A History of Italian Cinema / Edition 2

by Peter Bondanella, Federico Pacchioni

Overview

A History of Italian Cinema, 2nd edition is the much anticipated update from the author of the bestselling Italian Cinema - which has been published in four landmark editions and will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2018. Building upon decades of research, Peter Bondanella and Federico Pacchioni reorganize the current History in order to keep the book fresh and responsive not only to the actual films being created in Italy in the twenty-first century but also to the rapidly changing priorities of Italian film studies and film scholars.

The new edition brings the definitive history of the subject, from the birth of cinema to the present day, up to date with a revised filmography as well as more focused attention on the melodrama, the crime film, and the historical drama. The book is expanded to include a new generation of directors as well as to highlight themes such as gender issues, immigration, and media politics. Accessible, comprehensive, and heavily illustrated throughout, this is an essential purchase for any fan of Italian film.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501307638
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/19/2017
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	752
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.80(d)

About the Author

Peter Bondanella is the author of a number of groundbreaking books such as: Hollywood Italians, The Cinema of Federico Fellini, and The Films of Roberto Rossellini. In 2009, he was elected to the European Academy of Sciences and the Arts for his contributions to the history of the Italian cinema and his translations or editions of Italian literary classics (Dante, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Vasari, Cellini). He was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature, Film Studies and Italian at Indiana University Bloomington, USA.

Federico Pacchioni is Sebastian Paul & Marybelle Musco Chair of Italian Studies at Chapman University, Orange, California, USA. In his research, he focuses on cases of artistic synergy and intermediality across Italian cinema, literature, and theatre. He is the author of numerous articles and of the monograph Inspiring Fellini: Literary Collaborations behind the Scenes (2014).

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgement
1. An Ancient Cradle for a Newborn Medium: The Rise of Silent Cinema in Italy
2. Industry and Ideology: The Talkies during the Fascist Era
3. Neorealism: A Revolutionary and Problematic —New Film Aesthetic
4. Neorealism's Many Faces: Widening the Range of the Camera's Eye
5. The Cinema of the Reconstruction and the Returban of Melodrama
6. Entertainment on an Epic Scale: The Italian Peplum
7. Commedia all'italiana: Social Criticism for Laughter's Sake
8. The Italian Art Film: Auteurism in Visconti, Antonioni, Fellini, and De Sica
9. Neorealism's Legacy to a New Generation, and the Italian Political film
10. Myth, Marx, and Freud in Pier Paolo Pasolini and Bernardo Bertolucci
11. The Spaghetti Nightmare: The Heyday of Italian Horror Films
12. A Fistful of Pasta: Sergio Leone and the Spaghetti Western
13. Mystery, Gore, and Mayhem: The Italian Giallo
14. The Poliziesco: Italian Crime Films from the 1970s to the Present
15. Italy's Truly Popular Genre: Tragicomedy from the 1980s to the Present
16. A Fellinian Ascendant: The Auteur in Contemporary Italian Cinema
17. Weaving Present and Past: The Contemporary Italian Drama
Notes
Bibliography
List of photo credits
Index

Editorial Reviews

By reconfiguring and expanding upon Bondanella's original work, both authors have ensured that A History of Italian Cinema remains relevant and necessary as Italy's cinemascape continues to evolve. It is, therefore, a piece of scholarship akin to that which it describes, adapting to waves of the present while grasping to the roots of its past.” —Historical Jourbanal of Film, Radio and Television

“Peter Bondanella's masterly A History of Italian Cinema was a monument to a lifetime of passionate scholarly engagement with the films and film-makers of the peninsula. This second edition, revised and expanded with Federico Pacchioni, integrates new themes and takes full account of the latest approaches to the history of Italian cinema. It will be an indispensable reference work for academics, students and general readers for years to come.” —Stephen Gundle, Professor of Film and Television Studies, University of Warwick, UK

“This new edition of History of Italian Cinema is the most comprehensive, insightful and appealing book on the subject. Ideal for teaching a variety of courses and levels, and well-suited for a general reader, "History of Italian Cinema" will remain the gold standard in a crowded field for years to come.” —John P. Welle, Professor of Italian and Concurrent Professor of Film, Television, and Theatre, University of Notre Dame, USA

“In this expanded, updated version, A History of Italian Cinema reclaims its status as the foremost English language work on the history of Italian film. Written in a clear and compelling style, balancing vast coverage with vivid sketches of individual films, this book provides an indispensable resource for scholars and film buffs eager to enrich their knowledge of this grand, and ever vital cinematic tradition.” —Millicent Marcus, Professor and Chair, Department of Italian, Yale University, USA

“This extensively revised edition of the classic English-language history of Italian cinema reads like a completely fresh work. Clearly written, it takes the reader from the beginnings of cinema to the most recent developments, covering everything from neorealism and art cinema to popular genres like the giallo, horror and comedy and combining a broad overview with detailed analyses of individual films. Lavishly illustrated and with an up-to-date bibliography, this book is the essential guide to the subject for students, specialists and general readers.” —David Forgacs, Zerilli-Marimò Professor of Contemporary Italian Studies, New York University, USA

From the Publisher