An Essay Examining the Oriental Nature of the voyage in Rossellini's Journey to Italy (1953)
The Oriental in Viaggio in Italia
Journey to Italy, Rossellini's 1953 film, follows the weeklong journey of Alex and Katherine Joyce from Northern to Southern Europe. Il Viaggio portrays Italy as a highly feminine and volatile entity. In an orientalist manner, Rossellini creates an intricate contrast between the Italians, and their way of living--'dolce far niente'--, with the dysfunctional marriage of the stereotypical British couple. Orientalism is defined as a mode of representation/communication focused on the orient. The orient exists out of a constructed opposition in culture with the west and is commonly looked at as being exotic and of interest, although regularly shown as inferior and alien to western sensibilities. From the perspective of outsiders, Rossellini highlights the differences culturally, ethically, historically, and visually between the oriental , Italy, and the Northern Europeans observers. Italy, especially the south, is strongly portrayed as a 'different', separate, and perplexing subject, profoundly feminine in conflict with the ordered, über-civilized visitors' masculinity.
The Italian society is shown frequently as 'backward' and less civilized when compared to the cultural position of the English. The initial appearance of the couple depicts them driving their large British Bentley towards the perilous south. This is exemplified by their conversation in the car scene, which represents a staggering tenth of the entire film, talks of death both in regards to the erratic Italian driving and the danger presented by malaria, implying that these travelers come from a safer (less barbaric) part of the planet. The Joyce's represent all that is English; reserved, repressed, stoic, and proud, they are on an odyssey into the south of Italy, a country depicted as an untamed and sentimental place.
Rossellini continuously plays up the 'civilized' nature of the Joyce's, juxtaposed with images of cows crowding city streets, donkey's forced to work inhumanely,
More Genre Study
essays:
An indepth analysis of the Gothic Film's Saw, Nosferatu and Young Frankenstein. Analysing context, technique and form.
... directly observe is when Jonathan finds himself in Orlok's castle bewildered at his host whom he believes not to be ...
Analyse some of the ways in which the visual elements of the text such as camera angles, backgrounds used and framing present ideology.
... sorts of jewellery. This establishes her character, as throughout the series stereotypes, which become familiar through constant re-use, come to feel natural, as she is always slightly 'weird' in what she says and does. For example she suggests that Joey ...
What do you think makes Indian film Indian? Write an essay on the distinctive narrative traits in Indian cinema which distinguishes it from European or American films you have seen.
... vamp in Indian film is modern and imitates western women and is usually more of an equal partner to the man than the heroine. Her stereotypical behaviour ... and European cinema as to see how these cinema types differ from that of India. The cinema industry in Europe has ...
_Understanding the Obsession_, a psychological examination of the main character's sexual compulsions in Oshima's "In the Realm of the Senses".
... outside of acceptable patterns of behavior…in addition, these objects, activities or situations often are necessary for the person's sexual functioning. With a paraphilia, the individual's urges and behaviors cause significant distress and/or personal, social or occupational dysfunction ...
Silence vs sound the paper is about the two movies made from the book dracula by bram stoker one was made in sound and the other was not
... itself. In contrasting Nosferatu and Dracula, someone needs do just observe the films from the director's point of view. When this is achieved, it would be plain to see all of the differences, outside of ...
Why Spaghetti Westerns Should Simply Be Westerns: An analysis of the Western Genre using examples from "The Searchers" and "For a Few Dollars More"
... Western can express conflict in many ways: East vs. West, garden vs. desert, America vs. Europe, order vs. anarchy, individual vs. community, civilization vs. wilderness, cowboy vs. Indian, etc. As America moved toward the modern age, historical fact gave way to ...
In what ways did melodrama as a cultural form speak to the concerns of American theatregoers during the nineteenth century?
... a family of thieves. Her fiancé, Ray, finds this difficult to deal with and almost calls the marriage off. By accident others from the elite society find out ... social authority, like the church or royalty which was effective in Europe, they considered themselves the proxy for it. The elite feared ...
An Essay Analysing the Techniques Used In A Current Affair Program, referring to Australian current affairs programs.
... they screen. This can be something from letting one person talk for a couple more minutes than another, to not letting the other person talk at all. In the Lost Children segment, the victims of child molestation and labour were given ...