The Dreamers

The Dreamers is a film about a 20 year-old American college student named Matthew (Michael Pitt) who comes to Paris in 1968 for a one-year study abroad program and finds himself captivated by the films played at the Cinemateque Francaise. It is there that he meets the inseparable twins, Isabelle (Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel), who entice him into their world of film, sex, and politics.

Interestingly, each of these characters represents one of the three themes mentioned above. Matthew, a native of California, represents film by embodying Hollywood’s explosion onto the French film screen. His appreciation of film is what sparks the twins’ initial interest in him, and his knowledge of the classics continues to win their affections, particularly during their games of Charades. Similar to the protagonist of The Conformist, Matthew seeks to fit in with his surroundings and many of his actions are governed by this desire, as well as his desire for Isabelle.

Isabelle represents sex – a theme explored in many of Bertolucci’s films including, Last Tango in Paris, The Conformist, and Stealing Beauty. Although Bertolucci is known for exploring Freudian psychoanalytic theory in his films, this is the first where we see incest between a brother and sister. At first, Matthew assumes Isabelle is in some twisted physical relationship with her brother when he catches the two of them sleeping naked together in Theo’s bed. However, her naivety and innocence are revealed when Theo pressures Matthew into sleeping with her and, to his delight, Matthew discovers she is a virgin. Interestingly, Matthew becomes comfortable with the close relationship Isabelle and Theo share. It seems he loses his traditional American beliefs and becomes more open and free.

Finally, Theo represents politics. Politics is Bertolucci’s main passion other than psychoanalytic theory. Bertolucci uses Theo to portray the next generation of Parisian youth. He is aggressively stubborn and confrontational, often seen arguing with Matthew about the Vietnam War and the current riots in Paris. Theo also argues with his father in the few scenes where the parents are present. Perhaps Bertolucci is replicating his own relationship with his father, who he was known to be in constant competition with.

Overall, Bertolucci portrays Matthew, Isabelle, and Theo through his two passions; psychoanalytic theory and politics, to recreate the Parisian youth revolt of 1968.

The Conformist

Although Bernardo Bertolucci became an internationally acclaimed director in his own right, he drew many inspirations from the work of Pier Paolo Pasolini. Beginning his career as Pasolini’s assistant, Bertolucci’s interest in psychoanalysis and Marxism closely resembled that of his mentor.

Many of Pasolini’s films conveyed his beliefs that “the achievement of self-consciousness comes from specifically sexual encounters,” – an idea clearly rooted in Freudian theory. Teorema, for example, is the story of a visitor who “makes love successively with a servant, the son, the mother, the daughter, and the father.” During the course of the film, we see how each member of the family is changed by this experience and their true identities are revealed. Compared to this rather eccentric representation of Freud’s theories on sexuality, Bertolucci takes a more orthodox approach.

While sexuality is a key theme in many of his films (The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, The Dreamers etc.) Bertolucci chooses to explore Freud’s concepts more subtly, in fact, almost unconsciously – fitting with Freud’s theory of the unconscious. This is illustrated in the plot of The Conformist. Bertolucci admits that what started off as a joke – he used Godard’s phone number and address for the residence of the Quadris in Paris – became an unconscious desire to destroy a surrogate father figure. In the same way that Marcello (Jean-Louis Trintigant) kills Professor Quadri, Bertolucci symbolically destroys Jean-Luc Godard, his “revolutionary teacher.”

The Oedipus complex may be considered the primary concept explored in The Conformist. Not only is it represented through Marcello’s destruction of Professor Quadri, but also through the motif of blindness, which reiterates the story of Oedipus blinding himself after discovering he has slept with his own mother. Marcello’s friend Italo is blind, as is the woman selling flowers outside the Hotel D’Orsay.  Furthermore, the theme of blindness is reinforced by Bertolucci’s use of light and shadow throughout the film, especially in the scenes at his fiancées home, the asylum where his father is held, and the forest where the Quadris are assassinated.

A final exploration of Freudian concepts is Bertolucci’s use of non-linear narration. The disruptive chronology of the film, created through flashbacks, can be associated with Freud’s beliefs about repressed memories. It is clear that Marcello’s traumatic sexual encounters are the driving force behind his current state of introspection, which takes place primarily in the car with Manganiello. It seems that his inability to come to terms with these experiences directly leads him to going through with the murder of the Quadris. His search for normality/conformity was an inadequate defense mechanism not powerful enough to abate his long-term anxiety and so murdering the Quadris became the only solution: a symbolic destruction of the trauma that had haunted him for so long.
However, the film ends with the fall of fascism, and Marcello comes face to face with the man he thought he killed when he was thirteen. In a single moment, he escapes his guilt, renounces fascism, and abandons his friend Italo to a marching crowd of anti-fascists. We have to wonder if this is Marcello's absolution, has he truly resolved his trauma? Because, although he no longer feels guilt for his first murder, he has now just murdered the Quadris, so won't that just restore the same guilt he had just escaped? The film ends, therefore, with the audience wondering whether Marcello will ever truly reach an identity achievement, or if he will continue to be haunted by guilt and search for normality as 'the conformist.'

Accatone

Pier Paolo Pasolini was strongly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, one of the greatest influences of post-World War II Italian cinema. Gramsci's analysis of Italian history and particularly of the Risorgimento as a "passive"or failed revolution, led him to place a large emphasis on the importance of education. Since intellect was often associated with the upper-class this highlighted 'subaltern' groups in the middle and lower class who had their own intellect to share. As Landy explains, "they have their own sense of the world, of what is wrong and what is needful for survival," a concept closely related to the Italian folklore that "dramatizes age-old customs" and is "conducive to survival of the tragic obstacles the characters encounter in a world hostile to their interests." Thus, Accatone is a study of a subaltern community, where morality is not concrete, common sense is key, and the characters are caught between the hope of a better future, and the emptiness of the present.

During the 1950s, there was a strong push towards 'pink neorealism,' which Viano describes as "the attempt of some producers to turn Cinecittà into Europe's Hollywood." Then in the 1960s, a few young Italian producers encouraged a movement back to neorealism. They saw this as a way to increase Italy's cultural legitimacy. This led to the 'cinema d'autore,' with the low-budget films, like Accatone, that were part of Italy's very own 'nouvelle vague.' Pasolini was known for having a "passion for reality,"that also became the driving force behind his film theory and practice. Though his films took on many aspects of neorealism, it can be argued that Pasolini was not in fact a neorealist, but rather he brought a "certain realism" to the screen.

In postwar Italy, during the neorealist period, there was a strong sense that "good and evil were very distinct things." Pasolini and other directors came after, when good and evil were no longer easy to distinguish. Subsequently, Pasolini's early films Accatone and Mamma Roma, depict morally compromised characters on a long, painstaking, and tragic journey, with little hope for success or conflict resolution. The protagonist, Vittorio a.k.a Accatone, develops greatly as a character, though none of the issues are resolved. He goes from being a pimp living comfortably, to selling his prized possessions and manipulating a naive young woman, to trying to become part of the workforce, and slipping back into the life of a thief. In a world where everything is wrong, there can be no right ending, and so Accatone's untimely death is not a sad occasion (it has been foreshadowed since the opening scene) but rather it is an escape from the daily battle of good versus evil, and we are provided with a sense of relief that everything is finally at rest.

Roma, Cittá Aperta

According to Liehm, Roma, Cittá Aperta, is the first film of the neorealist movement, that would inspire numerous neorealist directors to come, such as Federico Fellini, who helped Rosellini during the shooting of Roma. Throughout the film, we notice several techniques that make Roma a classic neorealist film.

First, the themes of death, tragedy, and political turmoil are seen in various other neorealist films such as Antonioni's Zabriskie Point (the two protagonists are caught up in the political unrest of 1970s USA). Although death is not a theme in other neorealist films such as 8 1/2 or La Notte, the protagonist, Marcello Mastroianni, is often considered to be contemplating mortality or going through an existential crisis.

Second, Rossellini chose to use both professional and nonprofessional actors. Those who were trained were Italy's big stars who came from "la revista," like Anna Magnani: the mother of Rome. Equally, those actors who were not trained were picked for their roles because that is exactly who they were in real life. The use of nonprofessional actors has been used time and again, such as by Visconti, who often found his female protagonists in beauty pageants.

Another neorealist trait is rebelling against the establishment, whether it is Hollywood, Cinecittá, or Capitalism. In Roma, the main rebellion is against the Nazis, who are portrayed as stereotypical villainous monsters representing "eternal damnation." Religion, of course, is also commonly explored in neorealism film. Rossellini uses the engagement of Pina (Anna Magnani), a Catholic woman, and her fiancé, a resistance fighter, to represent the unity of the Church and the Communists. The solidarity created between these two opposing forces represents the patriotism of the Italian nation, coming together against the Nazi regime.

On the other hand, I believe the film is not only rebelling against the Nazis. Materialism may also play a role. Liehm explains this through Rosselini's focus on minor details, he calls "the things." The audience becomes very aware of the things in Pina's appartment, such as "her worn jacket and checkered scarf," or the things in Don Pietro's rectory. Materialism is also symbolized by Marina's choosing drugs over helping the resistance movement. She chooses short-term pleasures over the long-term justice and liberty of her country.

Overall, Roma has many examples of neorealist techniques. Whether it is truly the first is hard to say, but it certainly paved the way for many future Italian and Italian-American directors.

Bellissima

Bellissima, directed by Luchino Visconti, is the story of a melodramatic, middle-class mother, Maddelena (Anna Magnani), who is determined to have her daughter, Maria, win a beauty contest that will secure her a leading role in a new film. Maria is dragged from casting session, to photo shoot, to acting lessons, to dance rehearsal, so that she can become the star her mother never was. Magnani's character is chaotic and relentless, and although she sacrifices everything to help her daugher, her attempts are quite misguided. Eventually, Maria wins the contest and is offered a contract, but Maddelena finally realizes she has acted more out of her own unfulfilled desires than her daughter's best interests. The film ends when the contract is refused and the pair returns home.

Visconti uses Bellissima to mock the film industry, specifically Hollywood and it's Italian counterpart, Cinecitta. With the explosion of American films into Italian cinema’s after WWII, Italy's cultural identity was inundated with new perspectives, such as a woman's roles in society and changing beauty ideals. Bellissima provides commentary on both these issues.

In terms of women’s roles, Anna Magnani's character arguably represents a modern woman: independent, ambitious, and outspoken. For example, despite her husband’s disapproval of her plans for Maria, he has very little say in the matter as Maddelena takes complete control. Ironically, her goals for her daughter would not be considered modern. Beauty pageants present a much more traditional role for women, where looks are valued above most everything else. In this sense, Maddelena's struggle between modern and traditional symbolizes the Italian nation’s struggle between holding on to the past and making room for the future.

In terms of beauty ideals, Visconti – being a neorealist director – favors traditional beauty over the sexualized, manufactured beauty associated with Hollywood. Anna Magnani has the dark features traditionally found in Italian woman, and as she has come to be identified as the mother of Rome, audiences associate her as traditional. Furthermore, it is Italian tradition that “ beauty belongs in the face” and as we see countless times in Bellisima, Visconti tends to focus the camera on Magnani’s face rather than her figure. Once again, this represents Italy’s struggle between old values and new ideals.

Lost in Translation

Italian cinema of the post-war era placed significant emphasis on architecture. Examples include films like L’Avventura, Mamma Roma, and La Notte, in which the audience is often exposed to the contrast of urban cities with rural countryside, as well as the juxtaposition of decaying ruins in the middle of modern spaces. This idea was transferred into Italian-American cinema in Coppola’s, The Godfather, when we are presented with New York’s dangerous city streets and the quiet hills of Sicily. In these films, the architectural struggle of modern vs traditional may symbolically represent the character's struggle with identity, particularly masculinity vs feminitiy and, of course, Italian vs American culture. In Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola, tackles the theme of identity as well as several others, including celebrity ennui, observer vs object, and cultural boundaries.

The identities of Sofia Coppola’s characters are generally very similar. The majority of them tend to struggle with what Orr defines as, “the risks and betrayals of everyday existence.” In The Virgin Suicides, the five Lisbon sisters all commit suicide, unable to deal with their daily lives; In Somewhere, a newly famous actor deals with an emotional disconnect from his celebrity lifestyle; In The Bling Ring, teenagers struggle to differentiate themselves from the celebrities they steal from. Just like many of Coppola’s others, her protagonists in Lost in Translation also suffer from existential crises and celebrity ennui.

Celebrity and stardom are themes explored by many of our Italian directors. Stardom or divismo can be seen as “a product of capitalism and the ideology of individualism.” (Landy, 267) Neo-modern directors have been known to criticize capitalism in many ways, such as Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point. In this case, directors are critiquing capitalism by making fun of celebrity, as can be seen in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, and Coppola’s Lost in Translation. Particularly humorous scenes from the latter include Bob’s photoshoot for Suntory Whiskey and his television interview.

Initially I had expected to find few similarities between Coppola and her male counterpart directors, however, it was clear from the themes explored and her cinematographic style that she was heavily influenced by them. Above all, I related her style to that of Fellini, based on her exploration of celebrity lifestyle, and also her use of time. Neo-modern directors like Coppola are not trying to create a reversion to ‘real’ time, rather they are correcting Hollywood’s neglect of time with its fast paced action-packed films. Sofia Coppola brings the audience back to a real perception of time, and connects us to characters experiencing the same identity crises as we are.

The Godfather

The Godfather’s Vows

1. A man that doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.

2. We don’t discuss business at the table.

3. Women and children can afford to be careless but not men.

4. Don’t ever take sides with someone against the family. Ever.

5. Don’t apologize for taking care of your family.

6. Never tell anyone outside the family what you’re thinking.

One of the aspects I found most interesting about the Godfather is marriage because it was used on numerous occasions to romanticize Coppola's broader themes of family, religion, and Italian-American culture. Throughout the film, Don Vito Corleone gives his sons advice on how to be a man. You may call them rules, or words of wisdom, or whatever you like, but to me they are vows. This became clear during the baptism scene, where Michael is ascending to his new role as Godfather and must repeatedly affirm to the priest, "I Do." Despite there being several other weddings that take place in the film, this is the only time we hear a character take a vow, and I don't think that is a coincidence. Thus marriage is more than just a connection of characters; it is a symbolic connection of the greater themes of the film.

"A man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." 
The first wedding takes place at the beginning of the film, when Corleone's daughter marries a famous singer/actor. This wedding is used to introduce the audience to the Godfather, who rather than enjoying his daughter's special day, is confined to his office conducting business. The fact that he is unable to be completely present in one event or the other shows how the business and family are completely intertwined, or "married."

"Women and children can afford to be careless but not men."
The second wedding takes place in Sicily, when Michael marries Apollonia. Saddly, this marriage does not last long, when a car bomb explodes and kills Apollonia. This also shows the connection between business and family. Ironically, in the same way the family is protected by the mafia, they are also in extreme danger just by association. Family is both a gangster's greatest strength and greatest weakness, and this is the lesson Michael learns. The death of his wife is a key turning point in Michael's transition to becoming the Godfather.

"Never tell anyone outside the family what you’re thinking."
A year after returning to America, Michael goes back to Kay, the non-Italian woman he was previously dating, who agrees to marry him in spite of his new role in the family. Their relationship represents the unity of Italian and American culture, specifically the traditional family role in contrast with WASP individualism and success ethic. Kay develops a dual identity as she remains both an outsider to the culture and business, but by marrying Michael, becomes an insider to the family. This also explains Michael's identity conflict between his Italian roots and his American freedom. Ultimately of course, his cultural roots win, as we see in the baptism - the real wedding - where Michael takes his vows, says "I do," and officially accepts his role as the Godfather.