Italy

Italian cinema was a world force in the silent epics, then fell silent under fascism before returning with neorealism in 1945: location shooting, non-professional actors and stories of ordinary hardship. The 1950s and 60s brought Fellini, Visconti, Antonioni and Pasolini, plus the comedy of the commedia all'italiana and the spaghetti western. Cinecittà in Rome, a taste for opera and painting, and a political, argumentative tradition shaped its look and its themes.

Famous Directors

Alberto LattuadaItalyAlice RohrwacherItalyBernardo BertolucciItalyDario ArgentoItalyDino RisiItalyElio PetriItalyErmanno OlmiItalyEttore ScolaItalyFederico FelliniItalyFrancesco RosiItalyGian Luigi PolidoroItalyGianfranco RosiItaly (born in Eritrea)Gianni AmelioItalyGillo PontecorvoItalyGiuseppe De SantisItalyGiuseppe TornatoreItalyLina WertmüllerItalyLuchino ViscontiItalyLuigi ComenciniItalyMarco BellocchioItalyMarco FerreriItalyMario BavaItalyMario MonicelliItalyMatteo GarroneItaly

See all 37 directors

Michelangelo AntonioniItalyNanni MorettiItalyPaolo SorrentinoItalyPier Paolo PasoliniItalyPietro GermiItalyRenato CastellaniItalyRoberto RosselliniItalySergio CorbucciItalySergio LeoneItalySergio SollimaItalyThe Taviani BrothersItalyValerio ZurliniItalyVittorio De SicaItaly

Top 100 rated films

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 1966 · Sergio Leone · IMDb 8.8
2. Once Upon a Time in the West 1968 · Sergio Leone · IMDb 8.5
3. Cinema Paradiso 1988 · Giuseppe Tornatore · IMDb 8.5
4. Once Upon a Time in America 1984 · Sergio Leone · IMDb 8.3
5. Kidnapped 2023 · Marco Bellocchio · IMDb 8.3
6. Bicycle Thieves 1948 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 8.2
7. Rocco and His Brothers 1960 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 8.2
8. For a Few Dollars More 1965 · Sergio Leone · IMDb 8.2
9. Il Sorpasso 1962 · Dino Risi · IMDb 8.2
10. Ennio 2021 · Giuseppe Tornatore · IMDb 8.2
11. Nights of Cabiria 1957 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 8.1
12. Umberto D. 1952 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 8.1
13. A Special Day 1977 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 8.1
14. The Great War 1959 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 8.1
15. The Battle of Algiers 1966 · Gillo Pontecorvo · IMDb 8.1
16. La Strada 1954 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 8.0
17. La Dolce Vita 1960 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 8.0
18. 8½ 1963 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 8.0
19. Rome, Open City 1945 · Roberto Rossellini · IMDb 8.0
20. Shoeshine 1946 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 8.0
21. We All Loved Each Other So Much 1974 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 8.0
22. The Organizer 1963 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 8.0
23. A Difficult Life 1961 · Dino Risi · IMDb 8.0
24. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion 1970 · Elio Petri · IMDb 8.0
25. The Legend of 1900 1998 · Giuseppe Tornatore · IMDb 8.0
26. The Leopard 1963 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.9
27. Divorce Italian Style 1961 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.9
28. Seduced and Abandoned 1964 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.9
29. A Fistful of Dollars 1964 · Sergio Leone · IMDb 7.9
30. La Notte 1961 · Michelangelo Antonioni · IMDb 7.9
31. Big Deal on Madonna Street 1958 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.9
32. My Friends 1975 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.9
33. The Conformist 1970 · Bernardo Bertolucci · IMDb 7.9
34. Il posto 1961 · Ermanno Olmi · IMDb 7.9
35. I Vitelloni 1953 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 7.8
36. Amarcord 1973 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 7.8
37. Germany Year Zero 1948 · Roberto Rossellini · IMDb 7.8
38. La Terra Trema 1948 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.8
39. Un borghese piccolo piccolo 1977 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.8
40. The Tree of Wooden Clogs 1978 · Ermanno Olmi · IMDb 7.8
41. Kaos 1984 · The Taviani Brothers · IMDb 7.8
42. General Della Rovere 1959 · Roberto Rossellini · IMDb 7.7
43. Two Women 1960 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 7.7
44. Bellissima 1951 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.7
45. White Nights 1957 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.7
46. The Railroad Man 1956 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.7
47. L'Avventura 1960 · Michelangelo Antonioni · IMDb 7.7
48. Mamma Roma 1962 · Pier Paolo Pasolini · IMDb 7.7
49. Ugly, Dirty and Bad 1976 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 7.7
50. L'armata Brancaleone 1966 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.7
51. Il marchese del Grillo 1981 · Mario Monicelli · IMDb 7.7
52. The Last Emperor 1987 · Bernardo Bertolucci · IMDb 7.7
53. Christ Stopped at Eboli 1979 · Francesco Rosi · IMDb 7.7
54. Seven Beauties 1975 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.7
55. Love and Anarchy 1973 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.7
56. Everybody Go Home 1960 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 7.7
57. The Great Silence 1968 · Sergio Corbucci · IMDb 7.7
58. The Best Offer 2013 · Giuseppe Tornatore · IMDb 7.7
59. The Great Beauty 2013 · Paolo Sorrentino · IMDb 7.7
60. Paisan 1946 · Roberto Rossellini · IMDb 7.6
61. The Children Are Watching Us 1944 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 7.6
62. Miracle in Milan 1951 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 7.6
63. Bitter Rice 1949 · Giuseppe De Santis · IMDb 7.6
64. Mafioso 1962 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 7.6
65. In the Name of the Law 1949 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.6
66. Il Grido 1957 · Michelangelo Antonioni · IMDb 7.6
67. L'Eclisse 1962 · Michelangelo Antonioni · IMDb 7.6
68. The Gospel According to St. Matthew 1964 · Pier Paolo Pasolini · IMDb 7.6
69. Accattone 1961 · Pier Paolo Pasolini · IMDb 7.6
70. Le Bal 1983 · Ettore Scola · IMDb 7.6
71. 1900 1976 · Bernardo Bertolucci · IMDb 7.6
72. Hands Over the City 1963 · Francesco Rosi · IMDb 7.6
73. The Mattei Affair 1972 · Francesco Rosi · IMDb 7.6
74. Kapò 1960 · Gillo Pontecorvo · IMDb 7.6
75. The Working Class Goes to Heaven 1971 · Elio Petri · IMDb 7.6
76. Misunderstood 1966 · Luigi Comencini · IMDb 7.6
77. Stolen Children 1992 · Gianni Amelio · IMDb 7.6
78. Io capitano 2023 · Matteo Garrone · IMDb 7.6
79. Il Bidone 1955 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 7.5
80. Ossessione 1943 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.5
81. Ludwig 1973 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.5
82. The Overcoat 1952 · Alberto Lattuada · IMDb 7.5
83. The Path of Hope 1950 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.5
84. The Birds, the Bees and the Italians 1966 · Pietro Germi · IMDb 7.5
85. The Desert of the Tartars 1976 · Valerio Zurlini · IMDb 7.5
86. In the Name of the Italian People 1971 · Dino Risi · IMDb 7.5
87. Scent of a Woman 1974 · Dino Risi · IMDb 7.5
88. Fists in the Pocket 1965 · Marco Bellocchio · IMDb 7.5
89. Deep Red 1975 · Dario Argento · IMDb 7.5
90. Swept Away 1974 · Lina Wertmüller · IMDb 7.5
91. Time Stood Still 1959 · Ermanno Olmi · IMDb 7.5
92. The Fiances 1963 · Ermanno Olmi · IMDb 7.5
93. Todo modo 1976 · Elio Petri · IMDb 7.5
94. A Pure Formality 1994 · Giuseppe Tornatore · IMDb 7.5
95. Happy as Lazzaro 2018 · Alice Rohrwacher · IMDb 7.5
96. Juliet of the Spirits 1965 · Federico Fellini · IMDb 7.4
97. Europe '51 1952 · Roberto Rossellini · IMDb 7.4
98. Marriage Italian Style 1964 · Vittorio De Sica · IMDb 7.4
99. Senso 1954 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.4
100. The Damned (1969) 1969 · Luchino Visconti · IMDb 7.4