Past Present Future

The Great Political Films: The Leopard w/ Lucia Rubinelli

Oct 31, 2024
Guest
Lucia Rubinelli
Lucia Rubinelli, an Italian historian of ideas and expert on 20th-century Italian culture, joins to discuss Luchino Visconti’s film, The Leopard. They explore how a communist aristocrat created a narrative of Sicilian identity during Italian unification. Topics include the meaning behind the famous line about change, the interplay of opulence and disillusionment in the film's grand ball, and contrasts between Sicilian and Northern Italian perspectives on life and death. The conversation unveils how the film critiques political cynicism and reflects societal dynamics.
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Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1
Intro
00:00 • 3min
2
Cultural Legacies: 'The Leopard' Adaptation
02:52 • 5min
3
The Political Landscape of 'The Leopard'
08:19 • 15min
4
Elegance and Disillusionment at the Ball
23:18 • 15min
5
Beauty and Squalor: The Sicilian Perspective on Life and Death
38:13 • 2min
6
Cynicism and Idealism in 'The Leopard'
40:01 • 10min
7
The Political Legacy of a Cinematic Classic
50:23 • 2min
8
The Irony of Aristocracy in Cinema
52:52 • 2min