Catholicism in Italian cinema in the age of ‘the new secularisation’ (1958-1978) : WestminsterResearch

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Title	Catholicism in Italian cinema in the age of ‘the new secularisation’ (1958-1978)
Type	PhD thesis
Authors	Angeli, S.
Abstract	This thesis explores the portrayal of Italian Catholicism in five feature films: E venne un uomo (A Man Named John, dir. Ermanno Olmi, 1965), Galileo (1968, dir. Liliana Cavani), Teorema (Theorem, 1968, dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini), Nel nome del padre (In the Name of the Father, 1972, dir. Marco Bellocchio) and Fratello sole, sorella luna (Brother Sun, Sister Moon, 1972, dir. Franco Zeffirelli). Challenging the notion of Italian Catholicism as a monolithic and unified system of thought, this investigation brings out its fragmented quality, thereby validating Antonio Gramsci’s claim of the coexistence of a plurality of religious tendencies in the country. The study focuses on a twenty-year period between 1958 and 1978, as it is during this period—referred to as “the new secularisation”—that the fragmentation underlying Italian Catholicism emerged with clarity. Within this context, the five chosen films offer ideal case studies to assess the plurality of attitudes towards Catholicism in that period: not only do they employ a large repertoire of narratives, persons, symbols, iconography, quotes, rituals and places of Catholic tradition, but they also reimagine this repertoire in either orthodox or provocative ways, effectively upholding or critiquing Catholicism as a belief system, Catholicism as practiced by the faithful and the Catholic Church as an institution. Analysis of the films is organised across the four areas suggested by Melanie J. Wright, namely narrative, style, cultural and religious context, and reception, with a focus on reception amongst Catholics. Analysis of these elements uncovers the five directors’ personal and unique approaches to religion, ultimately attesting not only to the immense cultural and social legacy of Catholicism in the country, but also to the existence of a multiplicity of religious sensitivities.
Year	2017
Published	2017
Web address (URL)	https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/9zwvz/catholicism-in-italian-cinema-in-the-age-of-the-new-secularisation-1958-1978

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The Tragedy of the Knight of Faith
Sticchi, Francesco and Angeli, Silvia 2024. The Tragedy of the Knight of Faith. Film and Philosophy. 28, pp. 91-110. https://doi.org/10.5840/filmphil202382124

Confirmations That Were Not Meant to Be: Religion, Violence and the Female Body in Un poison violent (2010), Corpo celeste (2011), and Kreuzweg (2014)
Angeli, S. and Quaranta, C. 2023. Confirmations That Were Not Meant to Be: Religion, Violence and the Female Body in Un poison violent (2010), Corpo celeste (2011), and Kreuzweg (2014). Studies in European Cinema. 20 (1), pp. 20-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/17411548.2021.1921931

The Ultimate Freedom? Suicide as ‘Exit Strategy’ in Marco Bellocchio’s Il regista di matrimoni (2006) and Sorelle Mai (2010)
Angeli, S. 2022. The Ultimate Freedom? Suicide as ‘Exit Strategy’ in Marco Bellocchio’s Il regista di matrimoni (2006) and Sorelle Mai (2010). The Italianist. 42 (2), pp. 229-245. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614340.2021.2010020

Apocalyptic films have lulled us into a false sense of security about climate change
Angeli, S. 2021. Apocalyptic films have lulled us into a false sense of security about climate change. The Conversation.

‘A polyphonic tale’: Arendt, Cavarero and storytelling in Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell (2012)
Angeli, S. 2021. ‘A polyphonic tale’: Arendt, Cavarero and storytelling in Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell (2012). Empedocles: European Journal for the Philosophy of Communication. 12 (1), pp. 75-89. https://doi.org/10.1386/ejpc_00029_1

Olmi and Pasolini: Industrialisation, the underdog and ‘ecological eschatology’ in Manon finestra 2 (1956) and Grigio (1957)
Angeli, S. 2021. Olmi and Pasolini: Industrialisation, the underdog and ‘ecological eschatology’ in Manon finestra 2 (1956) and Grigio (1957). Forum Italicum: A Journal of Italian Studies. 55 (3), pp. 850-864. https://doi.org/10.1177/00145858211025486

A Miraculous Materialism: Lines of Flight in We Have a Pope and Corpo Celeste
Angeli, S. 2021. A Miraculous Materialism: Lines of Flight in We Have a Pope and Corpo Celeste. Film-Philosophy. 25 (1), pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3366/film.2021.0154

Lina Wertmüller Symposium: A report, 13 December 2019, University of Westminster
Angeli, S. 2020. Lina Wertmüller Symposium: A report, 13 December 2019, University of Westminster. Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies. 8 (3), pp. 419-423. https://doi.org/10.1386/jicms_00033_7

From the margins: Alice Rohrwacher’s liminal adolescents
Angeli, S. 2020. From the margins: Alice Rohrwacher’s liminal adolescents. Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies. 8 (3), pp. 339-356. https://doi.org/10.1386/jicms_00026_1

Caught in between: Profanation and Re-Sacralization in Marco Bellocchio’s Nel nome del padre (1971)
Angeli, S. 2018. Caught in between: Profanation and Re-Sacralization in Marco Bellocchio’s Nel nome del padre (1971). Religions. 9 (9) 252. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9090252

"Lars von Trier’s Women, edited by Rex Butler and David Denny.”
Angeli, S. 2017. "Lars von Trier’s Women, edited by Rex Butler and David Denny.”. Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media. 13, pp. 162-167. https://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.13.10

An unfinished mourning: Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Angeli, S. 2017. An unfinished mourning: Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea (2016). New Cinemas: Journal of Contemporary Film. 15 (2), pp. 141-155. https://doi.org/10.1386/ncin.15.2.141_1

Still Banned After All These Years- Retracing the Journey of Cavani’s ‘Revolutionary’ Galileo (1968)
Angeli, S. 2017. Still Banned After All These Years- Retracing the Journey of Cavani’s ‘Revolutionary’ Galileo (1968). Journal of Religion & Film. 21 (2) 16.

Etty Hillesum. Le pratiche di scrittura come trasformazione
Angeli, S. 2010. Etty Hillesum. Le pratiche di scrittura come trasformazione. Rome Edizioni Universitarie Romane.

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Catholicism in Italian cinema in the age of ‘the new secularisation’ (1958-1978)

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