Nanni Moretti has been an important filmmaker in Italy for the last four decades, and many studies of his films have been carried out which have concerned either the analysis of individual films or a thematic exploration of his work, dealing specifically with autobiography, humour, family and politics. However, there has been little investigation of the aesthetics, structure or formal film language of his oeuvre up to this point. The study of space is currently a significant and growing trend in many aspects of the < humanities, including Film Studies. Nonetheless, very few studies involving space have been undertaken in Italian film thus far. This thesis aims to cover new ground in research on Italian cinema by investigating the use of narrative space in Moretti's work. This study begins with an examination of the notion of narrative space as defined in the works of Stephen Heath and others and then offers a definition of the term based on the three aspects of Place, Setting and Perspective. Place relates to the geographical aspect of narrative space and specifically concerns cityscape, landscape, to include interior and exterior position in the real world of the diegesis. Setting concerns the cinematic characteristics of narrative space, notably its use in genre, encompassing fantasy and gender based notions. Perspective involves both the point of view taken optically by the camera and the attitudinal standpoint of the personal philosophy expressed by the filmmaker through the narrative. This thesis is based on close textual analysis of Moretti's ten major feature films to date, using the formal film language of mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and sound. The aim is to show how Moretti selects; organises, constructs, assembles and manipulates narrative space, through the elements of Place, Setting and Perspective, into an entire work of art, which gives meanings and pleasures to the spectator.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:553164 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Andrews, Eleanor Valerie Whitcombe |
| Publisher | University of Reading |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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