This talk examines the construction of Anna Magnani’s star persona by unpacking the rhetoric of authenticity that accompanied her elevation to stardom in the immediate post-war period. While the myth of Magnani’s authenticity is often linked to her legendary performance in Rome Open City and her association with Neorealism, this talk shows the crucial function of other minor films – especially popular comedies of the fascist period – in constructing and consolidating her status as the quintessential embodiment of Neorealist authenticity. The talk also interrogates the complex meanings and values that are attached to the notion of authenticity in post-war Italian cinema and in the broader context of modernity.
Sponsored by The Department of French and Italian and The Film Studies Program.
Presented by Sergio Rigoletto
Associate Professor
University of Oregon
Note: For students of Italian 1101-1103 and 5101, attendance to this event counts as one Tavola.
