Italian neorealism: History and Key Facts

Italian neorealism (Italian: Neorealismo), also known as the Golden Age of Italian Cinema, was a national film movement in Italy in the aftermath of World War II. It explored the contemporary everyday life and struggles of the poor and the working class, addressing the difficult economic and moral conditions of the country changes in the Italian psyche. Frequent topics include poverty, oppression, injustice and despair. Films of the era were filmed on location, frequently with non-professional actors.

Italian neorealist films have become explanatory discourse for future generations to understand the history of Italy during a specific period through the storytelling of social life in the context, reflecting the documentary and communicative nature of the film. Although some have traced the origin of Italian neorealistic films to Soviet montage films, Soviet filmmakers often described the people's opposition to class struggle through their films, while neorealist films aimed more broadly to showcase individuals' resistance to reality in a social environment.

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