Roberto Benigni, the Italian comedian, actor, director, and writer, gained international fame when his film La vita e bella/ Life Is Beautiful (1997) won three Oscars in 1999, including Best Foreign Film and Best Actor. Benigni has been a steady presence in Italian popular culture since the mid-1970s. This book introduces Benigni's performances in film, stage, and television, little known outside of Italy, with an emphasis on the cultural and intellectual backdrops that characterize his films, including his origins among the Tuscan rhyming poets and his experiences in the Roman avant-garde...

Italian filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo is best known for his films about anti-colonial insurgency and terrorism. In this book, containing several black and white photos, author Carlo Celli examines Pontecorvo's entire career, from his days as a leader in the anti-Nazi/fascist resistance during World War II to his 1992 short documentary about Algeria's struggle with Islamic fundamentalism. This is the first book-length study in English of Pontecorvo's entire career, and features in-depth examinations and re-readings of his major films Kapo (1959), The Battle of Algiers (1965), Burn (1969), and...

This book is a complete reworking and update of Marga Cottino-Jones' popular A Student's Guide to Italian Film (1983, 1993) . This guide retains earlier editions' interest in renowned films and directors but is also attentive to the popular films which achieved box office success among the public.

When themes of historical and cultural identity appear and repeat in popular film, it is possible to see the real pulse of a nation and comprehend a people, their culture and their history. National Identity in Global Cinema describes how national cultures as reflected in popular cinema can truly explain the world, one country at a time.

When themes of historical and cultural identity appear and repeat in popular film, it is possible to see the real pulse of a nation and comprehend a people, their culture and their history. National Identity in Global Cinema describes how national cultures as reflected in popular cinema can truly explain the world, one country at a time.

When themes of historical and cultural identity appear and repeat in popular film, it is possible to see the real pulse of a nation and comprehend a people, their culture and their history. National Identity in Global Cinema describes how national cultures as reflected in popular cinema can truly explain the world, one country at a time.