has a big role in this movie. Through everything, the family learns how to struggle together and I think that is the only thing keeping them alive.

Rome, Open City

This is my second viewing of this film and it didn't change my perspective. I respect and honor all films in the neorealism style, but I don't enjoy watching them. The subject matter and social/political commentary is very important, but it's not entertaining to me. I'm an enthusiast of european history, especially during WWII, but these films are always very difficult for me to get into.

That being said, I did have a favorite character and that is Don Pietro. I think he is very dynamic and courageous for a priest. Under different circumstances he probably would have been just another traditional Catholic priest, but times of war always change people. It either makes people strong or weak. I believe it made Manfredi, Don Pietro and Pina very strong people. All three ended up dying in heroic ways or through heroic or brave actions. Manfredi dies via torture because he doesn't give the Nazis any information about the resistance. Poor Pina is pregnant when she is shot and killed. She died chasing after Francesco who was being taken away. It was an unnecessary death, but it was brave of her to chase after  her fiance. And of course Don Pietro died from a firing squad because he helped the resistance.

The Austrian deserter and Marina however, are very weak. The deserter ends up hanging himself because he believes he will give information to the Nazis.  Marina is weak and is persuaded to betray Manfredi by actually giving information to the Nazis.

All of these deaths are relevant to the quote about how it's harder to live well than to die well. It's challenging, especially in wartime, to be on the side of good, or to live doing to right thing. During WWII, doing the right thing almost always got you killed. But as Don Pietro says, dying is the easy part. It's easier to end your life for the right reason, than to spend years and years fighting for what's right.

I think that's the main message in this movie. Besides the wartime struggles and terrible situations all these people went through, it's also about how they lived, more than how they died.

Ciao, Professore! Pt. 1

I'm really enjoying this movie. The children are hilarious with their grown-up attitudes, swears and livelihoods. There is always chaos in and out of the classroom until the professor accidentally hits a student.  He finds out that the only way to get their respect is through physical abuse, but he is not willing to use that method because it is shameful. Still, the next day he apologizes and they still listen to him; they are still being respectful. They were even waiting in class for him to arrive. After that day of class the professor decides to stay in Corzano to help these kids.

Corzano is a twisted place. The adults are all corrupt, and useless. They have children, but then lay around too drunk all day to take care of them. So instead, the children have to grow up early to take care of their siblings and even work for their family illegally. These children have no childhoods. And even worse, the adults don't care about what the children are missing out on by becoming adults right away. They don't receive an education. They will end up just like there parents; washed up.

The professor automatically sees 100 things wrong with the school system, let alone Corzano. He wants to make changes for the better, but Mimi and the principal don't want anything to change. They scold the professor every day for his nerve, complaining about their system. Mimi and the principal don't care about the needs of the children, only about themselves. I'm sure some great changes will happen by the end of the movie, I can't wait to find out!

The Gomorrah

I wrote my blog, but never posted it - Oops!

The realism of this movie truly impressed me. I was completely blown away. As many others pointed out, this film focuses on the parts of Italy tourists don't go to. The parts that aren't in the movies, aren't on post-cards, etc... This part of Italy needs money to go into the community, to the people. It needs reform and uncorrupt authority. The people living there are stuck. The Mafia is in charge, and if someone owes them something they aren't allowed to leave. But, even if your debt is complete, there is always something else they will keep you around for. There is no getting out and so this poor community will never grow. The mafia has all the money and power, and they don't care about what the people need. This is depressing. When most people think about italy they think about famous ruins, great food, festivals, art, music, etc... No one thinks about some of the needs Italy has, it's mostly seen as a get-a-way vacation spot.

The Leopard

It was hard to get into this film, but once I did I truly enjoyed it. The pacing, plot line, and structure was not traditional to narrative storytelling, which made things seem very slow. But once I realized that intentions of the film it made sense. It seems to me that besides the Prince and the political struggles of the time, the most important aspect to show the audience is how the people lived. I love period piece films, and this is one of the best ones I've ever seen. The whole movie had realistic costumes, props, locations, etc... I was very impressed with the ballroom scene. It lasted a very long time, but it was beautiful. There were so many extra scenes of dancing, crowds of people talking, intimate couples, eating, drinking and more. I feel like nothing was left out. The party lasted until dawn, and I can imagine everything that happened because of all the details included. 

Overall, the art direction of the film was fantastic. All the shot choices and locations were amazing. Each shot had so much depth and texture to it. Once again I'm impressed by the beauty of this film and how much effort went into it. There are many times where the emphasis is put on the location. The film was established well with the beginning sequence of homes and countryside. Also there are many landscape shots and views of the residential area of Sicily. It seems to give a constant reminder about the people who are living there. It reminds of what the Prince said. He said that the people of Sicily are asleep, inactive. That nothing will change unless they want the change. During all the landscape and residential shots, the land seems so calm and serene; almost like the whole area is asleep. 

It also reminds me of Roman holiday in that it made Sicily seem like a dream vacation and a wonderful place to go to. Though it was unstable at first, it ends in a state of happiness and rebirth, symbolized by the new engage couple Angelica and TanCredi (spelling?). 

It was very long, but I think it was worth the watch!