From its birth in 1913 to its abolition in 2021, film censorship marked the history of Italian cinema, and its evolution mirrored the social, political, and cultural travail of the country. During the Fascist regime and in the postwar period, censorship was a powerful political tool in the hands of the ruling party; many films were banned or severely cut. By the end of the 1960s, censors had to cope with the changing morals and the widespread diffusion of sexuality in popular culture, which led to the boom of hardcore pornography. With the crisis of the national industry and the growing influence of television, censorship gradually changed its focus and targets. The book analyzes Italian film censorship from its early days to the present, discussing the most controversial cases and protagonists. These include such notorious works as Last Tango in Paris and Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, and groundbreaking filmmakers such as Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini, who pushed the limits of what was acceptable on screen, causing scandal and public debate.

Roberto Curti is an Italian film historian and the author of numerous published books and articles. He lives in Cortona, Italy.

Roberto Curti
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 280
Bibliographic Info: 49 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8856-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5036-4
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1. The Early Days of Film Censorship in Italy 5
2. Film Censorship and the Fascist Regime 14
3. The Christian Democrat Years 35
4. A New Law on Censorship 98
5. Film Censorship and the Changing Face of Cinema After 1968 126
6. The Magistracy’s War Against Obscenity 145
7. Obscenity, Art, and the Common Sense of Modesty 167
8. Film Censorship and Pornography 197
9. Old and New Tendencies in Film Censorship,
from the 1980s and Onward 217
10. The Last Days of Film Censorship in Italy 234
Chapter Notes 243
Bibliography 255
Index 257