Cinema in the Fascist Italy

This course is about the development of the Italian cinema during the fascist regime in 1922 –  1945.

In 1922 Benito Mussolini (1883 – 1945) was nominated prime minister of Italy, and this event started the historical period of fascism. Mussolini soon became dictator and with the fascist party in power Italy turned into a totalitarian state. Fascists ruled the country till the Second World War, when the Allies landed to Italy, and Mussolini was first ousted from power and later killed by the Italian partisans.

In addition to the horrors committed by the fascist regimen, the two decades Mussolini was in power also testified the development of the Italian cinema, and after the IIWW, Italy for several years was one of the leading countries in the European cinema.

The history of cinema started in 1895, when the Lumière brothers showed 10 short films. Soon alongside with new technology, cinema developed as a form of entertainment. First it was France the most important country of cinema till the first world war, and the USA.

Mussolini, who was originally journalist, understood what a powerful tool cinema could be, and he actually stated: “Cinema è l’arma più potente.” / “Cinema is the most powerful weapon.” Thus, it is understandable that the regime subvented in many ways the Italian cinema.

Regardless the state support and the use of cinema as a tool for political propaganda, it still persisted above all as a form of entertainment. The years of the fascist regime testified the creation of the so-called “telefoni Bianchi” / “white phones”, or “the Hungarian comedy”. And most of all, the birth of the Italian diva following the American model.

These are some of the topics that we shall explore during the course while answering to the following questions: Which were the first achievements of the Italian cinema? How did the film industry develop, and how did it fit with the fascist regime?

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