Post-war Cinema: Italian neo-realism and French new wave

10 min read

Post-war cinema in the latter half of the 20^th century explored themes of collectiveness, poverty, and alienation, while pursuing realism. This is prevalent in Italian Neo-realist cinema and the French new wave film; Vivre Sa vie because of their signature filmic techniques that depicted every aspect of society. The filmmakers of this time evolved cinema into a new era that highlighted how individuals and cities were transformed due to war. Each film employs realism that reflects the trauma and difficulties individuals dealt with daily, while focusing on how they move forward from it. Through a critical analysis of filmic techniques and thematic elements, I will examine how an array of neo-realist films, and Vivre Sa vie serve as an object of study that is essential to analyzing how a post-war society functions.  

The cinematic style of Rome, Open City portrays how the citizens’ relationship with their city is transformed into a stronger, more collective identity because of the war. The Neo-realist signature filmic techniques of the long shot and long take are used to underline the connection between the citizens and their post-war landscape. The opening credits of the film use both techniques to show a sweeping overview of the damaged buildings in the city of Rome (1:06-1:46). Not only does this ground the audience into the physical setting of the film, but it also sets the narrative as Nazi soldiers are heard marching and singing during the scene. The combination of the neo-realist techniques and the diegetic sound in this scene transform the static physical landscape into an active presence, infiltrated by the Nazi soldiers. The long shot of the kids running away after setting up an explosion frames the kids in the center of the destroyed landscape (36:20–36:25). This scene does not portray the kids as heroes, but as a collective group from a society where violence is normalized. Furthermore, this scene reaffirms the collectiveness of the citizens in relation to their landscape. This is further illustrated in the scene of Don Pietro waiting to meet a resistance member (32:51-32:55). The scene suggests that there is a vital connection between the citizens and their landscape. By framing Don Pietro in the center of shot, the landscape becomes an active extension of the resistance effort, in the same way that citizens use the city of Rome to evade Nazi authority.  

A very prominent usage of the long shot in the film happens right before Pina’s death where she runs towards the truck that has captured Francesco (57:00). The long shot in this scene forces the audience to confront Pina’s death without any melodramatic elements that would distance the scene from reality. The scene abruptly ends with a low shot of her body and a transition to the end of part one of the film. This transition suggests that death is a constant in their society, and there is no time to mourn the lives of others — it acts as a reminder of the reality of wartime violence. After the death of Don Pietro, the kids are framed in a wide long take, returning to the city of Rome (1:42:05). Their return to the city highlights thecontinued effort of the citizens despite facing great adversity. As reflected in the film, Andre Bazin notes that neorealist films can “represent a not yet determined, ambiguous, to-be-deciphered reality” (Gelley 39). The end of the film demonstrates this idea because it doesn’t end with a clear conclusion, just the continued lives of the children in the city. I

In Germany Year Zero, Rossellini uses a variety of neo-realist techniques, and melodramatic non-diegetic sound to complicate perceptions of post-war German society. The film starts with a long tracking wide take of Germany with destroyed buildings and ruins (0:00 –2:00). The on location shooting of this scene establishes the devastation of the city and frames the narrative within the post-war environment. Throughout the film, the long take is used to reinforce the image of how poverty has affected the citizens and how they live. After Edmund picks up coal that has fallen from a truck, he is followed by a long tracking shot while walking through the city as the shot gradually widens, showing more of the destroyed city (4:06-4:36). The scene does not allow the audience to pass judgment on the situation, but instead it leaves them with a silent acceptance of it, much like Edmund in the scene. The notion of silent acceptance is further illustrated in the scenes where there is no dialogue, nor characters framed in the shot (26:28-26:42). These moments in the film further engage the audience in the landscape, allowing the ruined environment to embody the emptiness and desolation left by war. The social instability of the film can be identified through the actions of Edmund and the other children in the film. This is depicted in multiple wide shots, showing the children running away from police after stealing food from a train (32:34) (32:43). The wide shot focuses on the environment, rather than the children who are framed as minor figures in relation to the landscape. This contrast suggests that the children are trapped within a larger system, in which they have no control over. The societal impact of the war has forced the children to adopt a survivor’s mentality to provide for themselves and their families. 

In this film, the long take also serves the purpose of reinforcing the collective suffering and familial trauma of this German family because of the war. This is depicted in the extended long take of the father speaking to his children about everything that has been lost in the war (48:34-49:55). The shot slowly pans to each character while the father continues to speak, which suggests that each family member has been affected. As the scene continues, a sudden burst of intense non-diegetic sound is played as Edmund walks away to mix poison in his father’s tea (50:04). The father’s long dialogue continues in the background, but the melodramatic orchestra increasingly drowns his voice (50:20-50:45). The non-diegetic soundtrack in this scene heightens the emotional stakes of the situation and allows the audience to sympathize with the boy and the family. Furthermore, it personalizes German citizens as also having struggled immensely after the war. This complicates traditional perceptions of German post-war society because it highlights a perspective that is often overlooked and not openly discussed.  

This sympathization of the German citizens is extended in the long take of Edmund attempting to play soccer with other kids, as he is ignored while they continue to play without him (1:04:03-1:04:50). In a long take that begins with a close shot and gradually zooms out into a medium shot, Edmund walks through the ruins of the city, mimicking childhood games by himself (1:06:02-1:06:42). As this occurs, melancholic music is played diegetically, further establishing the tone of the scene (1:05:42). The usage of diegetic sound in this scene compared to the film’s earlier usage of non-diegetic sound represents the connection between Edmund and the landscape. The diegetic sound serves as a bridge that ties Edmunds’ actions to his emotional state. While the non-diegetic sound acts as a border that separates Edmund from his actions because he acted under the guise of his Nazi professor. Although both filmic techniques add a melodramatic element to the scene, they each serve different purposes as illustrated. Furthermore, the landscape acts as a space of ambiguity between Edmund’s actions and the influence of the adults around him (Gelley 49). This is prevalent in the final moments of the film as Edmund walks into a destroyed building. Edmund watches as his fathers’ casket is being carried away in a wide shot (1:09:55). Edmund then uses the buildings’ structure to hide from his sister, calling his name from the street. The physical distance between Edmund and his father’s casket reinforces themes of detachment and grief. 

While Italian neo-realist films embody collective suffering and trauma through location shooting, and cinematic techniques, Vivre sa vie depicts post-war alienation through intense editing, silence and fragmented cinematography. Throughout the film, there are many instances of Nana being framed as an object of study. In the opening credits of the film, she is depicted in a variety of long close-up shots that show 3 different angles of her face (0:00-2:55). This introduction forces the audience to examine Nana without having any understanding of who she is, much like the transactions she partakes in later in the film. Harun Faruki makes a distinct connection between the credit sequence of close-ups and police identification photos, which links “the close-ups of Nana with interrogation, scrutiny, and capture” (Turim 90). Furthermore, the close-up examinations of Nana create a separation from her identity and what is being observed. The close-up shot of Nana being interviewed illustrates this idea because the officer’s intrusive questioning suggests his lack of understanding (23:12). Nana responds, stating, “I… is someone else”, insinuating a detachment within her identity(23:55). This scene suggests that Nana is aware of how her identity is subjected to the perspective of others, particularly men. This idea is further illustrated in the nearly silent scene of Nana writing down her physical characteristics and measurements in a cafe (39:06-41:20). In this way, her silence acts as a silent acceptance of her situation. Susan Sontag notes that the film is an “essay on responsibility and freedom” (Turim 100). A moment in the film that highlights Nana’s resistance is her joyful dance around the room; the camera shifts to her perspective in a tracking shot, which captures the men staring at her in confusion (55:40-56:00). Nana reclaims her autonomy in this scene, even if briefly, which shows her discontent with her pimp. Contrary to this temporary breakthrough, Nana’s self-analyzation and commodification frame her as the object of study – reinforcing the detached and observational quality of society. 

The transactional aspect of society is depicted throughout the film in the silent montages and fragmented cinematography, where individuals are presented as commodities. The fifth part of the film starts with a tracking shot of the city, revealing woman stationed throughout the streets, woman who are presumably engaged in sex work (24:02). The scene then transitions to Nana walking down those same streets, as she is approached by a man who is interested in her service (25:07). These two scenes establish the narrative by illustrating how prevalent sex work is in the city before grounding Nana into the environment through her interaction with the man. As Nana’s pimp explains the occupation and what it entails in a voiceover, Nana is depicted in various scenes actively engaging in the work (47:30). The disconnect between narration and image creates emotional distance and presents sex work as transactional and isolating. Individuals become unable to understand themselves or others due to the intrusive commodification and transactional nature of their society. 

Through their distinct usage of cinematic techniques, post-war cinema serves as cinematic documentation of how societies attempted to reconstruct themselves after war, poverty and isolation. While Rossellini’s Rome, Open City and Germany Year Zero, use the physical landscapes of their respective cities to illustrate the shared trauma and continuation of life after war, Godard’s Vivre Sa vie examines how individuals are commodified and commodify themselves in a society where transactions mean more than words. In doing so, these directors demonstrate how war not only transforms cities, but the core of human interaction and identity.

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