Italian movies IN Italian?
 

In preparation for my return to Venice, I've been learning Italian. I've got the books and the CDs, and I'm having a ball... I speak French, so I have found a lot in common with the written Italian. However, I'd love to rent movies in Italian, because though I certainly don't expect to be anywhere near fluent by October, I'd love to listen to real Italian and get my ear trained.

Besides Bread & Tulips, which I've seen before and hopefully, I'll still be able to find at the video store, any other suggestions of movies I could rent?

I don't know how it is where you live, but Italian films are difficult to find at any of my local video shops.

BUT the whole of the Italian arthouse oeuvre (subtitled) is available for hire from the Tesco internet-based dvd library. Certainly in Britain, the system's terrific and slick: even skinflints like us, who refuse to pay a monthly sub for more than one dvd out at a time, find the new one arrives through our door 40 hours after we post the old one.

The Americans on this board will doubtless give their views, when they wake up, on the merits of the different US versions of this system.

But for a pretty good list on the web of the arthouse catalague, try http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~morrisom/films.html.

In your shoes, I'd start with Rossellini then work my way through the post-war classics in chronological order. That way, you see really good films, sharpen up your Italian AND get an insight into the country's social history.

Please see this thread:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...mp;tid=4239003

Netflix.com is a good souce for many foreign films in the US.

Congratulations on your idea lyb- renting Italian movies is an invaluable part of learning Italian for me too. I just started teaching a class in basic Italian conversation last week and am using film as part of it. It's fun to discover just how many dofferent accents exist in Italian.

"Bread and Tulips" is a good choice, and you can listen to the Venetian accent, which is very noticeable.

I suggest anything by the Taviani Brothers, starting with "La notte di San Lorenzo" (Night of the Shooting Stars) and "St. Michael Had a Rooster"
They have done alot of stuff for Italian TV, so there are alot of Titles available

"Stealing Beauty" by Bertolucci

Fellini's "Intervista", "Le notte di Cabiria","Orchestra Reheasal", "La Strada" and "Ginger and Fred" have great dialogue, but any of his films of course, although the fantastical imagery can sometimes make it hard to concentrate on dialogue for language purposes.

Begnini's Films are good too- Besides "La Vita e Bella", "Johnny Stecchino" and "Il Mostro" are wonderful, and if you can find it, "Non Ci Resta Che Piangere" , which has Massimo Troisi and Begnini costarring is a favorite of mine- Troisi has a strong Neapolitan accent and Begnini's is more Tuscan.

"Cinema Paradiso"
"Il Postino"
"Ciao Professore"
"The Son's Room", dir. by Nanno Moretti....

and on and on.

When I work out the list of films I am using in class, I'll try to post it here also for you!

My favourite Italian Language films

Open City (1945)
The Bicycle Thief (1948) [Ladri di Biciclette]
Umberto D (1952)
La Dolce Vita (1960)
Swept Away (1974)
The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) [La Notte di San Lorenzo]
Cinema Paradiso (1989)
Il Postino (1994)
Life is Beautiful (1997) [La Vita e bella]
Malena (2000)
Bread & Tulips (2000) [Pane e tulipani]
The Son's Room (2001) [La Stanza del figlio]
Respiro (2002)
I'm Not Scared (2003)[Io non ho paura]
Don't Move (2004)[Non ti muovere]
The Consequences of Love (2005) [Le Consequenze dell'Amore]


Have fun !

____________________________________
http://www.colin-julie.com/travel.htm

Another possibility and a film which puts little emphasis on the "pretty, romantic" side of Italy is "Christ Stopped at Eboli" although it is rather depressing to watch, unfortunately.

Thank you everybody!

What a great list! I'm going to go to the video store in a day or so, and see what their selection is like. If it's not very good, which I wouldn't be surprised, I did check out NetFlix and they have a lot, so I may join for a few months.

I'm quite excited about the whole thing!

Il POSTINO was an excellent movie, but the Southern dialect was so bad, that despite that I am Italian, most of the time I could not understand what the protagonist was saying.

I too am learning Italian in anticipation of going to Italy in May 2006.

Italian films are great way of learning Italian, but I cannot find movies in N/A. (I live in Canada) where one can find Italian movies WITH Italian subtitles!!! That is a great way of comparing what you hear to the actual dialogue.

Does anyone know where I can get them????

It may sound dumb to have movies in Italian with Italian subtiltes, but it is no different from English movies with English subtitles.

Fellini Satyricon,
Gold of Naples,(de Sica)
Identification of a woman and La Notte),(Antonioni)
Rocco and his brothers, (Visconti)
Umberto D (de Sica)
Death in Venice(Visconti)
Eclipse (Antonioni)
La Dolce Vita and Amarcord, (Fellini)
L'Aventura and Red Desert,(Antonioni)
Il Bidone and Juliet of the Spirits, (Fellini)
Christ stopped at Eboli, (Rosi)
Passione d; Amore, Seven Beauties, Swept Away, Padre Padrone, Paisan,
All these films can be bought or rented at www.facets.org

I'm learning Italian too. I thought I was coming along well, but last night I listened to the Italian News on satellite and, oh my, I'm hopeless. They spoke so fast that I was only able to catch a word here and there (and the film clips helped). Guess I need more practice!!

Don't be too alarmed. I've found that news reports are usually difficult -- not just fast and colloquial, but referring to lots of things I don't necessarily know about. Imagine trying to learn English and hearing somebody say "Hill bigwigs were reputedly paid off by super-lobbyist Abramoff" or "Plamegate took another turn today."

Cinema Paradiso is one of the most beautiful Italian films I have ever seen. It has been re-released recently with added scenes,ect because of its 12(I believe)year anniversary. You can get it for sure through netflik.com and probably other outlets. Once you have seen it, you will thank me.

Another vote for Cinema Paradiso -- my husband liked it a lot too and he is a little less into foreign films. The original seemed great as it was, though, I'm not sure I'd want to see things added.

I found it at Hollywood Video recently but Blockbuster did not have it....

5alive, can you please tell me whats the movie about ? I am going to check Hollywood video..

Netflix has almost all the films listed above.

Film d'amore e d'anarchia, ovvero 'stamattina alle 10 in via dei Fiori nella nota casa di tolleranza

Not mentioned so far, 'Porte aperte' or 'Open Doors' (1990). A powerful and disturbing film set in Mussolini-era Sicily, in which a judge opposed to the death penalty has his principles put to the test. I saw it before I started Italian lessons and can't tell you how much local dialect was employed.

Seems no one's mentioned one of my all time favorites--Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits.

OH, yes I did!!!! :)