The history of Italian cinema began with a few seconds footage of Pope Leo XIII blessing the camera. Historical dramas were most popular in these early years before sound. During and after WWI, funds were short and nothing much of interest was made until the 1920s. With the rise of fascism the film industry was encouraged and in 1937 Cinecitta was built on the outskirts of Rome. Literally a 'cinema city', it contained everything a film maker could need or want, including theatres, and even a cinematography school. The slogan on posters at the time read "Cinema is The Most Powerful Weapon". Newsreels and propagandistic documentaries were filmed here but by 1939, feature film productions were underway. Visconti ('Ossessione'), Rossellini (Rome, Open City') and De Sica ('Bicycle Thief') all began their careers here. Post-war, two distinct trends emerged in Italian cinema: on the one hand, the neo-realist films of Rossellini and De Sica, made chiefly on location in the streets of Rome and surrounding towns; and on the other, the American megaproductions, filmed almost entirely on sets constructed in the Cinecitta studios. In 1948, 'Quo Vadis?', 'Roman Holiday (1952), 'Three Coins in a Fountain' (1954), 'Farewell to Arms' (1957), 'Ben Hur' (1958) and 'Cleopatra' (1961), to cite only the most famous. Federico Fellini shot most of his films, at least in part at Cinecitta and to this day the studios are used for television and film productions. Mention must also be made of Pasolini, Bertolucci, Zeffirelli, Antonioni, Sergio Leone - Italy has given cinema some of its greatest individuals and auteurs. Pictured: The lost kisses from 'Cinema Paradiso'
Based on the autobiographic novel with the same name written by Nicolai Lilin, Siberian Education (A.k.a. "Educazione siberiana", "Deadly Code".) is s... Read more
Aka "Non Ho Sonno". Dario Argento's shocking "giallo" detective story sees a series of grisly murders match the work of a serial murderer who appeared... Read more
Heeding an inner voice, the 'Son of Samson,' a loner from an outlying borough scourges the capital, using his high-caliber muscles to break up the Que... Read more
An early masterpiece from then documentary-maker director Michelangelo Antonioni, said to be one of Martin Scorsese's favourite films. Setting the to... Read more
A rush of fresh blood to a fine Italian tradition, it doesnt take long for Stefano Sollimas enthralling new crime saga Suburra to transcend its fami... Read more
Salma Hayek eating a serpents heart; Toby Jones cuddling a giant flea. Python meets Pasolini in this horrific, hilarious and very grown up fairy... Read more
Salma Hayek eating a serpents heart; Toby Jones cuddling a giant flea. Python meets Pasolini in this horrific, hilarious and very grown up fairy... Read more
Director Gillo Pontecorvo brilliantly recreated the street riots and other events that led up to Algeria's independence from France in this astonishin... Read more
An engrossing and intimate epic, originally produced as a miniseries for Italian television, following the divergent paths taken by brothers Nicola (L... Read more
Acclaimed director Giuseppe Tornatore ("Cinema Paradiso") reunites with renowned composer Ennio Morricone for this dramatic mystery set in the high-st... Read more