Comedy Quote by Bernardo Bertolucci
“I was seduced by the nouvelle vague, because it was really reinventing everything. And the Italian cinema that one would see in the theaters in the late '50s, early '60s was Italian comedy, Italian style, which, to me, was like the end of neo-realism. I think cinema all over the world was influenced by it, which was Italy finding its freedom at the end of fascism, the end of the Nazi invasion. It was a kind of incredible energy. Then, late '50s, early '60s, the neo-realism lost its great energy and became comedy.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing film influences, 1970s, null
The speaker describes how the French New Wave revitalized cinema and how Italian films shifted from neo‑realism to comedic styles, reflecting post‑war cultural liberation and energetic change.
In simple terms: New Wave revived film; Italian cinema moved from realism to comedy after war.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how artistic movements evolve with historical context.
Themes
film history
cultural shift
artistic evolution
post‑war society
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- film criticism
- academic study
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
cinema
new wave
neo‑realism
comedy
freedom
Questions to Reflect On
- How do political changes shape artistic styles?
- What other art forms experienced similar shifts?
A Different Perspective
The transition may oversimplify complex artistic motivations.
![“There are historical analogs, which are not exact, of course, but are close enough to be worrisome. This is a whiff of early Nazi Germany. [Adolf] Hitler was appealing to groups with similar grievances, and giving them crazy answers, but at least they were answers; these groups weren't getting…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/081/noam-chomsky-42_analog_there-are-historical-analogs-which-are-n_19392.jpg)
