Some completely missed the mark
Federico Fellini's '8 1/2' took the world of cinema by storm in 1963. In what even today is still one of the greatest examples of an artist turning their writer's block inside out, '8 1/2' follows an acclaimed film director, based off of Fellini himself, as he struggles to finish a film.
Paolo Sorrentino, perhaps best known for his miniseries 'The Young Pope' and 'The New Pope,' released 'The Great Beauty' in 2013 to widespread acclaim. Through grand and exciting visual exhibitions, the film follows a socialite and one-time author dealing with his decades-long writer's block and the despondency he feels towards his flashy yet meaningless lifestyle.
Of the many great films made about the horrors of the Second World War, few are as heart-wrenching but ultimately life-affirming as Roberto Benigni's 1997 hit 'Life is Beautiful.' Benigni directs and stars as a Jewish bookshop owner who is sent to a concentration camp with his family. It is partially based off of Benigni's father's real experiences during World War II.
Another of Vittorio De Sica's many enduring classics is 'Umberto D.,' released in 1952. Similar to De Sica's earlier masterwork, 'Bicycle Thieves,' 'Umberto D.' presents a bleak yet emotional look at poverty, this time focusing on an old retired man on the verge of eviction and his dog who he adores but can barely afford to feed.
Often considered the pinnacle of Italian cinema and the crown jewel of its golden age is Vittorio De Sica's 1948 masterpiece 'Bicycle Thieves.' In an impoverished post-war Rome, a father searches for his stolen bicycle with his son. The film explores with haunting grace the darkness of poverty and the moral ambiguity of doing what you must to feed your family.
Starring the two most iconic actors of Italian cinema, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, 'A Special Day' is one of a great number of Italian films that explores the many facets of Italy under fascist rule. Directed by Ettore Scola and released in 1977, 'A Special Day' follows two neighbors in an apartment who stay home the day the whole city has gone out to see Mussolini meet Hitler.
An enduring classic of the horror genre, Dario Argento's 'Suspiria' has been giving viewers nightmares since 1977. The film follows an American dancer and her descent into the supernatural horrors that await within a prestigious German ballet school. A critically acclaimed remake was made in 2018 starring Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton.
Lina Wertmüller made history at the 1976 Oscars and became the first woman to be nominated for Best Director for her masterpiece 'Seven Beauties.' The film seamlessly mixes uproarious humor and lightness with the very dark realities of World War II, and tells the protagonist's story through an inventive nonlinear narrative.
Luchino Visconti's landmark period drama offers viewers a glimpse into a period of Italian history rarely seen on film. Released in 1963, the film follows a 19th-century Italian aristocrat, played by American Burt Lancaster, through the social and political unrest that ultimately led to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy.
One of the greatest love letters to cinema is undoubtedly 1988's 'Cinema Paradiso.' Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, 'Cinema Paradiso' follows the story of Salvatore as he falls in love with films as a child and goes on to become a famous film director.
Michelangelo Antonioni's 1960 beautiful and moody masterpiece 'L'Avventura' is responsible for bringing international attention to the formidable talent of Monica Vicci. The first installment of Antonioni's 'Trilogy of Decadence,' 'L'Avventura' follows the physical and emotional journey of a group of morally questionable people connected by the mysterious disappearance of their shared friend.
One of many collaborative efforts between director Roberto Rossellini and then-screenwriter Federico Fellini, 'The Flowers of St. Francis' masterfully presents, in nine moral tales, the essence of St. Francis, his life, and his teachings. Released in 1950, there was only one professional actor involved, cast for a minor role, and many parts, including that of St. Francis, were played by genuine Franciscan monks.
Pier Paolo Pasolini, the great and highly controversial disruptor of Italian cinema, wrote and directed one of film's most memorable depictions of the life of Jesus with 'The Gospel According to St. Matthew,' released in 1964. Now considered on of the classics of neorealism, Pasolini cast mostly nonprofessional actors and pulled all of the film's dialogue directly from the Bible.
Considered by many to be one of the most influential and authentic war films ever made, 'The Battle of Algiers' was directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. In a nod to 'Rome, Open City' (1945), Pontecorvo filmed in a documentary newsreel style and used a majority of nonprofessional actors, including many who had lived through the eponymous battle between rebel forces and the French military during the Algerian War.
An unsettling and thought-provoking meditation on what director Pier Paolo Pasolini saw as the soullessness of the working class and the power of divine forces, the 1968 allegorical classic 'Teorema' has kept people talking for decades. One of Pasolini's most enigmatic films, it is also the movie in which he worked with mostly professional actors.
The second installment of Michelangelo Antonioni's 'Trilogy of Decadence,' 'La Notte' is widely regarded as the crown jewel of the three. Released in 1961, the film stars Italian superstar Marcello Mastroianni and prolific French actress Jeanne Moreau and follows their portrayal of a Milanese couple and the disintegration of their relationship over the course of one night.
Another wildly successful collaboration between Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni was 1964's 'Marriage Italian Style.' This romantic comedy, directed by the legendary Vittorio De Sica, follows the exploits of the protagonists' tumultuous love affair through World War II and the years that followed.
One of Italy's finest additions to the colorful canon of horror films, 'Black Sunday' was directed by cinematographer-turned-director Mario Bava. Like any good pioneering horror film, it was released to polarizing reviews, some dismissing it as nonsense and others praising it as visionary. Upon revisits over the years, most critics now fall into the "visionary" camp.
Luchino Visconti's 1960 family drama 'Rocco and His Brothers' received an underwhelming reception at the time of its release, but has since been reevaluated and is now considered one of the director's greatest works.
Vittorio De Sica's harrowing war drama 'Two Women' was released in 1960, and follows a mother and daughter as they attempt to navigate war-torn Italy. The film was considered an instant classic, and Sophia Loren was awarded an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance as the mother.
A notoriously controversial film, 'The Night Porter' has garnered equal amounts of hate and praise for director Liliana Cavani since its release in 1974. The film follows the shocking and depraved relationship between a Nazi officer and an inmate.
Another classic from the king of Italian neorealism Roberto Rossellini, 1950's 'Stromboli' is a quiet and powerful movie starring Swedish superstar Ingrid Bergman. Bergman plays a Lithuanian immigrant who moves to the barren, impoverished island of Stromboli with her new and unfamiliar husband.
The directorial debut of screenwriter Marco Bellocchio, 'Fists in the Pocket' is a dark and powerful drama that depicts the violent disintegration of an impoverished family living in a dilapidated villa in the countryside.
Alice Rohrwacher's 2014 film 'The Wonders' follows a provincial family of farmers in the Italian countryside, specifically Gelsomina, the eldest of three daughters, who is burdened by the responsibility of raising her sisters and helping her father with extensive and taxing work around the farm.
Sources: (BFI) (Classic Art Films) (IMDb)
'Nights of Cabiria' was released at the height of Federico Fellini's career, and won the director his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Starring Giulietta Masina, the 1957 film tells the story of a prostitute living and working in Rome.
A wildly popular crime drama at the time of its release, Giuseppe De Santis' 'Bitter Rice' follows the story of two petty criminals on the run who end up hiding and working in the rice paddies of northern Italy.
The last of four films that Michelangelo Antonioni and Monica Vitti would make together, 'Red Desert' was also Antonioni's first movie filmed in color. Set in a desolate industrial region of Italy, Antonioni claimed he wanted to "translate the poetry of the world, in which even factories can be beautiful."
It's no secret that Italy has a reputation for producing some of the very best films in the world. With the end of World War II and the death of Mussolini came the birth of Italian neorealism, a style and era of filmmaking that would permanently cement Italy's place in the history of cinema. Ever since, throughout all the decades that have followed since Italy's golden age of cinema, the European nation has continued to gift the world with consistently wonderful, thoughtful, and exciting movies, across every genre. Directors like Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, and Lina Wertmüller have all left an indelible mark on the industry and the styles of other filmmakers around the world.
In this gallery, let's take a look at the best of the best that Italian cinema has to offer. Click on!
One of the single finest achievements in the history of filmmaking is Roberto Rossellini's 1945 neorealist masterpiece 'Rome, Open City.' Filming began in January 1945, just a few months after the fascists fled Rome and Allied forces took control. Filming on whatever scraps of film they could find around the city, Rossellini and his crew of largely nonprofessionals achieved the impossible and created a powerful picture of wartime Rome.
Matteo Garrone's crime thriller from 2008 received critical acclaim upon its release and won numerous awards on the festival circuit. Based on real-world events involving the Casalesi crime syndicate, the film gained additional infamy in the years following its release after it was revealed that a number of the actors were in fact members of the Casalesi clan, and a few of them have since been arrested for everything from extortion to murder.
The best Italian films of all time
These movies prove the greatness of Italian cinema
MOVIES Cinema
It's no secret that Italy has a reputation for producing some of the very best films in the world. With the end of World War II and the death of Mussolini came the birth of Italian neorealism, a style and era of filmmaking that would permanently cement Italy's place in the history of cinema. Ever since, throughout all the decades that have followed since Italy's golden age of cinema, the European nation has continued to gift the world with consistently wonderful, thoughtful, and exciting movies, across every genre. Directors like Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, and Lina Wertmüller have all left an indelible mark on the industry and the styles of other filmmakers around the world.
In this gallery, let's take a look at the best of the best that Italian cinema has to offer. Click on!