The study of cinema is an excitingly elaborate task that includes the involvement of so many different areas of study. Inside the analysis of cinema, things such as terminology and different styles can be observed and used to draw conclusions about the filmmaker’s intentions. How life was lived in history can also be seen to a certain extent through watching early works of cinema. Events of history are also often covered in films and with further outside research, one may discover how the government and life in general for many people were impacted due to the cinema industry and the content that was shown by films that got produced, even on a global scale.
However, when participating in the study of cinema it is not enough for a person to simply choose one area to focus on because as they begin their studies they will discover how all parts of cinema, the filmmaking process, and the impact that different films have on the public are all connected. That being stated all of these said aspects work together with the intention behind them. A major type of genre where the harmonious works of the creation of films and the meaning behind them is neorealism.
Still, while many pieces of Italian cinema give an authentic and often realistic perspective on what it was like to live in Italy during the time periods that the films were made, it is important to remember that they are still films. This means that though there may be the feel of a documentary the scenes are still directed and the actors are acting so the films aren’t one hundred percent accurate with how life truly was. Yet, in our current times being able to look back on early works of neorealist cinema gives us an overall better understanding of the conditions that many people had to live under.
The assigned film, Rome Open City, was a fitting example of an impactful neorealist piece. Even though some aspects of the film were done due to necessity and not so much of a choice it only added to the meaning of the film. This was displayed as a large portion of the filming was done with natural lighting outside, and any scenes filmed indoors would have to have been shot at night due to extremely unreliable electricity. An additional aspect is how the film was created only months after the events that took place in the film had happened and they were essentially filming in the aftermath of the war that was going on in their storyline.
There was a heavy level of intent placed within the film, as a neorealist film it was meant to display what life was like for the lower class in Italy. The film was able to do that more as it reached a global audience and caused empathy to arise from other countries and cause the public to ask more of their governments. That is an example of how filmmakers and the cinema industry can create changes by touching the hearts of their audience by placing some control over how events are viewed. I continue to be amazed the further I get into the study of cinema.