Topic: Neorealism

Direction Vittorio De Sica

Cast Lamberto Maggiorani · Enzo Staiola · Lianella Carell · Gino Saltamerenda

Synopsis Bicycle Thieves (1948) follows the story of Antonio, portrayed by Lamberto Maggiorani, who secures a job putting up posters after enduring nearly two years of unemployment. However, to perform his new role, he requires a bicycle. Having previously pawned his...

Direction Luchino Visconti

Cast Alain Delon · Renato Salvatori · Annie Girardot · Katina Paxinou

Synopsis Rocco and His Brothers (1960) chronicles the tale of an impoverished family shattered by desire and avarice. The narrative centers around Rocco (Alain Delon), a gentle and idealistic young man who faces chaos and rivalry as he and his three...

Direction Federico Fellini

Cast Anthony Quinn · Giulietta Masina · Richard Basehart · Aldo Silvani

Synopsis La Strada (1954) follows the journey of Gelsomina, a young woman who is sold by her impoverished mother to Zampanò, a traveling strongman. Gelsomina accompanies him on his journeys, assisting him during his performances. However, Zampanò's treatment of her is...

Direction Roberto Rossellini

Cast Aldo Fabrizi · Anna Magnani · Marcello Pagliero · Maria Michi

Synopsis Rome, Open City (1945) is a gripping narrative inspired by actual events, focusing on a group of Italian partisans combating fascism amidst the Nazi-controlled streets of Rome. The plot thickens when Gestapo officers storm an apartment where Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero),...

Direction Vittorio De Sica

Cast Carlo Battisti · Maria Pia Casilio · Lina Gennari · Memmo Carotenuto

Synopsis Umberto D. (1952) follows the life of Umberto Ferrari, an elderly pensioner who finds himself in a dire situation. After attending a protest with his fellow pensioners, Umberto returns to his modest lodgings, where he lives with his loyal dog,...

Direction Federico Fellini

Cast Giulietta Masina · François Périer · Amedeo Nazzari · Aldo Silvani

Synopsis Nights of Cabiria (1957) follows the life of Cabiria, a naive and hopeful prostitute residing in a destitute area of Rome. She owns a modest home and has a small savings, nurturing dreams of a transformative event. The narrative delves...

Direction Roberto Rossellini

Cast Edmund Moeschke · Ernst Pittschau · Barbara Hintz · Franz-Otto Krüger

Synopsis Germany, Year Zero (1948) follows the story of Edmund, a young boy navigating the ruins of post-World War II Germany. Struggling to support his family, Edmund engages in various tasks and schemes to secure food and ensure their survival. His...

Direction Vittorio De Sica

Cast Franco Interlenghi · Rinaldo Smordoni · Annielo Mele · Bruno Ortenzi

Synopsis Shoeshine (Shoe-Shine) (1946) is set in post-WWII Rome, where two young shoeshine boys, Pasquale and Giuseppe, dream of owning a horse after watching races near the Italian capital. Pasquale, an orphan, and his younger companion Giuseppe, encounter Attilio, Giuseppe's older...

Direction Luchino Visconti

Cast Maria Micale · Sebastiano Valastro · Antonio Arcidiacono · Giuseppe Arcidiacono

Synopsis The Earth Trembles (1948) is set in a rural Sicilian community where fishermen are exploited by unscrupulous middlemen. A determined family decides to take a significant risk by purchasing their own vessel, aiming to gain autonomy and break free from...

Direction Pier Paolo Pasolini

Cast Anna Magnani · Franco Citti · Ettore Garofolo · Silvana Corsini

Synopsis Mamma Roma (1962) presents a poignant tale directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. The narrative revolves around Mamma Roma, portrayed by Anna Magnani, a former sex worker striving to escape her sordid past and build a better life for herself and...

Direction Vittorio De Sica

Cast Francesco Golisano · Emma Gramatica · Paolo Stoppa · Guglielmo Barnabò

Synopsis Miracle in Milan (1951) tells the tale of an elderly woman, Lolotta (Emma Grammatica), who finds a young boy in her vegetable garden. She nurtures him until her passing, after which the child, Toto (Francesco Golizano), is sent to an...

Direction Federico Fellini

Cast Alberto Sordi · Franco Fabrizi · Franco Interlenghi · Leopoldo Trieste

Synopsis I vitelloni (1953) follows the lives of a group of five young men in the coastal city of Rimini, Italy, who are reluctant to embrace the responsibilities of adulthood. Instead, they spend their days aimlessly wandering the streets, avoiding work,...

Direction Giuseppe de Santis

Cast Eva Vanicek · Carla del Poggio · Massimo Girotti · Lucía Bosé

Synopsis Rome 11:00 (1952) is inspired by a true event and follows the journey of five young women who respond to a job advertisement for a humble secretarial role in Rome during a damp morning in 1951. The women jostle and...

Direction Roberto Rossellini

Cast Ingrid Bergman · Alexander Knox · Ettore Giannini · Teresa Pellati

Synopsis Europa '51 (The Greatest Love) (1952) follows the journey of an American woman, portrayed by Ingrid Bergman, who moves to post-war Rome. This relocation comes as she grapples with profound emotional turmoil following the tragic loss of her son. The...

Direction José Antonio Nieves Conde

Cast Luis Peña · María Asquerino · Francisco Arenzana · Marisa de Leza

Synopsis Furrows (1951) follows the journey of a humble family from the countryside of Spain who, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, relocate to Madrid seeking improved living conditions. Their aspirations for a brighter future, however, are dashed by...

Direction Luigi Zampa

Cast Umberto Spadaro · Ave Ninchi · Delia Scala · Massimo Girotti

Synopsis Difficult Years (1948) follows the journey of Aldo Piscitello, a humble government clerk who is compelled to align with the Fascist party in 1934. As World War II unfolds, Aldo struggles to express his dissent against Mussolini covertly, while his...

Direction Luchino Visconti

Cast Anna Magnani · Walter Chiari · Tina Apicella · Gastone Renzelli

Direction Pier Paolo Pasolini

Cast Franco Citti · Silvana Corsini · Franca Pasut · Paola Guidi

Synopsis Accattone (1961) presents a stark and unflinching portrayal of a pimp navigating the grimy streets of Rome. Vittorio Accattone, the central figure, has never known the value of hard work, relying instead on the earnings of his companion, Maddalena, who...

Direction Alessandro Blasetti

Cast Gino Cervi · Adriana Benetti · Giuditta Rissone · Carlo Romano

Direction Roberto Rossellini

Cast Ingrid Bergman · Mario Vitale · Renzo Cesana · Mario Sponzo

Synopsis Stromboli (1950) follows the journey of Karin, a young woman from the Baltic region, who enters into a marriage with a fisherman named Antonio to flee from a prisoner of war camp. However, life in Antonio's isolated village, situated on...