Angela Dalle Vacche Books

The book delves into Italy's national film style, linking it intricately to politics and the philosophies of Croce, Gentile, and Gramsci. It presents a nonlinear, intertextual film history that spans from silent films of the fascist era through neorealism to post-1968 modernist cinema. Highlighting opera and commedia dell'arte as key influences, the author analyzes the evolution of Italy's national self-image on screen, exploring themes like allegory, spectacle, and historical context. This work offers valuable insights for scholars and enthusiasts of Italian cinema and cultural studies.

Exploring the intersection of cinema and painting, this insightful study by Angela Dalle Vacche examines how eight filmmakers utilize pictorial sources to enhance their storytelling. It delves into themes such as the dialogue between different art forms, the interplay of word and image, and the dynamics of artistic creativity related to sexual difference. Additionally, the book addresses the tension between tradition and modernity, offering a fresh perspective on how visual imagery shapes cinematic meaning.

By arguing that this dissident Catholic's worldview is anti-anthropocentric, Angela Dalle Vacche concludes that Andre Bazin's idea of the cinema recapitulates the histories of biological evolution and modern technology inside our consciousness, unsettling our routines in productive ways and expanding our sense of belonging to a much larger picture.