By Steph and VerityPost World War 2 Rome

Poverty of Italy• Italy was a lot less well off after the

war as they had to pay back a large sum of money towards the treaty for the damage they and the Germans caused.

• 1% of the population was lost due to the war. The amount of demand for jobs was still clearly desperate highlighting the damage done to Italy and the extreme poverty that followed.

• Antonio and Marie have to sell basic living essentials (sheets) in order to have enough money for a bike and to live.

• Many other people are doing the same thing, eg: binoculars and sheets

• Bruno, who is only a young child, has a job as a petrol pump attendant.

• This is shocking as it displays the desperate need for money within Italian families for a simple, basic life.

• The barbed wire where the family live, has significance as it alludes to the idea that Water (an essential to human life) needs to be protected, conserved and rationed for the people. There is a risk that it is in limited supply.

• Every living essential could therefore be in ration too due to the loss of the war.

• The lack of cinematic glorification within De Sica’s visual style and framing of these shots, conveys the idea that this of a normality in Italy and the people are used to this way of life. Eg: There is no extreme close ups or cuts to the wire.

Mussolini* Mussolini was the National Fascist Party Leader of Italy. Seen as “Sawdust Caesar” and made many promises to the public that Italy would be great and win the war.

• There are many traces of Mussolini throughout the film such as Statues and monuments.

• These reflect the harshness of the destruction of the Italian peoples’ dreams of a better life as it was to never happen.

• Reflects the sourness to the end of his reign – he was imprisoned and humiliated.

• The Stadium represents glory, triumph and power. This is ironically not the representation of Italy post World War 2 and is contrasted highly with Antonio and Bruno who are sitting on the street, unhappy, poor and without their essential possession for a happy life.

• The Stadium was built by the Fascist State and therefore serves to act as a reminder of Mussolini and Italy’s misfortune despite being a place for entertainment and fun.

The Church• Lots of people have overcrowded the

church, people are kneeling because there aren’t enough chairs.

• People have turned to God and Religion in their time of need/for hope after the war.

• The Church provides care for the public; they have barbers and a food facility.

• The people attending don’t have a lot and appear homeless and poor, mostly due to the war. • The Church helpers are more

concerned about people attending the service than about their grooming, signifying their desire for a better life (in religion/Italy)

• They stop the talking in the service in order to make people concentrate on religion (very important)

Job Seeking in an Unemployable World

• Everyone is looking for jobs.• They will accept any job

despite what skills they may or may not have.

• All of these people need money in order to live basically.

• Antonio is lucky to get selected for the poster job because of his skills and it is unlikely to find another in the poor economic climate of Italy post war. He therefore takes it even though he doesn’t have what is needed (a bike – another expense)

• The amount of people within the crowd indicates the vastness of unemployment and unhappiness.

Reminder of German allegiance

• Whilst Bruno and Antonio look for their bike in a market a group of Germans arrive. Although they do nothing to aid the narrative, they do help to remind the audience of the social political issues from the war and the Italian allegiance with Germany.

• They are dressed strangely and the audience and Antonio and Bruno may feel uncomfortable due to this odd disruption to the narrative and because of Germany’s contribution and influence towards their country’s downfall.