Italian Fascism's Empire Cinema

421 Pages·2015·8.662 MB·English

by  Ruth Ben-Ghiat

ITALIAN FASCISM’S
EMPIRE CINEMA
new directions in national cinemas
Jacqueline Reich, editor
S
I TA L I A N
FA S C I S M ’ S
E M PI R E
C I N E M A
S
Ruth Ben-G hiat
Indiana University Press
Bloomington & Indianapolis
Tis book is a publication of Te paper used in this publication
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Indiana University Press the Ameri can National Standard for
Ofce of Scholarly Publishing Information Sciences—Permanence of
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© 2015 by Ruth Ben- Ghiat Ben-Ghiat, Ruth.
Italian fascism's empire cinema / Ruth
All rights reserved Ben-Ghiat.
pages cm. — (New directions in
No part of this book may be reproduced national cinemas)
or utilized in any form or by any means, Includes bibliographical references and
electronic or mechanical, in clud ing index.
photocopying and recording, or by any ISBN 978-0-253-01559-4 (pbk. : alk.
information storage and retrieval system, paper) — ISBN 978-0-253-01552-5 (cloth :
without permission in writing from the alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-253-01566-2
publisher. Te Association of Ameri- (ebook) 1. Motion pictures—Italy—
can University Presses’ Resolution on History—20th century. 2. Imperialism
Permissions constitutes the only exception in motion pictures. 3. Colonies in motion
to this prohibition. pictures. 4. Motion pictures—Political
aspects. I. Title.
PN1993.5.I88B336 2015
791.430945—dc23
2014024935
1 2 3 4 5 20 19 18 17 16 15
For Julia
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xiii
1. Empire Cinema: Frames and Agendas 1
2. Italian Cinema and the Colonies to 1935 21
3. Mapping Empire Cinema, 1935–1939 43
4. Coming Home to the Colonies 78
5. Imperial Bodies, Part I: Italians and Askaris 118
6. Imperial Bodies, Part II: Slaves of Love, Slaves of Labor 167
7. Film Policies and Cultures, 1940–1943 214
8. Te End of Empire 243
Epilogue 296
Notes 309
Bibliography 335
Filmography 369
Index 375
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
it gives me great pleasure to thank the many people who assisted me
with this book. I have mentioned those whom I consulted on specifc is-
sues in the notes, to make clear their in di vidual contributions. I am grate-
ful to all of you. Tis study has necessitated the consultation of a variety
of flm and military archives. I thank Paola Castagna, Emiliano Morreale,
and Enrico Daddario of the Cineteca Nazionale di Cinematografa. Silvio
Alovisio and Fabio Pezzeti Tonion of the Museo Nazionale del Cinema
gave invaluable help at several junctures, and Sergio Grmek Germani and
Livio Jacob kindly facilitated my use of the materials of the Cineteca del
Friuli’s Fondo Genina. I would like to recognize the Istituto Luce’s initia-
tive to digitalize its collections and the role of the Archivio Fotografco’s
Luigi Oggianu in that efort. Decades ago, he pried open a rusted box
marked “Africa Orientale Italiana” for me, the images inside relating a his-
tory of military and cinematographic collaboration that few had then ex-
plored. My study builds on the pioneering work of Mino Argentieri, Jean
Gili, and Gian Piero Bruneta in this area. Another exemplary scholar,
Adriano Aprà, has been a generous and helpful resource through out the
writing of this book, and I thank him for providing me with materials from
his own Archivio Aprà. Rafaele De Berti and Giorgio Bertellini took time
to assist me at vari ous stages of this project. Francesco Caseti has been
a supportive colleague and friend through out the years: he will see the
infuence his lucid and incisive works have had on this study.
ix