The Jew as Dangerous Other in Early Italian Cinema, 1910-1914 Gerwyn Glyn Owen 2014 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Film Studies School of Creative Studies and Media Bangor University ii Abstract My thesis examines imagery of the Jew in four Italian silent films: Il mercante di Venezia (Gerolamo Lo Savio, 1910), L’Inferno (Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, Giuseppe de Liguoro, 1911), Quo Vadis? (Enrico Guazzoni, 1913), and Cabiria (Giovanni Pastrone, 1914). The thesis deconstructs this filmic imagery and traces its history back to medieval and Renaissance representations of the Jew. This process reveals connections between traditional anti-Jewish ideologies and the moving images of early Italian cinema. In so doing, my thesis demonstrates that there is a powerful relationship between the socio-political and religious discourses that were in circulation before the First World War in Italy and the presence of anti-Semitic stereotyping in these films. It also argues that the image of the Jew in all of these filmic case studies functions as a representation of the radical dangerous Other that threatens the unity of the citizenry of the nation- state of the Kingdom of Italy and the cohesion of Liberal Italian society at a key time of new nation- building. iii Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ ii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. v Declaration and Consent ..................................................................................................................... vi Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Il mercante di Venezia: An Italian habitation and an Italian name ................ 14 Silent Shakespeare Speaks ............................................................................................................. 16 Venetian Connections to the Flesh-Bond Story ............................................................................. 23 Medieval Moneylending: A Dangerous Game ............................................................................... 26 Lo Savio’s Shylock ........................................................................................................................ 30 Shylock’s Secret Self ..................................................................................................................... 33 The Horror of Circumcision ........................................................................................................... 36 Shylock's Crab-like Shuffling and Bad Citizenship ....................................................................... 41 Shylock Goes Red in Court ............................................................................................................ 43 Shylock as Shochet: A Masquerade Unmasked ............................................................................. 47 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter Two: The Infernal Jew in L’Inferno ......................................................................... 56 Discursive Repetition for Emphasis ............................................................................................... 59 Dante, Didactics, Cinema and Identity Politics ............................................................................. 60 The Awesome Power of Stereotypes, Hatred, and Violence .......................................................... 67 The Jew’s Eternal Role in the Cosmic Drama of Good and Evil ................................................... 70 The Emancipated Jew is Still the Devil ......................................................................................... 79 L’Inferno’s Money Shot: The Devil as Jewish Traitor ................................................................... 83 The Money-Motivated Archetype .................................................................................................. 95 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 101 Chapter Three: Quo Vadis? - Where Will You Go Italian Jew? ........................................ 106 Cines and the Cinematic Appeal of Ancient Rome ...................................................................... 110 ...................................................................................................................................................... 114 The Mark of Cain ......................................................................................................................... 114 Anti-Semitic Catholic Anti-Judaism ............................................................................................ 119 Nero the Antichrist and Chilo the ambiguous/ambivalent Jew .................................................... 125 Dirty Work for Dirty Money ........................................................................................................ 129 A Middle Man in Murder - Lethal Infiltration ............................................................................. 136 On the Wrong Side of the Apostle ............................................................................................... 139 Revenge, Contrition and (Forced?) Conversion .......................................................................... 145 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 152 iv Chapter Four: Cabiria: Silently Shaping Italian Identity................................................. 155 The Making of Jews ..................................................................................................................... 157 A Brief History of a Historical Film ............................................................................................ 159 Ancient Wars in Africa and Modern Identity Conflicts in Italy ................................................... 172 Jew as the Same and/or the Other in Liberal Italy's Identity Politics .......................................... 176 Simian Symbolisms...................................................................................................................... 181 The Carthaginian Judas ................................................................................................................ 186 The (Hebrew) Writing is on the Wall ........................................................................................... 191 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 198 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 202 Bibliography..................................................................................................................................... 206 Filmography ..................................................................................................................................... 219 v Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to thank my two supervisors, Professor Nathan Abrams and Dr Laura Rorato, for all their hard work in guiding me through this research project. Both of them are not only rigorous scholars but also very supportive, encouraging, and patient friends. I have learnt so much from them and I hope that this thesis repays their faith in me. I cannot thank them enough. Also, I would like to thank my Head of School, Dr Stephanie Marriott, for her thoughtful advice and constant support. Dr Eben Muse has also provided me with many perceptive suggestions and much practical help. I am deeply grateful to my fellow PhD candidates within the School of Creative Studies and Media at Bangor University. Amy Chambers, Isamar Carrillo, Jenni Steele, and Steffan Thomas have all been an immense help and source of encouragement. Joseph North, a PhD candidate from Durham University and a formidable expert on early Italian cinema has been very generous with his time and knowledge, providing me with many useful pointers. I am greatly indebted to my good friend Alessandro Cioffi who has been a consistent source of important materials and whose knowledge of Italian archives, especially in Rome, has proved to be invaluable. I would also like to express my gratitude to my friends Valter and Ghenet Longoni for their wonderful hospitality during my stays in Rome and for being so kind in arranging my accommodation. I would like to pay tribute to my father Glyn and my mother Megan, who are extraordinary parents and who have been unwavering in their love, kindness, and support throughout. Finally, my greatest thanks and appreciation go to Beverley, my wife and best friend, and to my two boys Morgan Gruffudd and Cian Rhys. Their love and patience knows no bounds and I dedicate this work to them. vi Declaration and Consent Details of the Work I hereby agree to deposit the following item in the digital repository maintained by Bangor University and/or