Italian dreams: Deleuze and neorealism

Deleuze's film philosophy takes Italian neorealism as the inaugural moment of modern cinema: the cinema of the time-image. Although many see neorealism as innovative in terms of its social content, Deleuze emphasizes specific qualities of the cinematic image in neorealist films. Examining four exemplary neorealist films by Rossellini (Roma citta aperta), De Sica (Ladri di biciclette), Visconti (Bellissima ) and Fellini (Le notti di Cabiria), I illustrate and explain why Deleuze sees this as such a pivotal moment for the cinema. In turn, Deleuze's philosophy allows one to see these films in a new light. From the perspective implied by a philosophy of becoming, the political and social agendas of neorealist films are not evaluated according to either their reflection of given historical/social realities or retrospective judgements regarding the efficacy of their politics. Instead, the political and aesthetic import of the films is shown to be a direct consequence of their ability to restructure perception and to revitalize thought, even at the expense of traditional modes of cinematic enunciation.