Italy was one of the greatest powerhouses of film in the middle of the 20th century, putting out some of the most moving and thought provoking cinema, not only of it’s time, but of all time. This auteur driven cinema gained worldwide acclaim starting in the 1940s with the ‘neorealist’ movement that stripped away the frills of Hollywood glamour. The films only grew from there, drawing on real world problems but infusing them with unique creative twists and flairs. After a few decades of international success, however, many of these filmmakers ran out of stuff to say, and the Italian film output grew stale. While it is no longer holds the influence it once had, still the occasional masterpiece arise. Whether you’re new to Italian cinema, or looking for a hidden gem, I hope you enjoy the list below.
50. Ossessione (Luchino Visconti, 1943)
49. City of Women (Federico Fellini, 1980)
48. Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone, 2008)
47. The Canterbury Tales (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1972)
46. Black Sunday (Mario Bava, 1960)
45. Stromboli (Roberto Rosselini, 1950)
44. Ludwig (Luchino Visconti, 1973)
43. Marriage, Italian Style (Vittorio De Sica, 1964)
42. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (Dario Argento, 1970)
41. La Terra Trema (Luchino Visconti, 1948)
40. Paisan (Roberto Rossellini, 1946)
39. Big Deal on Madonna Street (Mario Monicelli, 1958)
38. La Grande Bouffe (Marco Ferreri, 1973)
37. Juliet of the Spirits (Federico Fellini, 1965)
36. L’Eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1962)
35. Blood and Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964)
34. Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, 1997)
33. Bellissima (Luchino Visconti, 1951)
32. Rome, Open Ciy (Roberto Rosselini, 1945)
31. Seduced and Abandoned (Pietro Germi, 1964)
30. Two Women (Vittorio De Sica, 1960)
29. Amarcord (Federico Fellini, 1973)
28. Salvatore Giuliano (Francesco Rosi, 1962)
27. The Damned (Luchino Visconti, 1969)
26. Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today (Vittorio De Sica, 1963)
25. The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
24. The Great War (Mario Monicelli, 1959)
23. Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988)
22. Red Desert (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964)
21. Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1954)
20. Seven Beauties (Lina Wertmuller, 1975)
19. Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975)
18. La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961)
17. The Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini, 1957)
16. Senso (Luchino Visconti, 1954)
15. I, Vitteloni (Federico Fellini, 1953)
14. Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti, 1960)
13. Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)
12. Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)
11. The Leopard (Luchino Visconti, 1963)
10. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Elio Petri, 1970)
Biting satire, exciting thriller and an all around great film watching experience, Elio Petri’s masterpiece never given the recognition it deserves. It follows a corrupt policeman who kills his mistress, but no matter how much he incriminates himself, the police look the other way. This black comedy is as funny as it is important, with it’s message being more relevant than ever.
9. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964)
While he would eventually become known for his highly controversial, explicit films, Pasolini started out his career with neo-realism, like so many other directors of his era. In that style he created this minimalist film of Christ’s life which, with it’s bare style, conveys an extremely spiritual effect. Ironically this, one of the greatest religious films of all time, was made by Pasolini, an outspoken atheist.
8. Divorce Italian Style (Pietro Germi, 1961)
Marcello Mastroianni shows he’s just as good at humor as he is at anything else in this hilarious dark comedy. His irrational man, mad with lust for a younger woman, who tries to get rid his horrible wife. His conniving, slimy performance combined with a superb script make this the greatest Italian comedy of all time.
7. 8 1/2 (Federico Fellini, 1963)
8 1/2 is probably the most famous Italian film ever, and for good reason as it is wildly inventive and visually stunning. A loosely veiled autobiographical film of Fellini’s life up to that point in his career, full of meditations on the creative process and its connection to the formative events in his life.
6. Le Notti Bianche (Luchino Visconti, 1957)
Among the already underrated filmography of Luchino Visconti, Le Notti Bianche is a hidden gem. Based on a short story by Dostoyevsky, the film stars Marcello Mastroiani as a man who loves a woman hung up on her ex. It is a simple but uncommonly beautiful film.
5. L’Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960)
The most influential and rule-breaking film to come out of the era, L’Avventura is the seminal art house film. It starts out as a mystery about a missing woman but slowly unravels into an existential melodrama. It’s a movie to watched with patience and an open mind about what a film can be.
4. La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954)
The most complete of all Fellini’s films, La Strada packs all the emotion, themes and whimsy of his other masterpieces into a refreshingly straightforward story. Fellini’s wife Giulietta Masina stars as an innocent young woman, the abused companion of a traveling strongman, played by Anthony Quinn. The colorful characters and their complex relations are the bulk are a the core of this timeless classic.
3. Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica, 1952)
Along with Bicycle Thieves, this film cemented Vittorio De Sica as the undisputed master of the neo-realist movement. Focused on the poor, forgotten half of society, these films expose us to the grim realities of our world, and move us greatly. Umberto D. is the most powerful of the lot, following an old pensioner and his dog, left to fend for themselves. The story and ideas are simple, but the sincerity of the filmmaking elevate it to an unforgettable quality.
2. Death in Venice (Luchino Visconti, 1971)
Based on Thomas Mann’s iconic novella, Luchino Visconti’s masterpiece manages the insurmountable task of successfully adapting the veiled, symbolic story. Led by Dirk Bogarde’s genius, understated performance, the film, which moves at a glacial pace, is dense, with each shot packed with importance. The settings, events and characters are more thematic than lifelike, because the story is not to be taken too literally. While the plot is tragic and powerful, below lies the real message, about art and the balance between form and beauty.
1. La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini, 1960)
Fellini’s masterpiece and the defining film of the new artistic movement. Marcello Mastroianni in his greatest role plays a happy-go-lucky reporter who glides through life without attachment or sentiment. Through various segments we follow his character through loves and society, ranging from poignant to depraved. Sure, it comments on modern society and class, but more than that, about solitary man, and how he guises his loneliness and malaise.
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