Non sono Italiano ma...

Childhood reminiscences plus self explanatiion.

The little I knew about Italy was its boot like shape, kicking Sicily. That must have been my first thought about it, when I studied geography in primary school. I knew some more historical facts from rather a very young age. I loved and I still love history and archeology, but that’s a different story in spite of its rellevence.

I’ve seen almost all Verdi’s operas, which were filmed at those early times, like Truvador, Aaida, Rigoletto, Nabuco and many more – there was no television and we didn’t have an opera house.

It wasn’t my own choice, I’d to accompany my parents and comply to their taste. Still I was so young then, a boy of six or seven years old, each one was just another foreign movie to me.

Years later I’ve seen the Italian ‘neo-realism’ movies, Paese (country) and ‘Rome without walls’ (that was the movie’s name in Hebrew); both movies dealt with the struggle of the Italian partisans during world war two. I was very young and it had an immense influence on me.

Then came a flood of movies straight from Cina Citta, directed by Vittorio de Sica and the legendary Jina Lolobrigida starring in most of them. There was Anna Magniani who wasn’t what one would define as a beauty, but what a divine actress. There were French films at that time that didn’t impress me much, I liked the Italian-French co-production though with Lolobrigida of course not those without her. I loved her temprament,  the sound of her voice, her pronouciation, whehter she spoke Italian or French, she was a stunning beauty – bellisima and an excellent actress. Movies with Sofia Lorain and Silvana Magnano (the senstaional ‘Riso Amaro’) were to me a second choice, nothing more, movies I could do without.

In most of those movies the emphasize was on the plot, and that’s what I always remembered. Italy’s beautiful landscapes, Rome’s fabulous squares were not brought to light in Italian productions at that time. There was not yet that contemporary trend of promoting tourism, it was so common and known to this country residents – they lived with it from day to day. Thus it was a Hollywood production that brought Rome’s majestic beauty to light, along a light fascinating modern fable – ‘A Roman holiday’ with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. With Roman holidy I end up that short post, which sounds like a teenager’s reminiscences and which in fact that’s what they are.

 Allora non sono Italiano, ma son Romano nel mio cuore.

 

© Haim Kadman 2008 – all rights reserved.

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'Non sono Italiano ma...'
Haim Kadman
This was a revelatory reading at least for me. Italian movies and their stars I am only a little familiar with but did recognize some you mentioned from my own childhood.Operas such as rigaletto and others I recognize. It was so nice to gather information from your writing. Thanks so much.
Blessings,
Kathy

[Haim Kadman]

I'm glad you did enjoy it so much Kathy, e grazia tanto.

[Kathy Van Kurin]

Haim Kadman,
Your welcome, Hope you are enjoying this time of Autumn leading into Fall and finding satisfaction in your life.
Blessings,
Kathy

[Haim Kadman]

I'm doing my best despite the Korona panic, thanks so much Kathy for your blessings.