Giuseppe de Santis | |
|---|---|
 on a set break | |
| Born | (1917-02-11)11 February 1917 |
| Died | 16 May 1997(1997-05-16) (aged 80) |
| Years active | 1940–1995 |
| Spouse | Gordana Miletic |
Giuseppe De Santis (11 February 1917 – 16 May 1997) was an Italianfilm director. One of the most idealisticneorealist filmmakers of the 1940s and '50s, he wrote and directed films punctuated by ardent cries for social reform.[1][2]
He was the brother of ItaliancinematographerPasqualino De Santis[3]. His wife was Gordana Miletic (native spelling: Miletić), a Yugoslav actress and former ballet dancer.[4]
Giuseppe De Santis, son of Oreste De Santis and Teresa Goduti, was born inFondi,Lazio. He spent much of his youth between Fondi and Rome, where his family later relocated for work. De Santis attended the Catholic boarding school San Leone Magno and later the Liceo Giulio Cesare in Rome, where he met future actorsMassimo Girotti andMassimo Serato. His repeated returns to Fondi during adolescence strongly influenced his later artistic sensibility, particularly his interest in rural landscapes and working-class life.[5]
De Santis' formative years were deeply influenced by his friendship with the poetLibero de Libero, who introduced him to literature, visual arts, and a rigorous cultural discipline. Through this relationship, De Santis developed an enduring interest in the landscapes, people, and social conditions of his native region, themes that would later become central to his artistic vision. These early experiences fostered a synthesis of literary, pictorial, and social concerns that shaped his approach to cinema.[5][6]
He was first a student of philosophy, literature[7] and Law[8] at the Facolta di Lettere (College of Liberal Arts) of the University of Rome. He did not complete a university degree, preferring to devote himself to writing poetry, short stories, and novels rather than continuing his formal academic studies. During this period, De Santis established connections with young intellectuals who would influence his career. Among them was the critic Gianni Puccini, who enabled him to write for the journalCinema, then the most widely read film publication in Italy. Through these contacts, De Santis also joined the circle around the journalMeridiano di Roma, where he met leading writers and artists of the time.[5]
De Santis later studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, where he was exposed to Soviet, French, German, and American film traditions. His work as a critic forCinema played a significant role in shaping debates on realism in Italian cinema prior toNeorealism. Through his writing and associations with figures such as Luchino Visconti andMario Alicata, De Santis became increasingly involved in anti-Fascist cultural circles, laying the foundations for his later career as a filmmaker and his contribution to postwar Italian cinema.[5]
In 1942, De Santis collaborated on the script forOssessione,Luchino Visconti's debut film, which is usually considered one of the first neo-realist films.[9][2]
His first significant work,Giorni di gloria (1944), was a documentary film composed of several episodes focusing on the Italian anti-Fascist Resistance. Although the film did not achieve widespread popularity at the time of its release, it served as an important platform for De Santis to begin articulating his vision of socially and politically engaged cinema.[8]
However, it was his second film,Caccia tragica (Tragic Hunt) (1947), that established him as a leading figure in Italian Neorealism. The film, whose screenplay was shaped by the social tensions of the period, did not achieve widespread acceptance at the time due to its overt political stance. Nevertheless, it reflected de Santis’s concerns with the oppression of the poor and the exploitation of the working class.[8]
His third filmBitter Rice (1949), the story of a young woman working in the rice fields who must choose between two socially disparate suitors, made a star ofSilvana Mangano and was a landmark of the new cinematic style.[10] It also earned De Santis anAcademy Award nomination forBest Original Story.[11]
In 1952 he filmedRoma ore 11 (Rome 11 o'clock), the first version of the real tragic accident thatAugusto Genina remade in 1953 asThree Forbidden Stories.[1]
In 1959 he won aGolden Globe withLa strada lunga un anno[12]; the film, produced inYugoslavia, had a nomination for theOscar asBest Foreign Language Film.[13]
In 1979 he was a member of the jury at the11th Moscow International Film Festival.[14] In 1985 he was a member of the jury at the14th Moscow International Film Festival.[15]
In 1995, he was awarded theGolden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at theVenice Film Festival, a belated recognition that, after two decades of marginalization, formally acknowledged his fundamental contribution to the history of Italian cinema.[2]
De Santis died in 1997 at the age of 80, inRome, following a heart attack, and a day of mourning was declared in Italy.[1] A part of his archives have been donated to the Reynolds Library ofWake Forest University.[16]
Also, his wife and friends have established a Foundation named after him.[1]
Although Giuseppe De Santis’s career was affected by the difficulties of the 1960s and a temporary withdrawal from filmmaking, his legacy remains significant in contemporary film studies. The themes he explored—particularly class struggle and the condition of women—continue to be examined in modern cinema. His direct and unsentimental depiction of social reality influenced later generations of filmmakers who viewed cinema as a means of social engagement and critique.[8]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Desire | No | Yes |
| The Sun Still Rises | No | Yes | |
| 1947 | Tragic Hunt | Yes | Yes |
| 1949 | Bitter Rice | Yes | Yes |
| 1950 | No Peace Under the Olive Tree | Yes | Yes |
| 1952 | Rome 11:00 | Yes | Yes |
| 1953 | A Husband for Anna | Yes | Yes |
| 1954 | Days of Love | Yes | Yes |
| 1956 | The Wolves | Yes | Yes |
| 1957 | Engaged to Death | No | Yes |
| 1958 | The Road a Year Long | Yes | Yes |
| 1960 | La garçonnière | Yes | Yes |
| 1964 | Attack and Retreat | Yes | Yes |
| 1972 | Un apprezzato professionista di sicuro avvenire | Yes | Yes |
He died in Rome in 1997 at the age of 80, suffering a heart attack. A day of mourning was declared in Italy.
