La Terra Trema (1948)

 Luchino Visconti's "La Terra Trema"


Although not as monumental as Luchino Visconti's 1943 breakout "Ossessione," his 1948 neo-realist film "La Terra Trema" was a major work of vast significance. Visconti was originally hired by the Communist party to make a documentary feature about the fishermen of Aci Trezza. Instead, Visconti opted out of the documentary, while still choosing to shot on location and use the real life fishermen as actors. With this new film, he tells the story of a fisherman who attempts to go against the wholesalers that take advantage of them. In doing so, he ruins his family's chance at economic prosperity and everyone's life disintegrates in the process.

"La Terra Trema" is a film about oppression, dealing with an attempt at trying to break out of the capitalist structure that has latched ahold of Italy. In doing so, Visconti demonstrates how attempting to break free of it only leads to further damnation, as the capitalist structure is too powerful and sinister to allow for dissent. Like the fish they catch, the fisherman are trapped in the nets of the wholesalers, unable to break free. Any attempt to break free will only cause chaos, which only ensures compliance to the system. 

Visconti continues to utilize the neo-realist visual demonstration that he employed first with his foundation piece "Ossessione." This time, Visconti engrains himself even more in realism by using non-professional actors. The environment is real, the characters are real, and the situation is pulled directly from the real struggles of lower-class fishermen. Visconti's camera never leaves Aci Trezza, making the viewer feel as trapped by this environment as the characters do. This becomes especially oppressive when the main characters' lives begin to fall apart all around them. There is nowhere for them to escape and nowhere for the viewer to run away to. 

Although a depressive and oppressive watch, "La Terra Trema" is another solid addition to the Italian neo-realist movement. It checks all the boxes of what an Italian neo-realist film is and what it should be. Although I was more enthralled by Visconti's "Ossessione," "La Terra Trema" certainly demonstrates Visconti's master over his craft.



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