{"id":696,"date":"2025-11-08T09:47:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T07:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myitaliancircle.com\/blog\/?p=696"},"modified":"2025-11-08T09:47:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T07:47:52","slug":"motifs-in-post-war-italian-films","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myitaliancircle.com\/blog\/motifs-in-post-war-italian-films\/","title":{"rendered":"Lemons, Water Fountains, and Washing Lines: Motifs in Post-War Italian Films"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 15<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

If you love watching movies, you may also enjoy spotting motifs: little things \u2013 objects, concepts, design elements \u2013 that the filmmaker has added to enrich the film\u2019s message, setting, or feeling or maybe just for fun. Many of these motifs, recurring in post-war Italian films, are examples of italianit\u00e0<\/em> \u2013 characteristically Italian things. Recognizing them will help you get a feel for the culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I write the cineracconti<\/em> (photo-stories) for my blog, I go frame by frame, making screenshots along the way. By slow, attentive viewing, I spot motifs that might otherwise fly by, perhaps to be noticed on a second \u2013 or third or fourth \u2013 encounter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re familiar with the motifs that crop up in Italian films, you\u2019ll be alert to their coded meanings and you\u2019ll also get it when the filmmaker uses them for comic effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, I share some motifs that have caught my eye in the post-war Italian films that I love. I hope that, once aware of these, you\u2019ll have a deeper understanding of the films and you\u2019ll get an idea of how to watch movies more attentively so as to get a better understanding of the filmmaker’s intent and, ultimately, to take more pleasure in what you\u2019re seeing. Note: spoiler alert!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(For a discussion of common themes in post-war Italian films, please read my earlier article published in July 2025, right here in My Italian Circle, \u201cUnderstand Italian Movies Better! Common Themes in Classic Italian Movies<\/a>.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oranges and Lemons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The sight, smell, or flavor of oranges is bound to make an appearance in films set in Sicily or in the South<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. In Mafioso<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Nino (Alberto Sordi) is headed to his Sicilian hometown, along with his wife and children, who\u2019ve never left northern Italy. As their ferry approaches Sicily, he shares his excitement.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Mafioso <\/em>(Alberto Lattuada, 1962)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cLook! That\u2019s the city of Messina! Smell that fragrance! You can already smell the fragrance of oranges, of lemons.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. In Rocco e i suoi fratelli<\/em><\/a>, the Parondi brothers come north to Milan. Their first stop is a party, and they have brought oranges with them! <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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      Rocco e i suoi fratelli \/ Rocco and his Brothers <\/em>(Luchino Visconti, 1960)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      A party guest who also hails from the South is delighted. She exclaims, \u201cOranges! From our region! Thank you! What a fragrance!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. These citrus fruits are so iconic for Sicily that they appear throughout Nuovo Cinema Paradiso<\/em> as a symbol of being away from home and of coming home.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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        Nuovo Cinema Paradiso \/ Cinema Paradiso <\/em>(Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        In an early scene, light floods in on a plate of lemons in front of two figures: Toto\u2019s mother when young and when old. In the final scene, after Toto returns as an adult to visit his mother, a partially eaten orange sits between them on the table, as light filters in through lace curtains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Nuovo Cinema Paradiso<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        In a pan between little Toto and his mother across the table, a bowl of lemons links them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Making the sign of the cross<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Naturally, the church plays a big role in the lives of Italians, and so we have the motif of people making the sign of the cross<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        1. In I fidanzati<\/em><\/a>, Giovanni (Carlo Cabrini) enters a church and automatically makes the sign of the cross, using the hand in which he holds his newspaper.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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          I fidanzati <\/em>(Ermanno Olmi, 1963)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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          1. In Ladri di biciclette<\/em><\/a>, director De Sica emphasizes how compulsive this gesture is for Italians (as well as for many Catholics worldwide).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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            Ladri di biciclette \/ Bicycle Thieves<\/em> (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

            In a mad rush, church volunteers chase Antonio (\u200bLamberto Maggiorani\u200b) through the chapel. But they interrupt their frantic pursuit to kneel and make the sign of the cross. Antonio\u2019s little son Bruno (Enzo Staiola), also rushing, likewise stops, kneels, and blesses himself before hurrying on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Similarly, in Roma citt\u00e0 aperta<\/em><\/a>, Don Pietro (Aldo Fabrizi) and Marcello (Vito Annicchiarico), before they leave the church, kneel at the altar and then dip their hands in holy water and cross themselves.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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              Roma citt\u00e0 aperta \/ Rome, Open City<\/em> (Roberto Rossellini, 1945)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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              1. In La ciociara<\/em><\/a>, Cesira (Sophia Loren) brings her daughter Rosetta (Eleonora Brown) to the countryside to avoid the Allied bombing in Rome. As the war nears its end, they make their way back home. Stopping in a bombed-out church, the religious Rosetta spits out her gum, genuflects, and blesses herself, though even the altar has been reduced to rubble. (Cesira doesn\u2019t bother.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                La ciociara<\/em> \/ Two Women<\/em> (Vittorio De Sica, 1960)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                1. Commedia all\u2019italiana director Mario Monicelli uses this gesture for a comic moment. In Risate di Gioia<\/em><\/a>, madcap actress Gioia (Anna Magnani) dips her hand into the holy water and then wets Umberto\u2019s (Tot\u00f2) with her own, to save him the trouble of dipping. With this water, they each make the sign of the cross.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                  Risate di Gioia \/ The Passionate Thief<\/em> (Mario Monicelli, 1960)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                  Communal Water Fountains \u2013 Fontanelle pubbliche<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                  The source of water for Italy\u2019s villages \u2013 and even some urban neighborhoods \u2013 is the communal fountain<\/strong>, which provides a frequent setting for film storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  1. Two fountains appear in the opening of Ladri di biciclette<\/em><\/a>. First, we see Antonio, lounging next to a water fountain outside the employment office. His name is called for a job and he doesn\u2019t notice, so his friend comes to find him. (\u201cThey want you. Are you deaf? Let\u2019s go!\u201d) Behind him, a woman kneels at the fountain, collecting water for her family. Next we see Antonio\u2019s wife, Maria (Lianella Carell), who\u2019s also collecting water at a communal pump.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                    Ladri di biciclette \/ Bicycle Thieves<\/em> (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                    Antonio and Maria walk home, but he\u2019s too agitated to notice that she\u2019s struggling with the heavy buckets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                    Ladri di biciclette<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                    1. In Salvatore Giuliano<\/em>, the military has imposed a curfew. Given just one hour to collect water and groceries, the villagers crowd around the town water pump.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                      Salvatore Giuliano<\/em> (Francesco Rosi, 1962)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                      1. In L\u2019onorevole Angelina<\/em>, the persistent lack of water in Rome\u2019s Pietralata neighborhood is critical to the story. Angelina (Anna Magnani) rallies the other neighborhood women to protest to the local government. Their campaign is successful, the water is fixed, and the women embark on further political action to improve their lives.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                        L\u2019onorevole Angelina<\/em> \/ Angelina<\/em> (Luigi Zampa, 1947)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                        In this final image of women washing clothes together, we see the essential place of the communal water sinks in the life of the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          \n
                        1. In Le quattro giornate di Napoli<\/em><\/a>, filmmaker Nanni Loy placed key scenes at water fountains. In the first, a sailor \u2013 based on a real person \u2013 celebrates the end of the war with a German soldier. They ride a bike together to a fountain, where the sailor washes his face.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                          Le quattro giornate di Napoli<\/em> \/ The Four Days of Naples<\/em> (Nanni Loy, 1962)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                          But, while he is washing, a German military vehicle drives by; the war is not over. When the sailor looks up, he sees the barrel of a gun; he is a prisoner of war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          In another neighborhood of now-occupied Naples, the women are warned that the Germans are rounding up men to send to labor camps. \u201cThe Germans want to pick up all the males and take them to Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                          Le quattro giornate di Napoli<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                          Word spreads to the communal fountain, where people scatter. The camera remains focused on Maria (Lea Massari), carrying her bucket: we first meet this important character at the fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                          Another character spotted at a water fountain is Gennaro (Domenico Formato), based on the 11-year-old resistance hero Gennaro Capuozzo. He\u2019s come to fill his bucket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                          Le quattro giornate di Napoli<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                          When Gennaro sees the German jeeps coming, he runs away, beginning an adventure that will end in tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                            \n
                          1. In Il cammino della speranza<\/em><\/a>, when the criminal Vanni (Franco Navarra) spots a Carabiniere, he hides his face in a nearby water fountain. The officer keeps on walking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                            Il cammino della speranza \/ The Path of Hope<\/em> (Pietro Germi, 1950)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                            Living in Caves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                            During World War II \u2013 and in the years before and after \u2013 the poorest of the poor in Italy lived in caves<\/strong>. This motif has produced some powerful scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                              \n
                            1. In Gli anni ruggenti<\/em>, Omero (Nino Manfredi), a visitor to a town in Puglia, is mistaken for a Fascist inspector and so is wined and dined by the local officials. In this scene, he\u2019s besieged with requests by the impoverished residents. One old woman has this message for Mussolini: \u201cTell him I\u2019m in a cave with six children and a donkey.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                              Gli anni ruggenti \/ Roaring Years<\/em> (Luigi Zampa, 1962)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                              On the train, heading home, Omero reads a letter that a villager has slipped him: a simple plea to Mussolini from a cave dweller for a window. It\u2019s clear to the viewer that no one \u2013 and certainly not il Duce \u2013 is going to do anything to help these people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                              Gli anni ruggenti <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                              1. In Le notti di Cabiria<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>the streetwalker Cabiria (Giulietta Masina) accompanies a good samaritan bringing food to people living in caves. Cabiria is shocked to see an old friend: Bomba, once a prosperous streetwalker: \u201cThey\u2019d shower me with gifts, money in the bank, jewelry!\u201d <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                Le Notti Di Cabiria \/ Nights Of Cabiria<\/em> (Federico Fellini, 1957)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                Cabiria, seeing what her own future may be, begins a desperate effort to turn her life around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                  \n
                                1. In the second episode of Pais\u00e0<\/em>, American soldier Joe (Dots Johnson) catches a street urchin who\u2019s stolen his boots. He forces the boy to take him home so that he can get the boots back. What he learns is that the boy, whose parents are dead, is living in a vast cave thronged with families. Horrified, Joe leaves without taking the boots. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                  Pais\u00e0 \/ Paisan<\/em> (Roberto Rossellini, 1946)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                  Clotheslines \u2013 I panni stesi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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                                  1. In Il bidone<\/em>, about a group of scam artists, the ragged clothes hanging from clotheslines let us know that the swindlers have targeted the very poor. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                    Il bidone <\/em>(Federico Fellini, 1955)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                                    1. In La strada<\/em>, <\/em>a young woman hanging fresh laundry on a line catches the attention of the heartless Zampan\u00f2 (Anthony Quinn). He hears her singing a song that he knows. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                      La strada <\/em>(Federico Fellini, 1954)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                      It\u2019s a song that his companion Gelsomina used to play on her trumpet<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                      The woman tells him that Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), whom he had mistreated and finally abandoned, has died. For the first time in the film, Zampan\u00f2 shows emotion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                      La Strada<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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                                      1. A beautiful use of the clothes-on-the-line motif appears in Una giornata particolare<\/em>, a wartime story made much later. Antonietta (Sophia Loren) is a beleaguered housewife, with six spoiled children and a brutish Fascist husband. Her neighbor Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni) is a homosexual radio announcer, about to be sent off to internal exile. They meet by accident.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                        Una giornata particolare \/ A Special Day<\/em> (Ettore Scola, 1977)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                        Antonietta, accompanied by Gabriele, brings her basket up to the roof to take the sheets and clothes off the line. As we witness the pair\u2019s interactions, we hear Fascist announcements from a rally with Hitler and Mussolini in the background. The lovely white sheets loft in the breeze as the neighbors enjoy a brief moment of abandon in troubled times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                        1. Once a motif is established, it\u2019s ripe for comedy. Director Mario Monicelli plays with the clothesline motif in his commedia all\u2019italiana I soliti ignoti<\/em>, about a group of bumblers planning a bank heist. <\/em>First, we see a photographer\u2019s studio where photos and underwear are hung side by side to dry on a line. Later, as the robbers plan their heist, the film they have shot of the point of entry is useless because it\u2019s covered by washing on a line.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                          I soliti ignoti<\/em> \/ Big Deal on Madonna Street<\/em> (Mario Monicelli, 1958)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                          Finally, the thieves consult Dante (Tot\u00f2), an expert, who gives them a lesson on safecracking up on the roof, surrounded by hanging laundry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                          I soliti ignoti<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                          Outdoor Dancing <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                                          Reflecting a culture of sidewalk cafes and piazza life, Italian films often feature a scene of people dancing outdoors<\/strong>. As with the other motifs, the filmmaker may use this one as a device to say something about the characters or the situation or perhaps just as a moment of light relief for the viewer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                          1. In I vitelloni<\/em>, Fausto (Franco Fabrizi) sets up his record player for a mambo.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                            I vitelloni<\/em> (Federico Fellini, 1953)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                            But the event doesn\u2019t go as quite as intended: Fausto and Alberto (Alberto Sordi) end up as the only ones dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                            1. In an iconic scene from Le notti di Cabiria<\/em><\/a>, streetwalker Cabiria dances a carefree mambo with one of the pimps, to music from a record player. In the third image, note that Cabiria\u2019s friend walks away for a moment to meet a potential client who\u2019s pulled up in a car.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                              Le notti di Cabiria <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                              This scene of the ordinary \u2013 and communal \u2013 life of the streetwalkers is one of the few carefree moments of the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                              1. In the neorealist melodrama Riso amaro<\/em><\/a>, director De Santis, in a tribute to American pop culture, shoots his star, Silvana Mangano, dancing to boogie-woogie music on her portable record player. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                                Riso amaro \/ Bitter Rice <\/em>(Giuseppe De Santis, 1949)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                This scene also stirs up a little sensuality, not much seen in neorealist films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                                1. In Il sorpasso<\/em><\/a>, carefree Bruno (Vittorio Gassman) and serious Roberto (Jean-Louis Trintignant), on a road trip, drive by a meadow where country folk are dancing. They make fun of some of the characters.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                                  Il sorpasso <\/em>(Dino Risi, 1962)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                  This sets up the tenderest line in the film. Delighted that Roberto is finally letting go, Bruno tells him: \u201cWell done! I like you like that. When you laugh, I like you more. Oh, Robe\u2019, to hell with sadness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                  Train Farewells<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                                                  It seems people are always leaving in Italian films<\/strong>. In post-war films, that is usually \u2013 though not always \u2013 by train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                                  1. Near the end of <\/em>I compagni<\/em><\/a>, Raoul (Renato Salvatori) leaves town before he can be arrested for attacking a police officer during a textile strike. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                                    I compagni<\/em> (Mario Monicelli, 1963) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                    As the train roars away, Adelle (Gabriella Giorgelli) seems finally to declare her love for him: \u201cWrite to me!\u201d He replies: \u201cBut you don\u2019t know how to read!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                                                    1. In the World War II film La ciociara<\/em><\/a>, Cesira has decided to leave Rome for the countryside to protect her daughter from the Allied bombing. She asks Giovanni (Raf Vallone), a married family friend, to take care of her shop while she\u2019s gone. He agrees, but makes it clear that, in return, she must have sex with him.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                                                      La ciociara<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                      She\u2019s offended at the time, but when he comes to see her off, she asks, “Maybe you could come up some Sunday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                        \n
                                                      1. In I vitelloni<\/em>, when Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi) finally decides to leave home, railroad worker Guido (Guido Martufi) sees him as he boards the train, and asks where he\u2019s going, what\u2019s he going to do, doesn\u2019t he like their home town?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                                        \n
                                                        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                        \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                        \"\"<\/figure>\n
                                                        I vitelloni<\/em> (Federico Fellini, 1953)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                        Moraldo doesn\u2019t have any answers for Guido \u2013 or for himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          \n
                                                        1. In order to survive, the sulfur miners of Il cammino della speranza<\/em><\/a> <\/em>decide to emigrate to France. They embark on a series of journeys by train, bus, and truck, which sets up a succession of goodbyes throughout the film.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                                                          \"\"<\/figure>\n
                                                          Il cammino della speranza<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                                                          I hope that you\u2019ve enjoyed this glimpse into some of the motifs that we encounter in post-war Italian films \u2013 and that these images and descriptions will inspire you to watch the films, attentive to the italianit\u00e0 that enriches their stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          We\u2019ve written cineracconti<\/em> (photo-stories) about most of the films represented above, which include dialogue, scene description, and cultural notes side by side in Italian and English. We hope you\u2019ll subscribe to the blog<\/a> and enjoy reading these wonderful film stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Judy Cohen <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          judycohen.iknewthemwell@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          www.liconoscevobene.net<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          with <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Editor:<\/strong> Alberto Maio<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Italian teacher reviewer:<\/strong> Michela Badii<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                          Proofreader:<\/strong> Lucrezia Grussani<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                          If you love watching movies, you may also enjoy spotting motifs: little things \u2013 objects, concepts, design elements \u2013 that the filmmaker has added to enrich the film\u2019s message, setting, or feeling or maybe just for fun. Many of these motifs, recurring in post-war Italian films, are examples of italianit\u00e0 \u2013 characteristically Italian things. Recognizing them will help you get a feel for the culture.  As I write the cineracconti (photo-stories) for my blog, I go frame by frame, making screenshots along the way. By slow, attentive viewing, I spot motifs that might otherwise fly by, perhaps to be noticed on a second \u2013 or third or fourth \u2013 encounter.  When you\u2019re familiar with the motifs that crop up in Italian films, you\u2019ll be alert to their coded meanings and you\u2019ll also get it when the filmmaker uses them for comic effect.  Below, I share some motifs that have caught my eye in the post-war Italian films that I love. I hope that, once aware of these, you\u2019ll have a deeper understanding of the films and you\u2019ll get an idea of how to watch movies more attentively so as to get a better understanding of the filmmaker’s intent and, ultimately, to take more pleasure in what you\u2019re seeing. Note: spoiler alert! (For a discussion of common themes in post-war Italian films, please read my earlier article published in July 2025, right here in My Italian Circle, \u201cUnderstand Italian Movies Better! Common Themes in Classic Italian Movies.\u201d) Oranges and Lemons The sight, smell, or flavor of oranges is bound to make an appearance in films set in Sicily or in the South.  \u201cLook! That\u2019s the city of Messina! Smell that fragrance! You can already smell the fragrance of oranges, of lemons.\u201d  A party guest who also hails from the South is delighted. She exclaims, \u201cOranges! From our region! Thank you! What a fragrance!\u201d  In an early scene, light floods in on a plate of lemons in front of two figures: Toto\u2019s mother when young and when old. In the final scene, after Toto returns as an adult to visit his mother, a partially eaten orange sits between them on the table, as light filters in through lace curtains.  In a pan between little Toto and his mother across the table, a bowl of lemons links them. Making the sign of the cross Naturally, the church plays a big role in the lives of Italians, and so we have the motif of people making the sign of the cross.  In a mad rush, church volunteers chase Antonio (\u200bLamberto Maggiorani\u200b) through the chapel. But they interrupt their frantic pursuit to kneel and make the sign of the cross. Antonio\u2019s little son Bruno (Enzo Staiola), also rushing, likewise stops, kneels, and blesses himself before hurrying on.  Communal Water Fountains \u2013 Fontanelle pubbliche The source of water for Italy\u2019s villages \u2013 and even some urban neighborhoods \u2013 is the communal fountain, which provides a frequent setting for film storytelling. Antonio and Maria walk home, but he\u2019s too agitated to notice that she\u2019s struggling with the heavy buckets. In this final image of women washing clothes together, we see the essential place of the communal water sinks in the life of the community. But, while he is washing, a German military vehicle drives by; the war is not over. When the sailor looks up, he sees the barrel of a gun; he is a prisoner of war. In another neighborhood of now-occupied Naples, the women are warned that the Germans are rounding up men to send to labor camps. \u201cThe Germans want to pick up all the males and take them to Germany.\u201d Word spreads to the communal fountain, where people scatter. The camera remains focused on Maria (Lea Massari), carrying her bucket: we first meet this important character at the fountain. Another character spotted at a water fountain is Gennaro (Domenico Formato), based on the 11-year-old resistance hero Gennaro Capuozzo. He\u2019s come to fill his bucket. When Gennaro sees the German jeeps coming, he runs away, beginning an adventure that will end in tragedy. Living in Caves During World War II \u2013 and in the years before and after \u2013 the poorest of the poor in Italy lived in caves. This motif has produced some powerful scenes. On the train, heading home, Omero reads a letter that a villager has slipped him: a simple plea to Mussolini from a cave dweller for a window. It\u2019s clear to the viewer that no one \u2013 and certainly not il Duce \u2013 is going to do anything to help these people. Cabiria, seeing what her own future may be, begins a desperate effort to turn her life around. Clotheslines \u2013 I panni stesi It\u2019s a song that his companion Gelsomina used to play on her trumpet.  The woman tells him that Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), whom he had mistreated and finally abandoned, has died. For the first time in the film, Zampan\u00f2 shows emotion.  Antonietta, accompanied by Gabriele, brings her basket up to the roof to take the sheets and clothes off the line. As we witness the pair\u2019s interactions, we hear Fascist announcements from a rally with Hitler and Mussolini in the background. The lovely white sheets loft in the breeze as the neighbors enjoy a brief moment of abandon in troubled times. Finally, the thieves consult Dante (Tot\u00f2), an expert, who gives them a lesson on safecracking up on the roof, surrounded by hanging laundry. Outdoor Dancing  Reflecting a culture of sidewalk cafes and piazza life, Italian films often feature a scene of people dancing outdoors. As with the other motifs, the filmmaker may use this one as a device to say something about the characters or the situation or perhaps just as a moment of light relief for the viewer.  But the event doesn\u2019t go as quite as intended: Fausto and Alberto (Alberto Sordi) end up as the only ones dancing. This scene of the ordinary \u2013 and communal \u2013 life of the streetwalkers is one of the few carefree moments of the film. This scene also stirs up a little sensuality, not much seen in neorealist films. This sets up the tenderest line in the film. Delighted that Roberto is finally letting go, Bruno tells him: \u201cWell done! I like you like that. When you laugh, I like you more. Oh, Robe\u2019, to hell with sadness.\u201d Train Farewells It seems people are always leaving in Italian films. In post-war films, that is usually \u2013 though not always \u2013 by train. As the train roars away, Adelle (Gabriella Giorgelli) seems finally to declare her love for him: \u201cWrite to me!\u201d He replies: \u201cBut you don\u2019t know how to read!\u201d She\u2019s offended at the time, but when he comes to see her off, she asks, “Maybe you could come up some Sunday?\u201d Moraldo doesn\u2019t have any answers for Guido \u2013 or for himself. I hope that you\u2019ve enjoyed this glimpse into some of the motifs that we encounter in post-war Italian films \u2013 and that these images and descriptions will inspire you to watch the films, attentive to the italianit\u00e0 that enriches their stories. We\u2019ve written cineracconti (photo-stories) about most of the films represented above, which include dialogue, scene description, and cultural notes side by side in Italian and English. We hope you\u2019ll subscribe to the blog and enjoy reading these wonderful film stories. Judy Cohen  judycohen.iknewthemwell@gmail.com www.liconoscevobene.net  with  Editor: Alberto Maio Italian teacher reviewer: Michela Badii Proofreader: Lucrezia Grussani<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultura-e-societa"],"yoast_head":"\r\nLemons, Water Fountains, and Washing Lines: Motifs in Post-War Italian Films - My Italian Circle<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover characteristically Italian motifs in post-war classic films: recognizing them will help you get a feel for the culture.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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