Sunday, June 24, 2018
Discussion 8: THE ITALIAN and early 20th century film --
The main issue about the film's message (The Italian) to that audience, is that Beppo's madness
was a warning signal that if you scratch an Italian you will find a brute
(like the Lombroso ape-like shoeshine of the cartoon.)
This is clearly my interpretation and I think I can legitimately
support my thesis based on the text. All the signs and messages
repeat and reinforce stereotypes (or archetypes)about Italians.
As we know, the stereotype of the violent, out-of-control, dangerous Italian was
probably the most popular and well known.
Therefore, Beppo's madness has to be understood as the ultimate,
most extreme and strongest stereotypes, coherent with the rest
of the story.
This coherence, in critical studies parlance, is called "discourse"
or "textuality."
For today's audience it would be easy to justify Beppo's intentions
as simply "temporary madness."
If this is your thesis, can you point to any element in the text
that lead you to that conclusion?
COMMENT: feel free (I mean it) to argue your point keeping in mind
you are not the intended audience of the film.
REPLY to a good comment.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe that Beppo's intension was "temporary madness''. He was hurting and felt helpless that he could not help his son get better by simply providing him with pasteurized milk. He wanted to blame someone for the pain he is going through. Loosing his child fogged his vision and he wanted someone to fell what he's feeling. The elements that lead me to this conclusion is when the child made the same gesture as his late son. It reminded him of the madness he is thinking of committing and brought him back to reality.
ReplyDeleteI loved your comment! Definitely felt the same way about the way Beppo was acting at the end of the novel.
Deletei completely agree. The gesture definitely brought him back to reality.
DeleteYes, I agree! The gesture of the child brought in the human aspect that Italians too are not just the stereotypes being portrayed in the movie and can be rational.
DeleteYes, I also agree the gesture is what brought his rationality back to the forefront and helped with subsiding the anger he felt.
DeleteI agree with the professors blog, that Beppo was made to be seen as a wild animal back then but could now be considered temporarily mad. When someone is provoked, they can get a little crazy. Especially if it has to do with saving your child/revenge for you dead child. I know that I would move mountains for my baby boy.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. Beppo was supposed to be a mad man to reinforce the stereotypes of Italians. I do believe he had temporary madness. He has just lost his son and felt like he had nothing to live for. If he had not seen that gesture from the child I think it’s possible he would’ve committed the act.
ReplyDeleteI would also have to agree that the film depicted Italian as their intended stereotypes. I believe it was temporary madness because of the emotions he felt after losing his son, but I think the audience of that time dehumanized Italians and did not see them as people that can harbor these kinds of emotions. But most people viewing the film today would sympathize with Beppo and have a better understanding of where his intentions were.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that Beppo's image in the film was set to evoke and further exemplify the stereotypical image that Italians were wild and dangerous. In today's I feel that Beppo's reaction to the chain of events that occurred would have been considered temporary madness. Due to the tragic nature of what he had experienced with the loss of his infant son and the treatment he received from those who he thought he could rely upon.
ReplyDeletekeeping in mind you are not the intended audience of the film, does put a person who may not know any italians may think this is way they all react to emotional distress. Beppo was push to his breaking point, but the film only shown to show an ape like man not a person who lost a love. In today's world i think that people would feel his pain and understand why he reacted the way he did.
ReplyDeleteThe film does display all the negative stereotypes of Italians through Beppo's character but there are moments where you emotionally resonate with his character. All the things he did in the second act was for his family. Then when his son died, he tried to get revenge because of his loss. His actions are rooted from his emotions which makes it understandable to the actions that he do from there on out.
ReplyDeleteI believe Beppo’s intentions could be justified as “temporary madness”. Beppo was robbed and beaten up by two men and instead of being angry and fighting them back, later on when he saw them again, he begged them for his money back. Analogous situation happened when he came to Corrigan’s house to seek for revenge. He was ready to kill a sick little girl but he hesitated because he saw the same hand gesture as his son used to make. Beppo has a good heart and I was glad he didn’t do anything harmful that he would have regret it later on. Because of temporary madness a person can make many unreversed mistakes. Many of the feelings that a person manifests are acquired, they are developed in response to external stimuli in the process of life. It should be understood that people cannot control instinctive emotions. Moreover, when they manifest themselves, the person does not think about controlling them, but simply obeys them.
ReplyDelete