Il cinema precorre la storia. Il caso di Divorzio all’italiana (1961) nel dibattito sul divorzio in Italia

Abstract

The approval of divorce law in 1970 and the subsequent referendum of 1974 represent one of the crucial points in the history of the customs evolution in Italy. The divorce debate in Italy follows the relative discussion in Parliament, registering its significant peaks in the mid-sixties and mid-seventies. A few years earlier, in 1961, the comedy by Pietro Germi Divorce Italian Style had been released in Italian cinemas. It was centered on a double anachronism: the absence of divorce in Italy and the existence of the honour killing. The film is a blockbuster of the year and represents a central work in the whole genre of Italian comedy, which photographs the Italy during the economic miracle and its changes. By clearing a taboo, Divorce Italian Style triggers a lively debate in the popular press, in particular provoking the reaction of the most traditionalist sectors of society and the Catholic world, worried about the questioning of the bond of marriage. In this sense, Divorce Italian Style activates a reflection in the public opinion on the issue of divorce which anticipates what would have happened a few years later.

Keywords

• cinema
• custom
• divorce
• italian comedy
• sexuality.
• commedia all’italiana
• costume
• divorzio
• sessualità