Misplaced Pages

#532467

124-586: Fantaghirò , also known as The Cave of the Golden Rose ( La Grotta della Rosa d'Oro ), is an Italian fantasy romance adventure series consisting of five television films directed by Lamberto Bava and released between 1991 and 1996 . The first film was originally based on Italo Calvino 's " Fanta-Ghiro the Beautiful ", and takes place in a fairy tale setting, featuring princesses, princes, witches, wizards and talking animals . Shot mostly in

248-406: A 200-minute compilation film titled La meravigliosa storia di Fantaghirò ("The Wonderful Story of Fantaghirò") in 1995. Between December 22, 2011 (20 years to the first airing), and January 30, 2012, the saga was aired on Italia 1 as a television series of 40 episodes lasting 20 minutes each. Its new theme song by Amedeo Minghi and Arianna Bergamaschi , Crederò ("I Will Believe") was included on

372-685: A Firenze ("Their real heights the Prince of Naples and Princess Elena visit the baptistery of Saint John in Florence") and on the day of their wedding in Dimostrazione popolare alle LL. AA. i Principi sposi (al Pantheon – Roma) ("Popular demonstration at the their heights the princes spouses (at the Pantheon – Rome)"). In the early years of the 20th century, the phenomenon of itinerant cinemas developed throughout Italy, providing literacy of

496-528: A bullfrog). However, once the Black Witch has helped the good Fantaghirò, her evil powers become greatly weakened. In the fourth and fifth films, she constantly tries to get rid of Fantaghirò so she can be powerful again. The original script envisioned the Black Witch as a blonde. Director Lamberto Bava said that otherwise, she looked just as he and the screenwriter imagined her: "gigantic (between heels and helmet she reaches two meters), beautiful, with all

620-401: A different fairy tale, and to our world in the modern era, helping people in need before returning home to her kingdom only to find it an alternative and dark reality where she would face an evil version of herself. Another sequel, Il ritorno di Fantaghirò ( The Return of Fantaghirò ), was considered by Lamberto Bava and Gianni Romoli in 2007. Fantaghirò, portrayed by Alessandra Martines , is

744-627: A few months after the Lumière brothers began motion picture exhibitions. The first Italian director is considered to be Vittorio Calcina , a collaborator of the Lumière Brothers, who filmed Pope Leo XIII in 1896. The first films date back to 1896 and were made in the main cities of the Italian peninsula . These brief experiments immediately met the curiosity of the popular class, encouraging operators to produce new films until they laid

868-509: A few months after the French Lumière brothers , who made the first public screening of a film on 28 December 1895, an event considered the birth of cinema, began motion picture exhibitions. The first Italian director is considered to be Vittorio Calcina , a collaborator of the Lumière Brothers, who filmed Pope Leo XIII on 26 February 1896 in the short film Sua Santità papa Leone XIII ("His Holiness Pope Leo XIII"). He then became

992-837: A flaxen mane and tail. In the United States, there are two primary color breed registries for Palomino-colored horses: the Palomino Horse Association (PHA), and the Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA). The Palomino Horse Association (PHA) registers palomino horses of any breed and type "on color and conformation". The shade of color considered ideal by the PHA is the color of a gold coin, but shades of palomino from light to dark gold are accepted. The mane and tail are required to be white, silver, or ivory, but up to 15% dark or reddish-brown hair

1116-526: A kind of "summa" of the petty-bourgeois aesthetics of the time. The first film of the genre Telefoni Bianchi was The Private Secretary (1931), by Goffredo Alessandrini . Among the authors, Mario Camerini is the most representative director of the genre. After having practiced the most diverse trends in the 1930s, he happily moved into the territory of sentimental comedy with What Scoundrels Men Are! (1932), Il signor Max (1937) and Department Store (1939). In other films, he compares himself with

1240-449: A palomino about 50% of the time, but could also produce a chestnut (25% probability) or a cremello (25% probability). Thus, palomino is simply a partially expressed color allele and not a set of characteristics that make up a "breed". Because registration as a palomino with a color breed registry is based primarily on coat color, horses from many breeds or combination of breeds may qualify. Some breeds that have palomino representatives are

1364-441: A period of crisis due to many factors such as production disorganization, increased costs, technological backwardness, loss of foreign markets and inability to cope with international competition, in particular with that of Hollywood. The main causes included the lack of a generational change with a production still dominated by filmmakers and producers of literary training, unable to face the challenges of modernity. The first half of

SECTION 10

#1732791250533

1488-473: A perlino , a horse carrying two cream dilution genes. Sooty palomino horses may have darker hairs in the mane, tail and coat. The summer coat of a palomino is usually a slightly darker shade than the winter coat. Many non-palominos may also have a gold or tan coat and a light mane and tail. In the United States, some palomino horses are classified as a color breed . However, unlike the Appaloosa or

1612-463: A realist setting is Lost in the Dark (1914) by director Nino Martoglio , considered by critics as a prime example of neorealist cinema. The revival of Italian cinema took place at the end of the decade with the production of larger-scale films. During this period, a group of intellectuals close to the fortnightly cinematografo led by Alessandro Blasetti launched a program that was as simple as it

1736-653: A shooting and projecting device not unlike that of the Lumières brothers. Italian Lumière trainees produced short films documenting everyday life and comic strips in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Before long, other pioneers made their way. Italo Pacchioni , Arturo Ambrosio , Giovanni Vitrotti and Roberto Omegna were also active. The success of the short films was immediate. The cinema fascinated with its ability to show distant geographic realities with unprecedented precision and, vice versa, to immortalize everyday moments. Sporting events, local events, intense road traffic,

1860-484: A spell that turns him into her slave whom she orders to slay the princess. But Fantaghirò manages to outsmart her rival and the Black Witch is turned to crystal (later retconned to stone) and smashed into pieces. A part of herself is preserved inside Romualdo's mind until it is eradicated by the White Witch as she again comes to Fantaghirò's rescue. However, the Black Witch's character turned out to be so popular that

1984-424: A strong and beautiful warrior-princess who is the main character in all five films. The youngest princess of three, she is outspoken, rebellious, and courageous, never retreating from a battle. In the first film, she is an impulsive troublemaker who grew up fascinated by weapons and adventure and who likes to provoke her father and sisters, but underneath it, she has a good heart. Fantaghirò is mentored and protected by

2108-420: A white marking. The PHBA will not accept a horse for regular registration if it has all three characteristics of a double-dilute cream : light (or pink) skin over the body; white or cream-colored hair over the body; and eyes of a bluish cast. White markings on the face and legs may not exceed certain limits. Leg white may not be higher than the level of the elbow or the stifle, white on the face may not extend past

2232-403: A white-maned palomino horse. The series' writer Gianni Romoli said, "What fascinates me about Fantaghirò is that it is a female but also a male character, without any ambiguity. She is a friend, but also a woman partner, the one who both solves your problems and causes them." Fantaghirò has long red-brown hair which she twice cuts with a sword into a boy-cut in the first and second films, but in

2356-535: A woman in her kingdom, by being literate, adventurous, and rebellious; this makes her father furious. One day, the King receives an invitation from the enemy prince Romualdo to a duel that can potentially end the centuries-long war that has been going on between the two kingdoms. When the King learns that only one of his three daughters can win the fight, Fantaghirò sees this as a chance for her to prove herself. Fantaghirò and Romualdo are due to be married, but their wedding

2480-425: Is a broodingly attractive wizard who appears in the third and fourth films as the son of the terrible wizard Darken and the evil witch Xellesia, living with the latter. His name came from the writer Gianni Romo's passion for the comic book series Dylan Dog , where a character named Xarabas appears in one story. Rogers' role was known for having "charmed the female and gay male audience with his penetrating gaze". He

2604-435: Is a prince who becomes Fantaghirò's beloved and later her husband. After the death of his father, Romualdo seeks to end the centuries-long war his ancestors have waged against Fantaghirò's people by challenging her father to single combat. He falls in love with Fantaghirò in the first film and becomes obsessed with finding her, even as he is initially confused by her androgynous traits. He is shocked when he meets her properly for

SECTION 20

#1732791250533

2728-410: Is accepted. In the interest of breeding palomino horses, the PHA also registers full double-dilute blue-eyed cremellos , erroneously called "cremello palominos" by the PHA. Horses that are not recorded by any other registry of unknown pedigree are accepted if their color meets the PHA definition of "palomino". The Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA) has stricter requirements. To be accepted by

2852-501: Is cut short when news arrives that Fantaghirò's father has been kidnapped by the evil Black Witch, the queen of the Dark Kingdom. The witch demands that the kingdoms of Fantaghirò and Romualdo submit to her rule, but they refuse and Romualdo declares war. He sets out with his army, leaving behind Fantaghirò, who has sworn not to lift another weapon for the rest of her life. Now, forced to break her oath, Fantaghirò secretly sets out to

2976-525: Is definitely over. Even if some performers will move on to directing or producing, the arrival of sound favours the generational change and the consequent modernization of the structures. Italian-born director Frank Capra received three Academy Awards for Best Director for the films It Happened One Night (1934, the first Big Five winner at the Academy Awards), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) and You Can't Take It with You (1938). In 1932,

3100-581: Is initially a very powerful villain who is feared by magicians in every kingdom, but he discovers a prophecy that a royal child no older than ten years shall defeat him. Tarabas becomes obsessed with learning how he will be defeated and sends his men to kidnap all royal children, during which the parents of young Princess Esmeralda are killed. He crosses paths with Fantaghirò and falls madly in love with her, eventually asking her to marry him in exchange for reviving Romualdo, whom he has been turned into stone. Eventually, Tarabas lets Fantaghirò free from her promise and

3224-928: Is registered in one of the breed registries recognized by the PHBA. The PHBA usually requires horses or both parents of the horse to be registered by or eligible for registration with certain recognized breed registries , including those for the American Quarter Horse , Paint , Appaloosa , Saddlebred , Morgan , Holsteiner , Arabian , assorted part-Arabian registries, Pinto (horse division only), Thoroughbred , and assorted gaited horse breeds. Horses with PHBA-registered parents are also eligible even if they are not recorded with any other breed registry. In some situations, mares and geldings may be registered without pedigree on account of their conformation and color only, but stallions must always have pedigrees that are "verified in fact". The ideal PHBA body color

3348-537: Is still the largest film studio in Europe , and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. Filmmakers such as Federico Fellini , Roberto Rossellini , Luchino Visconti , Sergio Leone , Bernardo Bertolucci , Francis Ford Coppola , Martin Scorsese , and Mel Gibson have worked at Cinecittà. More than 3,000 movies have been filmed there, of which 90 received an Academy Award nomination and 47 of these won it. During

3472-474: Is that of A Woman's Story (1920) by Eugenio Perego , which uses an original narrative construction to propose a 19th-century morality with melodramatic tones. A particular genre is that of a realist setting, due to the work of the first female director of Italian cinema, Elvira Notari , who directs numerous films influenced by popular theatre and taken from famous dramas, Neapolitan songs, appendix novels or inspired by facts of chronicle. Another film with

3596-415: Is the shade of "a United States gold coin". The mane and tail must be naturally white, and may not have more than 15% black, brown or off-colored hairs. Brown or dark primitive markings are not accepted. PHBA also does not accept horses that are gray or show color characteristics of Paints, pintos, Appaloosas or cremellos or perlinos . The skin must be dark, other than pink skin on the face connected to

3720-709: The American Saddlebred , Tennessee Walking Horse , Morgan and Quarter Horse . The color is fairly rare in the Thoroughbred , but does in fact occur and is recognized by The Jockey Club. Some breeds, such as the Haflinger and Arabian , may appear to be palomino, but are genetically chestnuts with flaxen manes and tails, as neither breed carries the cream dilution gene . However, in spite of their lack of cream DNA, some palomino color registries have registered such horses if their coat color falls within

3844-571: The Azzurri Film La regina della notte (1915), the Lumen Film Il romanzo fantastico del Dr. Mercanton o il giustiziere invisibile (1915) and Profumo mortale (1915), all films ascribable to the proto-giallo that multiplied in the following decades, becoming preparatory to the subsequent birth of the giallo . Between 1913 and 1920 there was the rise, development and decline of the phenomenon of cinematographic stardom, born with

Fantaghirò (film series) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3968-588: The Castello Sforzesco ") (1896) and La Fiera di Porta Genova ("The fair of Porta Genova ") (1898), all shot by Italo Pacchioni , who was also the inventor of a camera and projector , inspired by the cinematograph of Lumière brothers, kept at the Cineteca Italiana in Milan. If the interest of the masses were enthusiastic, the technological novelty would likely be snubbed, at least at

4092-1173: The Cineteca Nazionale in 1979. The Lumière brothers commenced public screenings in Italy in 1896 starting in March, in Rome and Milan ; in April in Naples , Salerno and Bari ; in June in Livorno ; in August in Bergamo , Bologna and Ravenna ; in October in Ancona ; and in December in Turin , Pescara and Reggio Calabria . Not long before, in 1895, Filoteo Alberini patented his " kinetograph ",

4216-454: The Friesian , which are distinct breeds that also happen to have a unique color preference, Palomino color breed registries often accept a wide range of breed or type if the animals are properly golden-colored. The Palomino cannot be a true horse breed , however, because palomino color is an incomplete dominant gene and does not breed "true". A palomino crossed with a palomino may result in

4340-802: The Venice Film Festival , the world's oldest film festival and one of the " Big Three " film festivals, alongside the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival , was established. In 1934, the Italian government created the General Directorate for Cinema ( Direzione Generale per le Cinematografia ), and appointed Luigi Freddi its director. With the approval of Benito Mussolini , this directorate called for

4464-485: The Western genre. Erotic Italian thrillers, or giallo , produced by directors such as Mario Bava and Dario Argento in the 1970s, influenced the horror genre worldwide. Since the 1980s, due to multiple factors, Italian production has gone through a crisis that has not prevented the production of quality films in the 1990s and into the new millennium, thanks to a revival of Italian cinema, awarded and appreciated all over

4588-733: The White House . After Guazzoni came Emilio Ghione , Febo Mari , Carmine Gallone , Giulio Antamoro and many others who contributed to the expansion of the genre. After the great success of Cabiria , with the changing tastes of the public and the first signs of the industrial crisis, the genre began to show signs of crisis. Pastrone's plan to adapt the Bible with thousands of extras remained unfulfilled. Antamoro's Christus (1916) and Guazzoni's The Crusaders (1918) remained notable for their iconographic complexity but offered no substantial novelties. Despite sporadic attempts to reconnect with

4712-407: The grandeur of the past, the trend of historical blockbusters was interrupted at the beginning of the 1920s. In the first and second decade of the 20th century came a prolific film production aimed at investigative and mystery content, supported by well-assorted Italian and foreign literature that favours its transposition into film. What would later take on the synthesis of the giallo , in fact,

4836-483: The homonymous novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton . Also popular during this period were films about historical figures, such as Caserini's Beatrice Cenci (1909) and Ugo Falena 's Lucrezia Borgia (1910). In 1905, Cines inaugurated the genre of the historical film , which in this decade gave a great fortune to many Italian filmmakers. One of the first of these films was La presa di Roma (1905), lasting 10 minutes, and made by Filoteo Alberini . The operator employs for

4960-451: The 1920s marked a sharp decrease in production; from 350 films produced in 1921 to 60 in 1924. Literature and theatre are still the preferred narrative sources. The feuilletons resist, mostly taken from classical or popular texts and directed by specialists such as Roberto Roberti and the religious blockbusters of Giulio Antamoro . On the basis of the latest generation of divas, a sentimental cinema for women spread, centred on figures on

5084-647: The 1930s, light comedies known as Telefoni Bianchi ("white telephones") were predominant in Italian cinema. These films, which featured lavish set designs, promoted conservative values and respect for authority, and thus typically avoided the scrutiny of government censors. Telefoni Bianchi proved to be the testing ground of numerous screenwriters destined to impose themselves in the following decades (including Cesare Zavattini and Sergio Amidei ), and above all of numerous set designers such as Guido Fiorini , Gino Carlo Sensani and Antonio Valente , who, by virtue, successful graphic inventions led these productions to become

Fantaghirò (film series) - Misplaced Pages Continue

5208-433: The 2011 compilation soundtrack CD Il Fantastico Mondo di Fantaghirò ("The Fantastic World of Fantaghirò"). A restored and remastered edition of the series was released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2016 in Italy, Germany, and France. The series was also made available at streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime . The sixth and seventh films in the series were never realized due to a dramatic decline of audience recorded during

5332-406: The Beautiful ", a short story inspired by a Tuscan folk tale from the late 19th century. Director Lamberto Bava said the films were influenced by Legend , Ladyhawke and Willow , as well as by Disney animated movies and the 1950s fantasy cinema. Initially Fantaghirò was to be a single film but the production costs were excessive and so it was decided to make it as a miniseries. Fantaghiro

5456-406: The Black Witch in the second film, they are married in the third film, adopting the orphaned Princess Esmeralda as their daughter. In the third film, Fantaghirò learns the secrets of dark magic from the Black Witch to rescue Romualdo from the evil wizard Tarabas, another of her suitors. In the fifth film, Fantaghirò becomes romantically engaged with Ares, a pirate from another world. She often rides on

5580-483: The Czech Republic and Slovakia with the participation of local actors, and highly popular in Italy during the 1990s, it was loosely adapted into a cartoon series of the same title . A reboot series was announced in 2021. Fantaghirò is the youngest of three princesses born to a warrior king. Although beautiful and intelligent, she causes many problems for her family because she goes against everything expected of

5704-461: The Dark , silent drama film directed by Nino Martoglio and produced in 1914, documented life in the slums of Naples , and is considered a precursor to the Italian neorealism movement of the 1940s and 1950s. The only surviving copy of this film was destroyed by Nazi German forces during the World War II . This film is based on a 1901 play of the same title by Roberto Bracco . In

5828-403: The Dark Kingdom alone to face and defeat the evil queen, who plots to separate Fantaghirò from Romualdo forever and to make him her lover. The dark wizard Tarabas learns that his powerful kingdom will be defeated by a royal child of no more than ten years of age. He becomes obsessed with learning how this will happen, so he orders his clay warriors to kidnap all of the world's royal children. When

5952-517: The Futurists, cinema was an ideal art form, being a fresh medium, and able to be manipulated by speed, special effects and editing. Most of the futuristic-themed films of this period have been lost, but critics cite Thaïs (1917) by Anton Giulio Bragaglia as one of the most influential, serving as the main inspiration for German Expressionist cinema in the following decade. The Italian film industry struggled against rising foreign competition in

6076-579: The Hollywood-style comedy on the model of Frank Capra ( Heartbeat , 1939) and the surreal one of René Clair ( I'll Give a Million , 1936). Camerini is interested in the figure of the typical and popular Italian, so much so that he anticipates some elements of the future Italian comedy. His major interpreter, Vittorio De Sica , will continue his lesson in Maddalena, Zero for Conduct (1940) and Teresa Venerdì (1941), emphasizing above all

6200-500: The Italian Wired in 2017, she was one of the reasons for the series' popularity in the country, described as "a unique and memorable character ... a majestic monument of irrational evil, busty and very tall, with heavy make-up and strictly black and skimpy dresses, the wicked queen is the ultimate glamorous incarnation of any fairy tale villain." Her wardrobe and hair colour (from long red to medium black) radically change between

6324-443: The King the importance of the child. From the second film onwards, the heroine is accepted as a female knight who will do whatever it takes to protect her loved ones, even if that means sacrificing her own life. She is deeply in love with Romualdo, previously the enemy prince and their kingdoms are now finally at peace thanks to Fantaghirò, who briefly vows to put down her sword forever. After she wins back Romualdo from her evil rival

SECTION 50

#1732791250533

6448-409: The PHBA, in addition to color, a horse must have the general structure appropriate to the breeds of light riding type recognized by the PHBA. The adult height of the PHBA horse should be 14 to 17  hands (56 to 68 inches, 142 to 173 cm), and the horse must not show draft horse or pony characteristics. An individual that does not meet the height requirements may still be accepted if it

6572-556: The White Witch, also known as the White Knight, who teaches her to understand and communicate with animals; her own masculine counter-ego persona's pseudonym is the "Count of Valdoca". After Fantaghirò's mother did not survive childbirth, the baby was taken by the King to the cave where a ferocious beast lived, in order to be sacrificed there. The White Witch appeared for the first time in Fantaghirò's life to save her, explaining to

6696-409: The acceptable range of shades. While the color standard used by palomino organizations usually describes the ideal body color as that of a "newly minted gold coin" (sometimes mistakenly claimed to be a penny), a wider a body color range is often accepted, ranging from a cream-white color to a deep, dark, chocolate color ("chocolate palomino") that may actually be silver dapple or liver chestnut with

6820-422: The airing of Fantaghirò 5 on Christmas 1996, and so the project was shelved. A proposal for another sequel was again presented to Mediaset by Bava and Romo in 2007, following the continuous pressure of the fans of the series who were disappointed by how the fifth episode ended. Martines, Nielsen and Rogers confirmed their availability, but the project never came to fruition due to difficulties in co-production and

6944-436: The arrival of a train, visits by famous people, but also natural disasters and calamities are filmed. Titles of the time include, Arrivo del treno alla Stazione di Milano ("Arrival of the train at Milan station") (1896), La battaglia di neve ("The snow battle") (1896), La gabbia dei matti ("The madmen's cage") (1896), Ballo in famiglia ("Family dance") (1896), Il finto storpio al Castello Sforzesco ("The fake cripple at

7068-425: The aspirations and fears of a petty-bourgeois society torn between the desire for affirmation and the uncertainties of the present. It was significant that the protagonists of Italian comedians never place themselves in open contrast with society or embody the desire for social revenge (as happens for example with Charlie Chaplin ), but rather tried to integrate into a strongly desired world. Italian futurist cinema

7192-618: The beginning, by intellectuals and the press. Despite initial doubt, in just two years, cinema climbs the hierarchy of society, intriguing the wealthier classes. On 28 January 1897, prince Victor Emmanuel and princess Elena of Montenegro attended a screening organized by Vittorio Calcina, in a room of the Pitti Palace in Florence . Interested in experimenting with the new medium, they were filmed in S.A.R. il Principe di Napoli e la Principessa Elena visitano il battistero di S. Giovanni

7316-540: The car, the airplane, and the industrial city. Its key figures were the Italians Filippo Tommaso Marinetti , Umberto Boccioni , Carlo Carrà , Fortunato Depero , Gino Severini , Giacomo Balla , and Luigi Russolo . It glorified modernity and aimed to liberate Italy from the weight of its past. The 1916 Manifesto of Futuristic Cinematography was signed by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Armando Ginna, Bruno Corra, Giacomo Balla and others. To

7440-465: The cast. The series has been shown in more than 50 countries and was dubbed in several languages, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, English, French, Polish, German, Spanish, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Russian, Georgian and Sinhala . Martines gained popularity thanks to the success of Fantaghirò and voiced herself in the French version. The first three films were recut (reduced and intersected with each other) into

7564-412: The children of Fantaghirò's sisters become targets, Fantaghirò and Romualdo protect them from the attacking clay soldiers. However, during the fight, Romualdo accidentally falls into a cursed river and turns into stone. Fantaghirò then learns that she has to find Tarabas if she wants to save her beloved Romualdo, and for that, she will need the aid of the Black Witch. A black cloud is travelling throughout

SECTION 60

#1732791250533

7688-432: The color of such birds. Palomino horses have a yellow or gold coat, with a white or light cream mane and tail. The shades of the body coat color range from cream to a dark gold. Unless also affected by other, unrelated genes, palominos have dark skin and brown eyes, though some may be born with pinkish skin that darkens with age. Some have slightly lighter brown or amber eyes. A heterozygous cream dilute (CR) such as

7812-452: The costs being deemed too high for its realization. The series' high popularity and cult success during the early 1990s led Bava to make a few other television movies in a similar style for Mediaset, including Desideria e l'Anello del Drago ( Desideria ), La Principessa e il Povero ( The Princess and the Pauper ) and Sorellina e il Principe del Sogno ( Princess Alisea ). It also led to

7936-664: The creation of a 1999-2000 Spanish animated television series by BRB Internacional , also titled Fantaghirò and co-written by Bava but only loosely based on the live-action series. A theme restaurant Fantaghiro opened in Rome in 2001. Italian writer Doriana DelGallo wrote three books published only in Germany in the Prinzessin Fantaghiro series in 1995–1997. A reboot television series, titled Fantaghirò: La Regina dei Due Regni ( Fantaghirò: The Queen of Two Kingdoms ),

8060-407: The crises that will periodically shake the industry, right up to the present day. The archetypes of this film genre were The Last Days of Pompeii (1908), by Arturo Ambrosio and Luigi Maggi and Nero (1909), by Maggi himself and Arrigo Frusta . This last film was inspired by the work of Pietro Cossa who is iconographically based on the etchings of Bartolomeo Pinelli , neoclassicism and

8184-527: The cultural and historical suggestions of the country. Education is an inexhaustible source of ideas, ideas that are easily assimilated not only by a cultured public but also by the masses. Dozens of characters from texts make their appearance on the big screen such as the Count of Monte Cristo , Giordano Bruno , Judith beheading Holofernes , Francesca da Rimini , Lorenzino de' Medici , Rigoletto , Count Ugolino and others. From an iconographic point of view,

8308-532: The direction of the actors and the care for the settings. Other directors include Mario Mattoli ( Schoolgirl Diary , 1941), Jean de Limur ( Apparition , 1944) and Max Neufeld ( The House of Shame , 1938; A Thousand Lire a Month , 1939). The realist comedies of Mario Bonnard ( Before the Postman , 1942; The Peddler and the Lady , 1943) are partially different in character, which partially deviate from

8432-539: The director decided to bring her back for all the next chapters of the saga. In the third film, Fantaghirò and the Black Witch's former apprentice minions, Bolt and Lightning, reluctantly restore her to life because Fantaghirò needs the help of her magic against Tarabas, and the witch is forced to teach the princess. At the height of her power in the second film, she could transform herself as well as other living beings and objects near her into anyone or anything at will (including turning herself into an eagle and Fantaghiro into

8556-695: The establishment of a town southeast of Rome devoted exclusively to cinema, dubbed the Cinecittà ("Cinema City"), under the slogan " Il cinema è l'arma più forte " ("Cinema is the most powerful weapon"). The studios were constructed during the Fascist era as part of a plan to revive the Italian film industry, which had reached its low point in 1931. Mussolini himself inaugurated the studios on 21 April 1937. Post-production units and sets were constructed and heavily used initially. Early films such as Scipio Africanus (1937) and The Iron Crown (1941) showcased

8680-465: The film, Fiodor is transformed back into Romualdo. Romualdo does not appear at all in the fifth film, except in flashbacks. The Black Witch ( Strega Nera ), also known as the Black Queen ( Regina Nera ), portrayed by Brigitte Nielsen (original Italian dubbing by Aurora Cancian), is the evil counterpart of the White Witch and the self-declared arch-enemy of Princess Fantaghirò. She is introduced in

8804-582: The films made within Italy or by Italian directors . Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film has been one of the most important factors in the history of Italian film. As of 2018, Italian films have won 14 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film (the most of any country) as well as 12 Palmes d'Or (the second-most of any country), one Academy Award for Best Picture and many Golden Lions and Golden Bears . The history of Italian cinema began

8928-493: The first cinema users who demanded a greater offer. The popular consensus is remarkable to the point of encouraging the film industry to invest further production resources since these films are also distributed on the French and Anglo-Saxon markets. Thus directors among the most prolific in this field such as Oreste Mentasti , Luigi Maggi , Arrigo Frusta and Ubaldo Maria Del Colle , together with many others less known, direct several dozen films where classic narrative elements of

9052-750: The first italian film production company and the largest and probably the most famous film house in Italy founded by Gustavo Lombardo at Naples in 1904, Cines , based in Rome; and the Turin-based companies Ambrosio Film and Itala Film . Other companies soon followed in Milan, and these early companies quickly attained a respectable production quality and were able to market their products both within Italy and abroad. Early Italian films typically consisted of adaptations of books or stage plays, such as Mario Caserini 's Otello (1906) and Arturo Ambrosio 's 1908 The Last Days of Pompeii , an adaptation of

9176-466: The first time actors of theatrical origin, exploiting the historical argument in a popular and pedagogical key. The film, assimilating Manzoni's lesson of making historical fiction plausible, reconstructs the Capture of Rome on 20 September 1870. The discovery of the spectacular potential of the cinematographic medium favoured the development of a cinema with great ambitions, capable of incorporating all

9300-425: The first time, as she has chosen to replace her father as Romualdo's opponent, and is disguised as a man, and experiences an inner conflict over his feeling for his opponent. Eventually, he learns that she is a princess. The two are betrothed and their kingdoms reconcile. They are due to be married early in the second film, but the ceremony is postponed when the Black Witch kidnaps Fantaghirò's father. Romualdo becomes

9424-637: The foundations for the birth of a true film industry. In the early years of the 20th century, silent cinema developed, bringing numerous Italian stars to the forefront until the end of World War I . In the early 1900s, artistic and epic films such as Otello (1906), The Last Days of Pompeii (1908), L'Inferno (1911), Quo Vadis (1913), and Cabiria (1914), were made as adaptations of books or stage plays. Italian filmmakers were using complex set designs, lavish costumes, and record budgets, to produce pioneering films. The oldest European avant-garde cinema movement, Italian futurism , took place in

9548-425: The fourth film when he is accused of creating a destructive black cloud consuming all in its path. Tarabas reunites with Fantaghirò to track down the source of the black cloud and discovers that it was conjured by his father, Darken. At the end of the fourth film, Tarabas decides to renounce his love for Fantaghirò and stay with Princess Angelica of Tohor. The series' premise is based on Italo Calvino 's " Fanta-Ghiro

9672-484: The imprint of Telefoni Bianchi. Palomino Due to their distinct color, palominos stand out in a show ring, and are much sought after as parade horses. They were particularly popular in movies and television during the 1940s and 1950s. One of the most famous palomino horses was Trigger , known as "the smartest horse in movies", the faithful mount of the Hollywood cowboy star Roy Rogers . Another famous palomino

9796-411: The integration of optical effects and stage action, and it was the first Italian feature film ever made. The Last Days of Pompeii (1913), by Eleuterio Rodolfi , used innovative special effects. Enrico Guazzoni 's 1913 film Quo Vadis was one of the first blockbusters in the history of cinema , using thousands of extras and a lavish set design. The international success of the film marked

9920-482: The land, destroying everything it touches. When the black cloud consumes Fantaghirò's castle, she allies herself with Prince Parsel to track the black cloud to its origins and stop whoever is casting it. Along the way, Fantaghirò is reunited with the wizard Tarabas, who agrees to help them on their quest, and Princess Anjelica, who is in love with Tarabas. Fantaghirò is captured by the Black Witch, who has been unable to perform evil magic ever since she helped Fantaghirò in

10044-614: The late 1910s. After a period of decline in the 1920s, the Italian film industry was revitalized in the 1930s with the arrival of sound film . A popular Italian genre during this period, the Telefoni Bianchi , consisted of comedies with glamorous backgrounds. Calligrafismo was instead in sharp contrast to Telefoni Bianchi-American style comedies and is rather artistic , highly formalistic , expressive in complexity and deals mainly with contemporary literary material. While Italy's Fascist government provided financial support for

10168-545: The main references are the great Renaissance and neoclassical artists, as well as symbolists and popular illustrations. In the 1910s, the Italian film industry developed rapidly. In 1912, the year of the greatest expansion, 569 films were produced in Turin, 420 in Rome and 120 in Milan. Popular early Italian actors included Emilio Ghione , Alberto Collo , Bartolomeo Pagano , Amleto Novelli , Lyda Borelli , Ida Carloni Talli , Lidia Quaranta and Maria Jacobini . Lost in

10292-412: The margins of society who, instead of struggling to emancipate themselves (as happens in contemporary Hollywood cinema), go through an authentic ordeal in order to preserve their own virtue. Protest and rebellion by the female protagonists are out of the question. It is a strongly conservative cinema, tied to social rules upset by the war and in the process of dissolution throughout Europe. An exemplary case

10416-437: The maturation of the genre and allows Guazzoni to make increasingly spectacular films such as Antony and Cleopatra (1913) and Julius Caesar (1914). Giovanni Pastrone 's 1914 film Cabiria was an even larger production, requiring two years and a record budget to produce, it was the first epic film ever made and it is considered the most famous Italian silent film . It was also the first film in history to be shown in

10540-419: The mid-1950s to the end of the 1970s, Commedia all'italiana and many other genres arose due to auteur cinema , and Italian cinema reached a position of great prestige both nationally and abroad. The Spaghetti Western achieved popularity in the mid-1960s, peaking with Sergio Leone 's Dollars Trilogy , which featured enigmatic scores by composer Ennio Morricone , which have become popular culture icons of

10664-768: The most prestigious awards at national level. Presented by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano in the Cinecittà studios, during the awards ceremony, the winners are given a miniature reproduction of the famous statue . The finalist candidates for the award, as per tradition, are first received at the Quirinal Palace by the President of Italy . The event is the Italian equivalent of the American Academy Awards . The history of Italian cinema began

10788-457: The nation's film industry, notably the construction of the Cinecittà studios (the largest film studio in Europe), it also engaged in censorship, and thus many Italian films produced in the late 1930s were propaganda films . A new era took place at the end of World War II with the birth of the influential Italian neorealist movement, reaching a vast consensus of audiences and critics throughout

10912-428: The national costume, imposing canons of beauty, role models and objects of desire. These models, strongly stylized according to the cultural and artistic trends of the time, moved away from naturalism in favor of melodramatic acting, pictorial gesture and theatrical pose; all favored by the incessant use of close-up which focuses the attention on the expressiveness of the actress. The most successful comedian in Italy

11036-641: The official photographer of the House of Savoy , the Italian ruling dynasty from 1861 to 1946. In this role he filmed the first Italian film, Sua Maestà il Re Umberto e Sua Maestà la Regina Margherita a passeggio per il parco a Monza ("His Majesty the King Umberto and Her Majesty the Queen Margherita strolling through the Monza Park "), believed to have been lost until it was rediscovered by

11160-729: The oldest film festival in the world, held annually since 1932 and awarding the Golden Lion ; In 2008 the Venice Days ("Giornate degli Autori"), a section held in parallel to the Venice Film Festival, has produced in collaboration with Cinecittà studios and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage a list of a 100 films that have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978: the " 100 Italian films to be saved ". The David di Donatello Awards are one of

11284-540: The other roles. The reboot will be released on Disney Plus . The original series' director Bava commented: "I read it in the newspapers a few months ago, nobody told me about it and nobody asked me to cooperate. If they want to make a great Italian production, that's fine, but if they want to re-propose the same characters, that was our lot because Calvino's fairy tale is only 4 pages long." Cinema of Italy The cinema of Italy ( Italian : cinema italiano , pronounced [ˈtʃiːnema itaˈljaːno] ) comprises

11408-405: The other." After that, Romualdo is reduced to a secondary character. In the third film, he is turned into a statue whilst fighting Tarabas' men and is only revived near the end of the movie, when the pair are finally married. In the fourth film, Stuart did not want to return for the role, so Romualdo was transformed into the hideously ugly Fiodor, portrayed by Riccardo Serventi Longhi. At the end of

11532-405: The palomino must not be confused with a horse carrying champagne dilution . Champagne (CH) dilutes are born with pumpkin-pink skin and blue eyes, which darken within days to amber, green or light brown, and their skin acquires a darker mottled complexion around the eyes, muzzle, and genitalia as the animal matures. A horse with rosy-pink skin and blue eyes in adulthood is most often a cremello or

11656-519: The post-war period, and which launched the directorial careers of Luchino Visconti , Roberto Rossellini , and Vittorio De Sica . Neorealism declined in the late 1950s in favour of lighter films, such as those of the Commedia all'italiana genre and important directors like Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni . Actresses such as Sophia Loren , Giulietta Masina and Gina Lollobrigida achieved international stardom during this period. From

11780-530: The previous films. The witch is about to execute the captured Fantaghirò when the princess is suddenly sucked into an alternative reality where she has to join forces with a scoundrel named Aries in defeating a child-eating monstrous villain known as the Nameless. The producers planned a further continuation of the series, which would have included two more chapters (sixth and seventh). In these, Fantaghirò would have continued to travel to parallel worlds, each from

11904-575: The release of Ma l'amor mio non muore (1913), by Mario Caserini . The film had great success with the public and encoded the setting and aesthetics of female stardom. Within just a few years, Eleonora Duse , Pina Menichelli , Rina De Liguoro , Leda Gys , Hesperia , Vittoria Lepanto , Mary Cleo Tarlarini and Italia Almirante Manzini established themselves. Films such as Fior di male (1914), by Carmine Gallone , Il fuoco (1915), by Giovanni Pastrone , Rapsodia satanica (1917), by Nino Oxilia and Cenere (1917), by Febo Mari , changed

12028-463: The saga. Kim Rossi Stuart, who has auditioned for the part of Romualdo at the age of 22, after only two films in the TV series has already decided to not want to play his character anymore (his brief appearance in the fourth film was achieved through the use of stock footage from the first film); for this reason, every sequel in the series has been developed based on the choices of the actors to stay or leave

12152-400: The screens. Historical films such as Blasetti's 1860 (1934) and Carmine Gallone 's Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal (1937) were also popular during this period. With the transition to sound cinema, most of the Italian silent film actors, still linked to theatrical stylization, find themselves disqualified. The era of divas, dandies and strongmen, who barely survived the 1920s,

12276-603: The second film and the later instalments after her resurrection, as do most of her other aspects. Nevertheless, despite having been reduced from an imperious and sensual villainess remembered for her imposing figure and cold gaze to a comically hysterical character in a much more campy, even drag queen -like portrayal in the sequels, the Black Witch has remained a fan-favourite and one of the few roles in Nielsen's career of which she remained proud. Tarabas, portrayed by Nicholas Rogers (original Italian dubbing by Francesco Prando ),

12400-502: The second film as the vain and cruel ruler of the faraway Dark Kingdom who plots to destroy Fantaghirò and Romualdo's pure romantic relationship. At first, the witch demands to rule their lands, but soon she also begins to desire the handsome prince for herself. She lures them both to her kingdom by kidnapping Fantaghirò's father, who becomes her figurehead, the Dark King. She then turns herself into Fantaghirò to make Romualdo kiss her for

12524-618: The sexy power that transpires from her costume's abysmal slit and generous décolleté." Nielsen said she based her deliberately over-the-top "seductive, sinister, choleric, and excessive in everything" acting in Fantaghiro 2 on a deliberately greatly exaggerated interpretation of the character of the Evil Queen (known in Italy as Grimilde) in Disney's Snow White , adding she really enjoyed being "an angry and screaming witch". According to

12648-605: The show Nero, or the Destruction of Rome represented by the Barnum circus . Followed by Marin Faliero, Doge of Venice (1909), by Giuseppe De Liguoro , Otello (1909) by Yambo and L'Odissea (1911), by Bertolini, Padovan and De Liguoro. L'Inferno , produced by Milano Films in 1911, even before being an adaptation of Dante's canticle , was a cinematic translation of Gustave Doré 's engravings that experiments with

12772-469: The silent proto-giallo (mystery, crime, investigation investigative and final twist) constitute the structural aspects of cinematic representation. Elvira Notari , the first female director ever in Italy and one of the premieres in the history of world cinema, directed Carmela, la sartina di Montesanto (1916). While in Palermo , Lucarelli Film produced La cassaforte n. 8 (1914) and Ipnotismo (1914),

12896-402: The streets, in cafes or in variety theatres in the presence of a swindler who has the task of promoting and enriching the story. Between 1903 and 1909 the itinerant cinema Italian film was quieting, until then considered as a freak phenomenon, took on consistency assuming the characteristics of an authentic industry, led by four major organizations: Titanus (originally Monopolio Lombardo ),

13020-407: The tastes of the public. The sound cinema arrived in Italy in 1930, three years after the release of The Jazz Singer (1927), and immediately led to a debate on the validity of spoken cinema and its relationship with the theatre. Some directors enthusiastically face the new challenge. The advent of talkies led to stricter censorship by the Fascist government . The first Italian talking picture

13144-595: The technical quality of Italian films. Many films are still shot entirely in Cinecittà. Benito Mussolini founded Cinecittà studio also for the production of Fascist propaganda until World War II . During this period, Mussolini's son, Vittorio , created a national production company and organized the work of noted authors, directors and actors (including even some political opponents), thereby creating an interesting communication network among them, which produced several noted friendships and stimulated cultural interaction. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it

13268-642: The technological advancement of the studios. Seven thousand people were involved in the filming of the battle scene from Scipio Africanus , and live elephants were brought in as a part of the re-enactment of the Battle of Zama . The Cinecittà provided everything necessary for filmmaking: theatres, technical services, and even a cinematography school, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia , for younger apprentices. The Cinecittà studios were Europe's most advanced production facilities and greatly boosted

13392-497: The third film onwards she only has a boy-cut. She tries to befriend all creatures and people she meets unless they try to harm those she cares about. In the first chapter, Fantaghirò wears a blue and orange tunic, the sky blue and gold being the colours of the heirs to the throne in Italian tradition, before disguising herself as a man in order to fight. She is very forgiving and looks past physical appearances. The role launched Martines' career. Romualdo, portrayed by Kim Rossi Stuart ,

13516-399: The three years leading up to World War I , as production consolidates, mythological, comedy and drama films are exported all over the world. In the meantime, in the actor's field, the phenomenon of stardom was born which for a few years will experience unstoppable success. With the end of the decade, Rome definitively established itself as the main production center; this will remain, despite

13640-482: The throatlatch. Spotting and characteristics of the Leopard complex and the various pinto patterns are not accepted, and body spots of less than a 4-inch diameter may be allowed. Horses with non-dark skin on the body, white or creamy coat and pink skin around the eyes are not accepted. Spots of pink skin visible in the muzzle or around the eyes, under the tail and between the hind legs are not accepted. An exception

13764-416: The traditional genre of comedy with kammerspiel and realist film, revealing the director's ability to outline the characters of the middle class. While not comparable to the best results of international cinema of the period, the works of Camerini and Blasetti testify to a generational transition between Italian directors and intellectuals, and above all an emancipation from literary models and an approach to

13888-415: The two kiss once, restoring him from being transformed into a beast back into his human form, and promises Fantaghirò not to be evil anymore for her sake before she returns to her true love. He then redeems himself with Esmeralda by allowing her to see her parents one last time, an act of kindness which fulfils the prophecy of his dark powers' downfall. Tarabas renounces his evil ways and lives in peace until

14012-530: The visual medium. This innovative form of spectacle ran out, in a short time, a number of optical attractions such as magic lanterns, cinematographers, stereoscopes, panoramas and dioramas that had fueled the European imagination and favoured the circulation of a common market for images. The nascent Italian cinema, therefore, is still linked to the traditional shows of the commedia dell'arte or to those typical of circus folklore. Public screenings take place in

14136-450: The witch's next target and she puts a spell on him to make him completely forget about Fantaghirò. He becomes the lover of the Black Witch who sends him as her champion to a duel against Fantaghirò; however, he regains his memories thanks to Fantaghirò and the White Witch. Stuart named his character's alternate persona RomuAltro, saying, "In fact, ensnared by the Black Witch, I change nature. I confess that this new character amused me more than

14260-451: The world. During the 1980s and 1990s, directors such as Ermanno Olmi , Bernardo Bertolucci , Giuseppe Tornatore , Gabriele Salvatores and Roberto Benigni brought critical acclaim back to Italian cinema, while the most popular directors of the 2000s and 2010s were Matteo Garrone , Paolo Sorrentino , Marco Bellocchio , Nanni Moretti and Marco Tullio Giordana . The country is also famed for its prestigious Venice Film Festival ,

14384-517: The years following World War I . Several major studios, among them Cines and Ambrosio, formed the Unione Cinematografica Italiana to coordinate a national strategy for film production. This effort was largely unsuccessful, however, due to a wide disconnect between production and exhibition (some movies weren't released until several years after they were produced). With the end of World War I, Italian cinema went through

14508-427: Was The Song of Love (1930) by Gennaro Righelli , which was a great success with the public. Alessandro Blasetti also experimented with the use of an optical track for sound in the film Resurrection (1931), shot before The Song of Love but released a few months later. Similar to Righelli's film is What Scoundrels Men Are! (1932) by Mario Camerini , which has the merit of making Vittorio De Sica debut on

14632-401: Was André Deed , better known in Italy as Cretinetti , star of comic short film for Itala Film . Its success paved the way for Marcel Fabre ( Robinet ), Ernesto Vaser ( Fricot ) and many others. The only actor of a certain substance, however, was Ferdinand Guillaume , who became famous with the stage name of Polidor . The historical interest of these films lay in their ability to reveal

14756-465: Was Mister Ed (real name Bamboo Harvester ) who starred on his own TV show in the 1960s. A palomino was also featured in the show Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001). Xena 's horse Argo was portrayed by a palomino mare named Tilly. In today's horse breeding the palomino color can be created by crossing a chestnut with a cremello. Palomino is a Spanish word meaning juvenile pigeon (the diminutive of paloma , pigeon) and its equine usage refers to

14880-503: Was ambitious. Aware of the Italian cultural backwardness, they decided to break all ties with the previous tradition through a rediscovery of the peasant world, hitherto practically absent in Italian cinema. Sun (1929) by Alessandro Blasetti shows the evident influence of the Soviet and German avant-gardes in an attempt to renew Italian cinema in accordance with the interests of the fascist regime. Rails (1929) by Mario Camerini blends

15004-497: Was announced as in development in late February 2021 by Leone Film Group's Lotus Production, to be produced by Gianni Romoli and directed by Nicola Abbatangelo. Abbotangelo said, "It is not a remake and I am treating it with gloves starting from the original fairy tale to reach the hearts of many people today. It has to be a story of now and it has to be contextualized." Albeit it is unknown who may replace them as Fantaghiro and The Black Witch, Martinez and Nielsen are rumored to return in

15128-401: Was produced and distributed at the dawn of Italian cinema. The most prolific production houses in the 1910s were Cines , Ambrosio Film , Itala Film , Aquila Films , Milano Films and many others, while titles such as Il delitto del magistrato (1907), Il cadavere misterioso (1908), Il piccolo Sherlock Holmes (1909), L'abisso (1910) and Alibi atroce (1910), breached the imagination of

15252-430: Was produced by Rete Italia and filmed mostly in the former Czechoslovakia ; the last two films were shot Thailand and Cuba. The musical score, including the theme song "Mio nemico" ("My Enemy"), was written by Amedeo Minghi and performed by Rossana Casale . Brigitte Nielsen's role as the Black Witch was received so well by the public that Bava decided to revive her killed-off character for three successive chapters of

15376-545: Was the oldest movement of European avant-garde cinema. Italian futurism , an artistic and social movement , impacted the Italian film industry from 1916 to 1919. It influenced Russian Futurist cinema and German Expressionist cinema . Its cultural importance was considerable and influenced all subsequent avant-gardes, as well as some authors of narrative cinema; its echo expands to the dreamlike visions of some films by Alfred Hitchcock . Futurism emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as

#532467