Futurism: The Art/Life Revolution (Enhanced DVD)

Poet Filippo Marinetto’s automobile accident left an indelible mark upon his mind. As a result of this tragedy, he underwent a virtual aesthetic emotional purgation, resulting in his becoming the pioneer of the Futurist movement. This movement rejected all traditional ties and adopted the vibrant technological pattern of the modern century. Marinetti and his entourage also propagated misogyny, violence and Fascism. As a result of that phenomenon Futurism now survives as a separated domain within the jovial splendid tapestry of the 20th century design, art and literature.

Art/Life conveys the tale of Futurism through a proper merging of historical dramatizations and conversations with esteemed European scholars. Francesca Barbi is credited for providing historical discourse for the film. The program features interviews with famous people Gino Agnese, Mario Verdone, Achille Bonito Oliva and many others, all of whom talk about the different facets of the revolutionary artistic movement, Their opinions are portrayed in the bonus component on the DVD which appears to be a very useful technique in order to teach the students the significance and breadth of the Italian futurist theory, all properly suited for a modern audience. It is not necessary to have a previous knowledge of the movement to understand the documentary well and thus acts as a short yet compact introduction to its diverse aspects.

But it is mainly due to its atypical position in the canon that Futurism provides a large number of fascinating possibilities for study. This program merges authentic dramatizations, powerful voice-overs of Marinetti’s works, and a storehouse of archival stuffs as it narrates the tale of Futurism and its troublesome cultural legacy. The program also features interviews with a large number of acclaimed critics and scholars.

(Futurism: The Art/Life Revolution, Enhanced DVD, 53 minutes)
ISBN: 978-0-81608-649-8
Copy Right Date: 2010
CC