"La terra trema" (1948) is a film from the early period of Luchino Visconti, to be more precise his second. The first one ("Ossessione", 1943) was kind of a mix between film noir and neo realism, but "La terra trema" is pure neo realism.
Visconti was an aristocrat by birth and a communist by conviction. In the neo realist period the communist conviction dominated but his later films were often situated in aristocratic milieu's. In between there was a period in which both types of films alternated ("Senso" in 1954 aristocratic, "Rocco and his brother" in 1960 (late) neo realistic). The difference between the two types of films can be seen by comparing "La terra trema" (1948, neo realist) and "Il gattopardo" (1963, aristocratic). Both films are situated in Sicily, but what a difference!.
Originally Visconti should make a documentary for the Communist party but in the end it developed into a full length movie. The original intention is still recognizable in the voice over, that is highly ideoligical and at times somewhat melodramatic.
The film is however nevertheless worthwile because of the strong performances of the amateur actors, acting more or less their own life, and the beautiful images of G. R. Aldo. I especially appreciated the images of the fishing vessels at sea dancing on the rhytm of the waves, their lights on to lure the fish to the surface. Beautiful are also the images of the women dressed in dark clothes, walking worried along the shore at a stormy night to see if their husband or father is already coming home.
In the same year 1948 Vittorio De Sica made another landmark neo realist movie with "Bicycle thieves". In both films the main characters get into trouble without their own fault, but the difference is striking. By De Sica destiny strikes but in the more ideological motivated Visconti movie the capitalists are the enemy of flesh and blood. The film is however more complicated than the the poor guy - bad guy opposition just suggested. The film also shows a harrowing lack of solidarity between the fishermen. Most of them seem to accept their fate passively and consider an attempt to escape this fate as delusions of hubris.
Visconti was an aristocrat by birth and a communist by conviction. In the neo realist period the communist conviction dominated but his later films were often situated in aristocratic milieu's. In between there was a period in which both types of films alternated ("Senso" in 1954 aristocratic, "Rocco and his brother" in 1960 (late) neo realistic). The difference between the two types of films can be seen by comparing "La terra trema" (1948, neo realist) and "Il gattopardo" (1963, aristocratic). Both films are situated in Sicily, but what a difference!.
Originally Visconti should make a documentary for the Communist party but in the end it developed into a full length movie. The original intention is still recognizable in the voice over, that is highly ideoligical and at times somewhat melodramatic.
The film is however nevertheless worthwile because of the strong performances of the amateur actors, acting more or less their own life, and the beautiful images of G. R. Aldo. I especially appreciated the images of the fishing vessels at sea dancing on the rhytm of the waves, their lights on to lure the fish to the surface. Beautiful are also the images of the women dressed in dark clothes, walking worried along the shore at a stormy night to see if their husband or father is already coming home.
In the same year 1948 Vittorio De Sica made another landmark neo realist movie with "Bicycle thieves". In both films the main characters get into trouble without their own fault, but the difference is striking. By De Sica destiny strikes but in the more ideological motivated Visconti movie the capitalists are the enemy of flesh and blood. The film is however more complicated than the the poor guy - bad guy opposition just suggested. The film also shows a harrowing lack of solidarity between the fishermen. Most of them seem to accept their fate passively and consider an attempt to escape this fate as delusions of hubris.