tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802467913862929609.post6452086686588329741..comments2024-02-25T19:53:41.477+00:00Comments on giallo fever: Cinema and Fascism: Italian Film and Society, 1922-1943K H Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032330558218087354noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802467913862929609.post-87247066883272448052008-04-10T15:10:00.000+01:002008-04-10T15:10:00.000+01:00Between Hollywood and Moscow: The Italian Communis...Between Hollywood and Moscow: The Italian Communists and the Challenge of Mass Culture, 1943-1991 <BR/><BR/>This is on Amazon, not read it yet. Not read Xavier Mendik's analysis nor any other of Late Night Trains as yet. Would be interested though- if I can track anything down. Facinating film. Aside from the obvious revenge scenario there is a lot going on- the liberal doctor, the voyeur, the fascist black widow etc etc,Nigel Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928346913206094978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802467913862929609.post-75702749293827377282008-04-10T14:50:00.000+01:002008-04-10T14:50:00.000+01:00Despite its historical period, there's a lot in th...Despite its historical period, there's a lot in this book for anyone interested in the later genre cinema, not all of which I managed to express in this post - I'm still very much working through the ideas in it at the moment.<BR/><BR/>One of the other themes is the involvement of the Fascists in mass holidays / leisure - the dopolavoro - and then ironically how something similar manifested in Rome in the late 70s/early 80s under the PCI controlled local authorities. <BR/><BR/>Have you read Xavier Mendik's piece on Late Night Trains? Worth a look if not - can't remember if it was in one of the Necronomicon or Delirium magazines.<BR/><BR/>What's the name of the Postwar Italian Culture and the PCI book, if you know it? <BR/><BR/>Cheers<BR/><BR/>KeithK H Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12032330558218087354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1802467913862929609.post-49849800442714814292008-04-10T14:32:00.000+01:002008-04-10T14:32:00.000+01:00just noticed this one- and may comment a bit later...just noticed this one- and may comment a bit later. I like to put a little political context where appropriate in my blog posts though- this is a subject that we will come up against time again and again- not just fascism and its influence on postwar cinema but anti fascism too. The anti fascist grouping best placed to succeed mussolini were the communists- the electoral system of italy post war has to be seen in this context- one of the themes we come up against time and again in filone is that off an ineffectual system- Castellari's Street Law being one of many great examples of this phenomena nero here after all tries to go through channels but becomes frustrated with the post fascist system. For many of the cop films we get a retreat into fascism- for example Violent Rome, though that ends with an example to would be strong men. Couldn't have made it plainer if it had ended with the inspector hung mussolni style.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly enough, the system that post war Italy used to keep the communists in check outlasted its usefulness to the right when the communist party abandoned marxist leninism (and therefore its ideological link with USSR) and instead adopted "Eurocommunism" which is sort of a old labour type social democratic idea that seeks accomodation with capital and democratic parliaments (as opposed to revolution).<BR/><BR/>So where I come across left leaning filone I keep seeing the themes of idealism and its betrayal where as the right leaning stuff tends to have mo emphasis on actions speaking louder than words and vigilante heroism, rogue cops etc.<BR/><BR/>For interesting takes on this contrast for example the death of idealism in TO Be 20 with a any number of police crime flicks- one laments the death of idealism where the other shows idealism as for wimps- franco nero's character was (so it was implied) a revolutionary idealist who had to face the harsh realities.<BR/> Mussolini incidentally brought us Cinicetta, so even stopped clocks tell the right time occasionally.<BR/><BR/>Now the most facinating take on the fascist period in post war Italian cinema for me is Late Night Trains which deals with the subject in a surprisingly in depth way when you give that film a bit of thought. Though to arrive at such conclusion i had to take the occasional liberty to fill in blanks- especially with ascribing a class backround to the two hoods based on their actions- targetting a fur coat etc plus taking thuis a bit further to pondering a possibly marxist or anarchist background- clues are in the film.<BR/><BR/>anyhow I go on a bit. Just to say, thanks for recommendation. Will be ordering this one, oh and there is also a book knocking about concerning postwar italian culture and the PCI which may add some continuation to the theme.<BR/><BR/>Finally the thing regarding planes and giallo, the essay on BLack Emanuelle in Alternative Europe offers a facinating take on this and it is probably one of the stronger contributions to that book, I think its subtitled travelogues of desire or something.Nigel Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928346913206094978noreply@blogger.com