Movie Review "The Bicycle Thief"

[Gala Placidia]

Here is a useful link for finding Italian movies in DVD from the UK
hmv.com: Music CDs, DVDs, Games & More
As Bruno says, these are very important language learning tools.

[Charles Phillips]

I've never seen Le notti di Calabria - thanks for the heads up, Lisa. I find that a google search on the proper film title often trawls up some tiny DVD house which basically 'prints on demand', alternatively imdb sometimes tracks very obscure stuff down, although amazon is pretty good too.

How about Riso Amaro - that's an emotive (if a bit schmaltzy) 1949 offering - femminists eat your hearts out! Carole's rec of 'Roma citta aperto' is pretty challenging - but it is one of the few films I bother to fire up the old VHS for when I want to get mega-depressed.

[lupo]

I share the enthusiasm of this thread and I think some of the Italian realists amongst the best of any cinema I've ever seen, especially Bicycle Thieves. The French retailer, FNAC has been mentioned as a useful source for these, so just to add: Yes, there is at least one FNAC in Italy and yes it covers Italian neo realism (and all sorts of other stuff) comprehensively. It's in the Porta di Roma shopping centre, that's the IKEA one. Fellini fans should visit Porta di Roma for its own sake. I'm not a fan of this kind of shopping centre. I thought I'd said goodbye to them when I came here, but the scale of the place is an experience in its own right!

[Lisa C.]

Originally Posted by Charles Phillips

I've never seen Le notti di Calabria - thanks for the heads up, Lisa.

I just wanted to make sure you had the correct title if you look for the film. It's
"Le Notti di Cabiria".

[Gala Placidia]

My favourite Italian film, Visconti's "Il Gattopardo". The DVD is relatively easy to find.

YouTube - Il gattopardo

[Lisa C.]

Originally Posted by Gala Placidia

My favourite Italian film, Visconti's "Il Gattopardo". The DVD is relatively easy to find.

YouTube - Il gattopardo

I'll have to try and find this one, Gala, I'd never heard of it until now. There are so many terrific classic films and unfortunately not too many good ones now that are being produced.

Another great film is "Seven Beauties" by Lina Wertmüller, Starring Giancarlo Giannini

You Tube

"The picaresque story follows the life of its hero, Pasqualino, played by Giancarlo Giannini as he and another soldier have deserted the Italian Army somewhere in Germany. They are captured and sent to a concentration camp where Pasqualino tries to seduce the large and unattractive female commandant (Shirley Stoler) in order to save his own life. The plan succeeds except for the fact that Pasqualino is put in charge of the barracks and has to select six men to be killed under the threat that they will all be killed if he doesn't do it. Pasqualino ends up shooting his best friend in the head and being responsible for his other friend's death, an Italian Anarchist. Earlier in the film Pasqualino kills the pimp who turned his sister into a prostitute to save the family honor. Pasqualino later prostitutes himself and upon his return to Naples finds that his seven sisters, fiance and even his mother have survived and become prostitutes.

The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay. Wertmuller was the first woman ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director."