Start Learning Italian in the next 30 Seconds with
a Free Lifetime Account

Or sign up using Facebook

Cinema italiano!

Michele Ferro
New in Town
Posts: 5
Joined: April 15th, 2008 2:35 am

Cinema italiano!

Postby Michele Ferro » April 16th, 2008 1:46 am

Ciao tuti!

Italian cinema is simply the best! Italy has a rich history in the moives beginging at the very begining of cinema. Be it comedy, drama, spectical or passion here is where the Italians excell. And watching an Italian film can be so helpful while learning Italian!

Here are a few of my favorites. What are some of yours?

"I Vitelloni" Fellini
"La Strada" Fellini
"Ieri, Oggi, Domani" (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow) De Sica with Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren.
"Malena" Tornatore
"Bread and Tulips" Silvio Soldini
"Notti di Cabiria" Fellini
"L'Eclisse" Michalangelo Antonioni
"La Dolce Vita" Fellini
"Too Bad She's Bad" De Sica
"Rocco e i suoi Fratelli" (Rocco and His Brothers) Luchino Visconti
"Il Gattopardo" (The Leopard) Visconti (The Italian "Gone With The Wind")
"Boccaccio '70" three stories directed by De Sica, Fellini and Mario Monicelli.
" La Meglio Gioventù" (The Best of Youth) Marco Tullio Giordana with Luigi Lo Cascio and Alessio Boni (An incredible film!)

Sonjajean
New in Town
Posts: 5
Joined: April 12th, 2008 8:45 pm

Films

Postby Sonjajean » April 17th, 2008 5:50 pm

Ciao,
I love Fellini's movies. I watch them as a study aid.
Thx for posting a list of other Italian films. I will check them out.
grazie, :wink:

Get 40% OFF
Michele Ferro
New in Town
Posts: 5
Joined: April 15th, 2008 2:35 am

Re: Films

Postby Michele Ferro » April 18th, 2008 2:20 am

Sonjajean wrote:Ciao,
I love Fellini's movies. I watch them as a study aid.
Thx for posting a list of other Italian films. I will check them out.
grazie, :wink:

Ciao Sonjajean!

Yes watching Italian films is a great way to aid your learning of Italian. I find that each time I watch a film I understand more and more. There is another film that I wish I could get a hold of. "The Gold of Naples". Any one know when it will come out in the USA on DVD?

Ciao tutti!
Michele :D

roma55
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 29
Joined: February 22nd, 2008 3:41 pm

Postby roma55 » April 20th, 2008 12:50 pm

Ciao Michele,

grazie dei suggerimenti cinematografici!

My I add Fellini's' 'Amarcord' to the list?
Definitely a choice or grown-ups but worth it, if nothing else for Nino Rota's excellent music.

Speaking of which, what about "Death in Venice" by Visconti, featuring Mahler's 5th? The subject is from Thomas Mann's novel of course, so not so Italian, but Visconti's genius adds beautifully to it.

Good viewing!

roma55

Michele Ferro
New in Town
Posts: 5
Joined: April 15th, 2008 2:35 am

Postby Michele Ferro » April 22nd, 2008 8:42 pm

Roma!

How could I forget “Amarcord” and "Death In Venice". But that is what this post is for to Remind us of the classics and to put the word out on new exciting films from Italy.

Ciao!

Michele
(Also "Senso" by Visconti which I have never seen but hear is magnificent.)

johnnywayfarer
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 18
Joined: February 21st, 2008 11:41 am

Italian movies

Postby johnnywayfarer » April 28th, 2008 7:25 pm

Hi guys!

Your classic Italian movies list is definitely great. I’ll add a few personal choices:

- Gabriele Salvatore’s Mediterraneo (1991)

- Gabriele Salvatore’s Nirvana (1997)

- Roberto Benigni’s “Life is Beautiful” (La vita è bella, 1997)

- Ermanno Olmi’s “The Profession of Arms” (Il mestiere delle armi, 2001)

Hope you’ll enjoy them!

Ciao

ambrogio
New in Town
Posts: 2
Joined: April 18th, 2008 12:29 am

Postby ambrogio » May 2nd, 2008 3:24 am

Where can one find these movies? I live in the U.S.

roma55
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 29
Joined: February 22nd, 2008 3:41 pm

Postby roma55 » May 2nd, 2008 8:47 am

Caro Ambrogio,

If you have no problem understanding Italian you may wish to check this site, where you can identify the film by title or author:

http://www.cerca-film.it/index.html

This has a link to http://www.bol.it/home/hp , owned by Italian publishing giant Mondadori, which sells DVD and ships them all over the world. Terms and conditions for sale outside Europe can be found here:

http://www.bol.it/guida/spedizione#overseas

If your Italian is not at a level where you feel confident using it to buy things (or to handle problems should they arise) I suggest you search for the films on the site of vendors in the USA, such as Amazon.com, as many DVD have an option to listen in the original language (just look at the menu when you load them up in the DVD player) . In general it will state on the back of the cover if the original language options are available, often with subtitles. If buying online you can ask the vendor in advance whether these options are available.

Finally, check out extracts from the films on Google Video and youTube. My favourite clips there are from 'I soliti ignoti' with a star cast including Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale and Vittorio Gasman (directed by mario Monicelli, if I remember correctly). Set in Rome in the early 50's. Molto simpatico!

Buona fortuna nella tua ricerca.

roma55

marcom
Established Presence
Posts: 63
Joined: April 27th, 2008 12:11 pm

Postby marcom » May 7th, 2008 1:52 am

Sorry if I barge in here and just talk tech stuff.

Be careful of the DVD Region code.
Here is a link to wikipedia with all the information you might need.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code

I personally do not agree with the idea of having Region codes, but I guess it is to protect regional markets from cheaper imports.

Ciao
Marco

sfocata
New in Town
Posts: 2
Joined: July 30th, 2008 3:08 pm

Postby sfocata » July 30th, 2008 3:48 pm

Hi all, just registered here, so thought I'd dive in with one of my favourite subjects...

"La Dolce Vita" is definitely one of my favourites... I love the totally nihilistic, responsibility-free tone of it. Apparently the Vatican weren't too impressed. :)

Also been getting into Dario Argento... need to watch Suspiria again to get a better feel for it, but Bird With a Crystal Plumage is excellent.


adrian

cinziag
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 28
Joined: March 5th, 2008 2:33 pm

Postby cinziag » August 1st, 2008 3:12 am

Hi sfocata,
welcome to Italianpod101!!!!

very nice nickname!
So you like old Italian movies!?!
I love "La dolce vita"...
But what about contemporaneous directors?
Can you watch Italian movies in original language?
If you are interested I can avise you some good ones:
Marco Bellocchio (Buongiorno notte)
Cristina Comencini (La bestia nel cuore)
Ferzan Ozpetek (Le fate ignoranti) this one is Turkish but he directs movies in Itay with Italian actors...
Daniele Luchetti (Mio fratello è figlio unico)
and the budding Matteo Garrone with Gomorra (inspired from the famous homonymous book by Roberto Saviano)

Enjoy
:wink:

Cinzia

juv3n7u5
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 17
Joined: October 16th, 2008 11:20 pm

Postby juv3n7u5 » October 18th, 2008 6:03 am

scusi, if i may add a few:
"La Sconosciuta" (Giuseppe Tornatore)
"Otto e Mezo" (8 1/2) (Federico Fellini, feat Marcello Mastroianni)
"Ricordati di Me" (Remember Me) (feat Monica Bellucci e Fabrizio Bentivoglio)
"Angela" (feat Donatella Finocchiaro)
"L'Avventura" (Michelangelo Antonioni feat Monica Vitti)
"Piano 17" (if you need to learn how to swear in Italian!)
"Le Notti Bianchi" (Luchino Visconti feat Marcello Mastroianni)
"Caterina va in citta" (feat Sergio Castellito e Margherita Buy)
"Heaven" (feat Kate Blanchett e Giovanni Ribisi)
"Divorzio all'Italiana" (Divorce Italian Style) (feat Marcello Mastroianni)
"L'uomo delle stelle" (The Star Maker) (Giuseppe Tornatore feat Sergio Castellito)
and one of my all-time favourites
"Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" (Giuseppe Tornatore feat Philippe Noiret)

cinziag
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 28
Joined: March 5th, 2008 2:33 pm

Postby cinziag » October 21st, 2008 4:15 am

I have never heard about PIANO 17,
but sounds cool! 8)

Thank you for adding more movies!

(I actually love Ricordati di me by Muccino and I had forgotten it! :wink: )

C!

juv3n7u5
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 17
Joined: October 16th, 2008 11:20 pm

Postby juv3n7u5 » October 22nd, 2008 4:35 am

C:
I enjoyed "Buongiorno, notte" by M. Bellocchio, despite the rather sad subject matter; I believe he also directed "I pugni in tasca" (con Lou Castel e Paola Pitagora); I am seeking a DVD of Luchetti's "Mio fratello..", as it sounds good.
I also have collected a series of DVDs filmed in/around Bologna:
"Quasi blu"
"Il cuore altrove" (Incantato)
"Fortezza bastiani"
"Gli occhi, la bocca"

And anyone who liked "I soliti ignoti", may be interested in an American remake with Willam H. Macy, George Clooney e Jennifer Esposito called "Welcome to Collinwood"

Finally, "Piano 17" is a good, suspenseful crime drama with themes of betrayal, revenge and the "good" thief. I hear that il 17 piano in a building is unlucky in Italia (come il 13 in gli stati uniti). Can anyone explain why?
grazie tutti

cinziag
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 28
Joined: March 5th, 2008 2:33 pm

Postby cinziag » October 23rd, 2008 6:42 am

Buongiorno Notte was amazing!

BUT :lol: I can't believe George Clooney is in a remake of I soliti ignoti!!
I love that movie. Mastroianni and Gassman are simply perfect in that movie!

Here is one my fav scenes
have a look and maybe you can appreciate the neapolitan accent of Totò!

:wink:

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtlNwnlZ ... re=related

Then...
I know Mio fratello è figlio unico... and it's a good soundtrack too!
But thanks for the other titles, I had never heard any of them...

Concerning the number 17... ahaha!! Well ... I can tell you about its connections with the Roman traditions and the Bible also...
In the Roman Empire there used to be a writing on the graves which was VIXI (in Latin this means "I lived..." and now I'm dead...), but during the Middle Age the Italian peoples abandoned the classic Latin and adopted the local dialects. So, due to a very difficult period of illiteracy, people started to confuse the writing VIXI with the roman number XVII (which is in fact 17)... That's why since then the number 17 has always been connected to misfortune, disgrace and death.

Besides, according to the Bible, on a 17th the Flood started!!

:roll:

So, I hope I answered your question... :wink:

Let me know what you think. Is it for a similar reason that in US people don't like the number 13?

Return to “General Discussion and Help Learning Italian”