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Winner of the 2011 ASMI PG essay prize: Popular Italian cinema, the media, and the economic miracle: rethinking commedia all'italiana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2016

Natalie Fullwood
Natalie Fullwood*
Affiliation:
Department of Italian, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
*
∗Email: nlf23@cam.ac.uk
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Abstract

This article seeks to reposition the popular cinematic genre commedia all'italiana within the context of the rapid expansion of the media industries which accompanied Italy's postwar economic miracle. The article looks at three distinct aspects of the relationship between commedia all'italiana and other media. First, it outlines the important role played by the media during the boom in disseminating images of consumer lifestyles, and highlights the way in which commedia all'italiana participated in this process. Second, through a discussion of media appearances by Vittorio Gassman and Nino Manfredi, the article emphasises the extent to which their commedia all'italiana star personas were constructed and circulated in a multimedia context. Finally, it examines how the genre represented other media, focusing in particular on the representation of gender in advertising scenes. Through close readings of commedia all'italiana advertising scenes, the article notes points of continuity with and difference from advertising imagery that was circulating at the time. The article argues that in order to further our understanding of commedia all'italiana and its relationship to Italian society, it is essential to understand the genre's relationship to other media production of the period, which both influenced the comedies' representations and was influenced by them in turn.

Keywords

commedia all'italianaItalian cinemaeconomic miracleItalian mediagenderadvertising
Type
Articles
Information
Modern Italy , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 19 - 39
Copyright
Copyright © Association for the study of Modern Italy 

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References

Films

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Scusi, lei è favorevole o contrario?, directed by Sordi, Alberto. Italy: Fono Roma, 1966.Google Scholar
Sissignore, directed by Tognazzi, Ugo. Italy: Fair Film, 1968.Google Scholar
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I soliti ignoti, directed by Monicelli, Mario. Italy: Vides, Lux Film, and Cinecittà Italiana Stabilimenti Cinematografici, 1958.Google Scholar
Il sorpasso, directed by Risi, Dino. Italy: Incei Film, Sancro Film, and Fair Film, 1962.Google Scholar
Il tigre, directed by Risi, Dino. Italy/USA: Fair Film, and Embassy Pictures, 1967.Google Scholar
Tre notti d'amore, directed by Castellani, Renato, Comencini, Luigi, and Rossi, Franco. Italy/France: Jolly Film, and Cormoran Films, 1964.Google Scholar
Vedo nudo, directed by Risi, Dino. Italy: Dean Film, 1969.Google Scholar
Il vigile, directed by Zampa, Luigi. Italy: Royal Film, 1960.Google Scholar
La visita, directed by Pietrangeli, Antonio. Italy/France: Zebra Film, and Aera Film, 1963.Google Scholar
La vita agra, directed by Lizzani, Carlo. Italy: Film Napoleon, 1964.Google Scholar
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