21872019 Film Analysis RRoceo and his Brothers (Luchino Viscont, aly, 1960) - Film Analysis Rocco and his Brothers (Luchino Visconti, Italy, 1960) n the beginning ofthe fm, the working-lass Paranal family has just migrated to Milan from southern Italy Unable Stay withthe oldest son and his Milanese in-laws, they relocate to a housing projec Eciting: shots fede in (can't see Ie inthis di) CGnematography: LS establishing shot becomes slight pan tothe roht, following the characters sight refraings all the way through to keep. characters centered Mise-en-scone: gate lines across image, rainy Eating: (same shot) ‘Gnematography: MLS, widescreen, black Agures ‘on light Background ‘Sound: suadenly loud: Rosaria cals fr the porter. ‘offscreen sound (high ravers) of port's response Mise-en-scene: gesturing: cold; clothing: low class, Immigrants (net winter clothes) Eziting: (same shot) CGnematography: MLS Sound: clalgue, two ctferentdatects (Milanese {ane Southern) Mise-en-scene: porter appears from escreen Exiting: Shot #2, metch on action 8s gate opens ‘Gnematography: LS, pan folowing characters Sound: cialogue continues wise-en-scene: reflections of rain, gestures for communication Rocco an his famity (Parond!) moving into 2Msecesce ¥ new lodging, ina housing project in the outskirts of Milan. We see the family through the fence; their new home is smstogaply typical of a Milanese winter but new tothe Family. They are not dressed fr the tn . weather ané shiver against the cold Ora, lon-contrast image. Mom speaks, even if she has many grown up sons, She's the boss, Even iFthey are factually entering (hati, outside), ner se wo Cries holding the fence Brings prison images to ming, caling for help/guards (that i, from the inside). Or rather, Feinforasd by the neighbors’ malicious gossip (ie: Aticans = southerners = animals). The family hudles together — 2 970up against an untriendly norte rece. Porter speaks in Milanese; communication is dimcut, bt of gesturing, (Native Informant note: Tiss rt calact aut establish nguistc cerences aut at the comprehensible toa general audence) Post-synchronized cislogue detaches voles from the space ofthe image. Widescreen: good for extended fares, group portals, Visconti heavily plctora, his aristocratic eauetionatiows him to raw compositions from royal group portraits, ironically apoied to this fay Reinforess the "epic" nature ofthe fim. Wider shot: the lens “opens up* wit the door, The camera remeine deteched from the enaractare: no POV shot, no eyeline mate, not reverse shots ofthe fry. netead te shot tresses the relaton of the family tothe overwhelming municipal renitecture, hitpstimanalysis.coursepress yale.edulrocco-and-is-brothers-uchine-iscontstaly-1960/ 1821872019 Eeitings (same shot) {Gnematography: LS Sound: noise of footsteps Wise-en-scane: cart, Imposing postwar housing project, passing woman tums to leak. Eesti: shotw3, mate an action asthe woman keep walking ard meets the porter {Gnematagraphy: ELS of fami: closer shot of ossiping couple.gry tone, ends with face to ‘Sound: postrecorded close-up dialogue between immigrants Wise-en-scene: big housing project, ll houses are the same. Deep space connects commenting Eeiting: Shot #4; fade in CCamategraphy: darker image, sight track left a then pan right aross basement apartment to window; is snowing Sound: silent Wise-en-scene: rllojous imagery, family ahetographs, simple food, ne curtains, bare walls tng: shot 85, cut CGnematography: crane shot rises with Raceo then cS right Wh hr as he walks across the room forthe second window Mirror of shot #8 Lights > {ome on in the backgroune Sound se Mise-en-scene: Same objects we see in shot #4 gesturing: W's ole Eating: (same shot) {Gnematography: track and pan le, as Rocco retraces his steps across Ue room. camer obstructed by pillar ‘Sound: window opening, volces of people waking up in the neighbornood more of basement apartment hitpstimanalysis.coursepress yale.edulrocco-and-is-brothers-uchine-iscontstaly-1960/ Rocco and his Brothers (Luchino Viscont, aly, 1960) - Film Analysis We get a better look at the cart: ready for war, with mam as general; or exocus irsagery. This fry in exe from its treditonal nome. Camera cuts, now showing the family from the back, dwarfed by the architecture. The path looks lke @ crider in a prison block, the intial apartments are lke cals. They have been Sent tothe basement: a slow descent into hel This s registered in the bodlly attitude ofthe family members, dressed in ‘again, the family is darted by the prison- lke project. The soparaton of tre family In fextreme backgroune fram the gossiping wore in extreme foreground mirrors a south, eventhough they all belong tothe New scene: the objects indicate the low class and lack of education ofthe Parone family take over the function of calogue in this tong treckin/panning shot. The Images indicate the importance of religion and the family, and their elementary eating and slegping arrangements. The low key lighting inthe image gives us a sense of the drasnass of tar existence In their new ledgings, The shat af the windows shows that they are buried ungergroune [els not yet dawn; they spend al tre dayignt hours working. The fm shows that imvmigrants from the regions are even “ower” than the local working das, Rocco wakes up fst and sleeps alone; he fm here visualy singles out Rocco for special attention. The track back acess the room reveals that he Is sleeping in the artenen’, We see that it is snowing, Rocco opens the and realizes tis snowing (probably frst time forthe whole family). Neignbors are woking up too, to go to work ignts, noises; one gets the ea ‘most people in the apartments share 8 similar socal standing. The obstruction of the camera incites the “realty” of the setting: the space is not arranged for optimum visibility but seems to exist “prior” tothe flming (eventhough this may be 2 set) 29821872019 Rocco and his Brothers (Luchino Viscont, aly, 1960) - Film Analysis tng: (same shot) {Gnematography: MCU, 8 Rocco approaches the Dan stops as Rocco reaches for the ight sith ‘Sound: clk of ght switen, Racca calls to his Mlee-en-scene: bare bulb gts up roam. Dulin image, heavy shadowed face Editing: (same shot) CGematography: MS as Racco walks away from re camera into the aesacent room ‘Sound: Rocco cals his broths to wake up Mise-en-scene: Family photograph on wal, whitewashed walls ‘The harsh sideighting on Rocco is part of a sual rhetoric that impresses on us the harshness oftheir ifestyle In general the fm i structured by strong contrasts: north/south, moderity/backwaréness, eity/eounty, eaueation/ignorance and, utimately, goed and evi. The MCU starts to bring us closer to Rocco Inthe naratve: earlier he has been seen as part of his family; now the camera contemplates im alone. Alain Delon here is cast strongly against the romantic type he had established in France, ‘The other brothers are inthe next room, basement where the many Parendis Ive, ietually one on top of each other. The architectural socal characterization begun in this scene wil continue in the following sequence. The bare bulb as another mark af poverty ang Inmprowsation, along with the bare walls and the hanging herbs ete. They were expecting to stay with the oldest sons in laws. Instead, they find themselves inthis dungeon, hitpstimanalysis.coursepress yale.edulrocco-and-is-brothers-uchine-iscontstaly-1960/ ae.