Echoes Across Cultures: Unveiling Empathy in Italian Neorealism Through Chinese Eyes

This blog post will discuss the results of a small-scale audience research project consisting of three semi-structured interviews with Chinese audiences. The focus of these interviews was to explore their reception and interpretation of Italian neorealist films. This blog aims to provide insights into how audiences from different cultural backgrounds perceive and understand this important wave.

The Italian Neorealist movement emerged near the end of World War II, i.e., it originated in the mid-1940s. It flourished in the 1950s, and its films were characterized by detailed depictions of everyday social life, with a particular focus on the plight of the working class and the impoverished in Italy in the post-World War II period. It is known for its minimalist narrative style, location filming, and use of non-professional actors - elements that together give the movie a raw, authentic feel. Today's interviewees were asked to watch films in which the movement included landmarks: Bicycle thieves (De Sica, 1948), Rome, open city (Rossellini, 1945), and Umberto D. (De Sica, 1952). These films not only vividly depicted the struggles of ordinary people, but also provided poignant commentary on the social and economic conditions of the time. One of the hallmarks of Italian neorealist cinema is its strong capacity for empathy and universal expression of humanity. The protagonists of the three films I have focused on seem to be suffering and marginalized beings in the context of society, and the films show the audience their lives ingeniously. How this empathizing feeling is achieved has also been the subject of discussion in this blog.

Findings：

Through the interviews, we found that, in general, Chinese audiences have accepted Italian neo-realist films relatively well. This is because the interviewees all said that although they hadn't had much exposure to this wave of films before this, and originally, they had a stereotype of these films as obscure and difficult to understand, they all had a change of opinion after watching them. Participant A said, "Before watching these movies, my knowledge of Italian cinema was very limited, and I usually think that they might be very artistic but might be a bit difficult for me to understand. But after watching these movies, I felt very shocked. In fact, these movies were not as difficult to understand as I thought they would be, but instead made me empathize with them."

This was an interesting finding, as the word "empathy" seemed to come up a lot in my interviews, with interviewees summing up their feelings by saying that they empathized with the films in a way that aroused their feelings in many of their answers. We discussed this in more depth：

“The protagonist is an ordinary person from a marginalized group of society, a character that exists in every country and age.”

Participant A had limited preconceived notions of Italian cinema, but she was still very inspired by what she saw. She shifted from an initial fear of artistic complexity to an appreciation of poignant realism. This was particularly evident in their reactions to Umberto D.

She relates, "The relationship between Umberto and his little dog, Flike, is the most moving part of the movie. Flike is not only Umberto's companion but also his only comfort in life. Because I also have a puppy and I also sometimes would rather not eat properly myself than give him good food." In China, with the aging of the population becoming more and more serious, the issue of supporting the elderly has also been discussed. “There are old people in every family, so I can empathize with some of the challenges that the elderly face in their lives," she added. The loneliness of the protagonists and their bond with their dog reflects their own life experiences. This personal connection highlights how the film transcends cultural barriers and brings its depiction of social issues to life.

Participant C's reflections on The Bicycle Thieves showed a deep empathetic understanding. He was particularly struck by Richie's moral dilemma, stating that "Richie was a poor man affected by the wartime economy, although he was only poor on the margins of society. But for his family, he is an indispensable presence, and the bike, is also the tool of survival that the family depends on, the bike police do not care, others do not care, others think it is a small matter, but for the main character is a very desperate a big thing. "He believes that this represents the indifference of society as a whole to people in poverty. This narrative not only emphasizes social challenges but also evokes a common humanity that transcends cultural identity.

“The social issues that the movie focuses on are universal.”

The interviews revealed that participants found cultural relevance and universal themes in the films. Participant B's observations of the brutality of war and its impact on the lives of ordinary people in Rome, Open City, especially the heartbreaking scene of Pina's death, resonated beyond the Italian context. He mentioned that "although the stories in these movies take place in Italy, in the context of war. But the change of times, the change of countries, does not change the fact that suffering is the same reality. These social problems seem to be similar to those found in Chinese society, which makes me feel that the analysis and portrayal of the underprivileged groups in these films are very real. They show the often-overlooked challenges and emotions of these groups." This demonstrates the movie's ability to reflect the universal human experience, allowing its themes to transcend different cultural contexts.

“Some real documentary-like footage makes the movie very documentary and makes it easy to get immersed in.”

Participant A mentioned, "The simple scenes and close-to-life photography style in the movie enhanced the realistic representation of these social issues. And many of the images gave me a documentary feel, a very documentary feel. Some of the images are blurry and shaky giving me a very real feeling." The film's neorealist style, characterized by a semi-documentary approach, enhances the film's realism. The unadorned candid shots create a sense of immediacy and authenticity, enabling the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the characters' experiences.

Overall, these responses indicate that Chinese audiences, despite being in a different era and cultural background, are still deeply moved by the stories in Italian neorealist films, revealing a common ground of empathy and understanding. Through their depiction of the hardships of life and social marginalization as well as their unique filming techniques, Italian neorealist films have successfully struck a chord with Chinese audiences, demonstrating the universal appeal and relevance of their themes.

Discussion：

Indeed, the empathy felt by the interviewees is a large part of the core of Italian neorealist cinema, which inspires universal human emotions through the following narratives and visual portrayals.

1. Realistic portrayal of life:

Neorealist films are known for their realistic portrayal of everyday life. They often focus on the experiences of ordinary people, especially those living on the margins of society, and De Sica and Zavattini's neorealist works focus on the ordinary things of everyday life rather than the big events in the news. This focus and transparency of everyday life is seen as a representation of the "present" and allows the viewer to experience the daily lives and challenges of the characters in a deeper way (Curle & Snyder, 2000). This in-depth exploration of ordinary life allows the audience, regardless of cultural background, to see themselves in the movie.

2. Strong emotional resonance:

This type of movie often inspires emotional resonance in the audience by showing the inner world of the characters and the hardships they face. Neorealist films inspire emotional resonance in the audience by realistically portraying the hardships and challenges of post-war Italian society. This in-depth presentation of the experiences of marginalized groups in society is not limited to a specific cultural context but touches upon universal human emotions and experiences (Milli Konewko, 2016). Basic human emotions - such as love, disappointment, struggle, and hope - are common regardless of the cultural background from which the audience comes.

3. Documentary style cinematography:

Due to financial constraints, neorealist directors resorted to filming in real environments and using non-professional actors; these technological innovations were not only motivated by financial considerations but also added a sense of realism to the movie, allowing the audience to empathize with the characters more easily (Milli Konewko, 2016). Neorealist films often use non-professional actors and are filmed in real environments, enhancing the realism of the story. In Rome, open cit. the ruins of the post-war city not only represent physical destruction in the film but also symbolize the psychological and social brokenness of the characters. This symbolic setting adds to the depth of the movie's depiction of post-war life and the challenges of marginalized groups (Milli Konewko, 2016). There is also a lot of real footage inserted into the movie. The use of cameras and projectors in the movie reflects the combination of reality and fantasy. Every detail of the movie has a history of what happened, while the overall story is a fictional world constructed on the screen. This combination makes the movie both documentary and fictional, thus allowing the audience to find points of resonance in the movie's story (Curle & Snyder, 2000).

4. Exploration of social issues:

Through their films, neorealist artists demonstrated a concern for the social and economic realities of the most vulnerable sectors of society, exemplifying the role of the artist as a socio-political practitioner. This social engagement and commitment emphasize the role of art in promoting cultural and social change (Milli Konewko, 2016). These films often explore universal social issues such as poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. These themes resonate globally, making them emotionally relatable to audiences from different cultures.

Italian Neorealism, bridging time and culture, evokes universal empathy, revealing the enduring power of films.

References：

Curle, H., & Snyder, S. (Eds.). (2000). Vittorio De Sica: Contemporary Perspectives. University of Toronto Press.

De Sica, V. (Director). (1948). Bicycle Thieves [Film]. Produzioni De Sica.

De Sica, V. (Director). (1952). Umberto D. [Film]. Rizzoli Film.

Milli Konewko, S.(2016). Neorealism and the “New” Italy: Compassion in the Development of Italian Identity. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52416-4

Rossellini, R. (Director). (1945). Rome, Open City [Film]. Altomedia. Co.