Italian Americans in Film

This book examines how Italian Americans have been represented in cinema, from the depiction of Italian migration in New Orleans in the 1890s (Vendetta) to the transition from first- to second-generation immigrants (Ask the Dust), and from the establishment of the stereotype of the Italian American gangster (Little Caesar, Scarface) to its re-definition (Mean Streets), along with a peculiar depiction of Italian American masculinity (Marty, Raging Bull). For many years, Italian migration studies in the United States have commented on the way cinema contributed to the creation of an identifiable Italian American identity. More recently, scholars have recognized the existence of a more nuanced plurality of Italian American identities that reflects social and historical elements, class backgrounds, and the relationship with other ethnic minorities. The second part of the book challenges the most common stereotypes of Italian Americanness: food (BigNight) and Mafia, deconstructing the criminal tropes that have contributed to shaping the perception of Italian-American mafiosi in The Funeral, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, and the first two chapters of the Godfather trilogy. At the crossroads of the fields of Italian Culture, Italian American Culture, Film Studies, and Migration Studies, Italian Americans in Film is written not only for undergraduate and graduate students but also for scholars who teach courses on Italian American Cinema and Visual Culture. 

“Italian Americans in Film offers an in-depth exploration of the representation of Italian American identities in American cinema. Departing from the necessity to re-evaluate and renegotiate old cinematic stereotypes, all essays in this study look at Italian American identities as a complex aggregate that stems from the intersection of ethnic, racial, economic, and gender discourses. In rethinking the issue in a transnational and global cinematic context, this volume provides new opportunities for intellectual debate and fertile ground for original investigations.” (Simona Wright, Distinguished Professor of Italian at The College of New Jersey, USA, and Editor of NeMLA Italian Studies, a refereed journal published by the Italian section of the Northeast Modern Language Association under the sponsorship of NeMLA and The College of New Jersey)

“Whether it is reconsidering canonical Italian American cinema through a newfound theoretical lens or exploring under-studied but significant films, Italian Americans in Film analyzes the representation of Italian Americans by challenging preconceived stereotypes and reflecting on personal experiences. Daniele Fioretti, Fulvio Orsitto, and their contributors have bridged traditional discourses related to these Italian American films with Gender Studies, Ecocriticism, and Visual Cultures, amongst others. Their fresh approaches will be critical for bringing Italian American film studies into the 21st century.” (Ryan Calabretta-Sajder, Associate Professor of Italian and Associate Director of Gender Studies, University of Arkansas, USA)

“Italian Americans in Film represents an important contribution to the study of Italian Americans and the media. Written in an accessible style, this book brings the work of Italianists to bear on Italian-American representations and filmmakers. Its breadth is impressive. Collectively, the volume’s highly esteemed authors shed new light on often discussed films like The Godfather, while also bringing much needed attention to neglected titles like Ask the Dust and Donnie Brasco.” (Jonathan J. Cavallero, Associate Professor in Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies and Founding Director of the Bates Film Festival, Bates College, USA)

Daniele Fioretti teaches Italian American culture and Italian cinema, language, and culture at Miami University, USA. He is the author of Utopia and Dystopia in Postwar Italian Literature – Pasolini, Calvino, Sanguineti, Volponi (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). He has also written Carte di fabbrica: la narrativa industriale in Italia 1934-1989 (2013) as well as articles and book chapters on cinema and literature.

Fulvio Orsitto is the Director of the Georgetown University study center in Fiesole, Italy. He has published more than thirty essays and book chapters on Italian and Italian American cinema and Italian Literature. His book publications include the edited volumes The Other and the Elsewhere in Italian Culture (2011) and Cinema and Risorgimento (2012), the co-authored manual Film and Education. Capturing Bilingual Communities (2014), and seven other co-edited volumes.