We Highlight Eight Italian Films Everyone Should Watch
Hollywood is a global powerhouse when it comes to film production, but it has long been known that top-tier titles are not produced there alone. While our movie marathons usually consist of films by selected actors, actresses, and directors, this time we're bringing something different. Italy is a country with a wealth of globally renowned directors, its cinema has influenced many modern Hollywood filmmakers, and Italian films have the power to transport us to that country – writes Journal.rs.
These are the Italian films everyone should see. Especially those who are a bit tired of Hollywood. Here are eight outstanding titles.
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
If there is one Italian film that influenced all those that followed, it is Bicycle Thieves. This post-war drama is one of the most influential films of all time, and although made back in 1948, it still touches viewers with its universal themes. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, the film tells a simple story that speaks volumes. Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani), an unemployed man in Italy’s post-war depressed economy, finally lands a job putting up posters—but on one condition: he must have a bicycle. When it gets stolen, he and his son desperately roam the streets of Rome searching for it. Antonio eventually finds the thief, but without proof, he has to give up. Still, both he and his son know that without the bike, Antonio cannot keep the job.
Bicycle Thieves is a powerful film portraying poverty in a realistic way. Interestingly, Maggiorani was not a professional actor when De Sica cast him. After earning $1,000 from the film, he returned to factory work but was laid off. He later worked as a bricklayer and continued acting, though with limited success.
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Love for cinema has rarely been as beautifully depicted as in Cinema Paradiso. This cult Italian film by Giuseppe Tornatore won the Oscar for Best International Film. The story weaves together past and present as we follow Salvatore, a famous film director. He returns to his hometown for the funeral of Alfredo, the local projectionist at the Paradiso cinema. Salvatore remembers his childhood, falling in love with movies, and Alfredo’s profound influence on him.
This Italian film is a true masterpiece nearly three hours long.
The Hand of God (2021)
To avoid focusing only on old Italian classics, we’ve included a modern film in our marathon. Paolo Sorrentino, a well-known director (visiting Sarajevo this summer), transports us to Naples in The Hand of God. Set in the 1980s, young Fabietto (Filippo Scotti) pursues his passion for football while facing a family tragedy. This shapes his uncertain but promising future as a film director.
The film is deeply personal and beautifully shot. The title refers to the time when one of the greatest footballers of all time, Diego Maradona, signed for Napoli and elevated the club. The film is available on Netflix.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Life Is Beautiful is another highly acclaimed Italian film that won the Oscar for Best International Film, Best Actor, and Best Original Score. Directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, this war drama leaves no one indifferent. Often considered one of the best war films, it doesn’t focus on battlefronts or politics, but on the experience of a father and son in a concentration camp. We follow a cheerful Jewish waiter and his son who fall victim to the Holocaust. While in the camp, the father uses a perfect blend of will, humor, and imagination to shield his son from the horrors around them.
This makes the film stand out from all other war films. It's humorous and playful, but the underlying tragedy breaks your heart.
8 1/2 (1963)
No discussion of Italian films is complete without mentioning Federico Fellini. His psychological drama 8 1/2 is one of the most influential films ever and a winner of two Oscars. The film follows Guido (legendary Marcello Mastroianni), a film director trying to relax after his latest big hit. However, he can't find peace as past collaborators demand new work. Struggling with his conscience, he’s unable to conceive a new idea. As he reflects, he revisits key moments of his life and all the women he loved and left behind.
8 1/2 is an autobiographical film about Fellini’s own trials and troubles in filmmaking.
La Dolce Vita (1960)
Three years earlier, Fellini had made the satirical drama La Dolce Vita with Mastroianni. Set in Rome, Marcello Rubini (Mastroianni) works as a writer and tabloid journalist, trying to catch celebrities in compromising or awkward situations. He tends to get intimately involved with his subjects—especially the beautiful women. Among them are local heiress Maddalena (Anouk Aimee) and Swedish superstar Sylvia (Anita Ekberg). He has affairs with both, despite being engaged to Emma (Yvonne Furneaux), a clingy, insecure, dull, and melodramatic woman. Despite his extravagant lifestyle filled with pleasure, he questions whether a simpler life might be better.
La Dolce Vita was controversial and shocked critics when it was released.
Gomorrah (2008)
Gomorrah is a modern Neapolitan mafia drama exposing Italy’s underworld through five interconnected stories about individuals who think they can make separate deals with the Camorra, the local mafia. The film presents a grittier and less romanticized view of Italy and is definitely worth watching. The Camorra is a real mafia organization, and the film offers a true-crime depiction of their operations. It is based on the book by Roberto Saviano, who remains under police protection due to death threats from the mafia.
Directed by Matteo Garrone, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2024 for another film.
Perfect Strangers (2016)
A highly popular modern Italian film, Perfect Strangers has over 20 remakes in countries including France, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Greece, South Korea, Hungary, India, China, Russia, Poland, Vietnam, Lebanon, Germany, Armenia, Israel, and Indonesia. It holds a Guinness World Record for this. The story takes place in a single room and follows seven longtime friends at a dinner party. They decide to play a game in which all their phones are placed on the table, and every message, email, and call must be shared with the group. Secrets are revealed, and harmony is shaken.
