Augusto Genina

1.1. Birth and Early Life

Augusto Genina was born on 28 January 1892, in Rome, Italy.

1.2. Early Career as Writer

Before embarking on his filmmaking journey, Genina established himself as a drama critic. He wrote comedies for Il Mondo magazine, demonstrating his early talent for storytelling and theatrical understanding.

1.3. Transition to Filmmaking

Following the advice of Aldo de Benedetti, a prominent figure in Italian culture, Genina shifted his focus to the burgeoning film industry. He joined "Film d'Arte Italiana," a film production company, which led to his directorial debut with the film La moglie di sua eccellenza in 1913. This marked his formal entry into the world of cinema, where he would become a prolific director and producer.

2.1. Work in France and Germany

In 1929, Augusto Genina relocated to France, where he expanded his cinematic horizons. During his time there, he notably directed the American actress Louise Brooks in the early French talkie Miss Europe (also known by its original French title, Prix de beauté_{Beauty Prize}^French), which stands as Brooks' only French film. This collaboration garnered significant attention. Genina dedicated time to studying sound techniques while working in both France and Germany. He was involved in the production of films that were simultaneously shot in multiple language versions, a common practice during the early sound era to cater to different markets. This international experience broadened his technical expertise before his eventual return to Italy.

3.1. Films during the Fascist Era

After his international endeavors, Genina returned to Italy, where he became a prominent director during the Fascist regime. During this period, he directed several films that served as Fascist propaganda. His work from this era received significant recognition at the Venice Film Festival, which was held under the Fascist political system. Genina notably won the Mussolini's Cup for Best Italian Film multiple times. These wins included Lo squadrone bianco (The White Squadron) in 1936 and The Siege of the Alcazar (original Italian title: L'assedio dell'Alcazar^Italian) in 1940. He also received the award in 1942, underscoring his prominent role in the cinematic landscape of Fascist Italy.

3.2. Post-War Activities

Following World War II, Augusto Genina continued his filmmaking activities in Italy, adapting to the changing cinematic landscape. He began to explore themes and styles that approached Neorealism, a movement that emerged in post-war Italian cinema. In 1949, he directed Heaven Over the Marshes (original Italian title: Cielo sulla palude^Italian), a film depicting the life of Maria Goretti, a Catholic saint. Although this work was considered somewhat melodramatic for a strict Neorealist film, it was highly acclaimed and earned Genina the Nastro d'Argento award for Best Director in 1950. In 1953, he directed Three Forbidden Stories (original Italian title: Tre storie proibite^Italian), which revisited a real-life accident that had also been depicted a year prior by Giuseppe De Santis in his Neorealist film Rome 11 o'clock (original Italian title: Roma ore 11^Italian). His later works also included Maddalena (1954) and Frou-Frou (1955).

4.1. Directed Films

• La moglie di sua eccellenza (1913)
• Il segreto del castello di Monroe (1914)
• Il piccolo cerinaio (1914)
• La parola che uccide (1914)
• La fuga dei diamanti (1914)
• Dopo il veglione (1914)
• L'anello di Siva (1914)
• Lulu (1915 film) (1915)
• Gelosia (1915)
• La farfalla dalle ali d'oro (1915)
• Mezzanotte (1915)
• Doppia ferita (1915)
• Cento H.P. (1915)
• La conquista dei diamanti (1915)
• L'ultimo travestimento (1916)
• Il sopravvissuto (1916)
• Il sogno di un giorno (1916)
• Il dramma della corona (1916)
• La signorina Ciclone (1916)
• Il siluramento dell'Oceania (1917)
• Maschiaccio (1917)
• Lucciola (1917)
• Il trono e la seggiola (1918)
• The Prince of the Impossible (1918)
• L'onestà del peccato (1918)
• Kalidaa - la storia di una mummia (1918)
• L'emigrata (1918)
• I due crocifissi (1918)
• Goodbye Youth (1918)
• Femmina - Femina (1918)
• La fine di un vile (1918)
• Lo scaldino (1919)
• Lucrezia Borgia (1919)
• Noris (1919)
• La donna e il cadavere (1919)
• La maschera e il volto (1919)
• Bel ami (1919)
• Le avventure di Bijou (1919)
• I diabolici (1920)
• I tre sentimentali (1920)
• La ruota del vizio (1920)
• Moglie, marito e... (1920)
• La douloureuse (1920)
• Il castello della malinconia (1920)
• L'avventura di Dio (1920)
• Debito d'odio (1920)
• L'incatenata (1921)
• La crisi (1921)
• Un punto nero (1922)
• La peccatrice senza peccato (1922)
• Una donna passò (1922)
• Lucie de Trecoeur (1922)
• Germaine (1923)
• Il corsaro (1924)
• La moglie bella (1924)
• Cirano de Bergerac (1925)
• The Hearth Turned Off (1925)
• L'ultimo lord (1926)
• The Prisoners of Shanghai (1927)
• Goodbye Youth (1927)
• The White Slave (original German title: Die Weisse Sklavin^German, 1927)
• Scampolo (1928)
• The Story of a Little Parisian (1928)
• Love's Masquerade (1928)
• Un dramma a sedici anni (1929)
• La congiura delle beffe (1929)
• Latin Quarter (1929)
• Miss Europe (1930)
• The Darling of Paris (original French title: Paris-Beguin^French, 1931)
• The Lovers of Midnight (1931)
• La femme en homme (1931)
• Gli amanti di mezzanotte (1931)
• We Are Not Children (1934)
• Non ti scordar di me (1935)
• Forget Me Not (1935)
• The Phantom Gondola (1936)
• Lo squadrone bianco (The White Squadron, 1936)
• Flowers from Nice (1936)
• The Kiss of Fire (original Italian title: Napoli terra d'amore^Italian, 1937)
• Amore e dolore di donna (1937)
• Woman's Love-Woman's Suffering (1937)
• Castles in the Air (1939)
• L'assedio dell'Alcazar (1939-40)
• Bengasi (1942)
• Heaven Over the Marshes (original Italian title: Cielo sulla palude^Italian, 1949)
• Devotion (1950)
• Three Forbidden Stories (original Italian title: Tre storie proibite^Italian, 1953)
• Maddalena (1954)
• Frou-Frou (1955)

5.1. Venice Film Festival Awards

Genina was notably recognized at the Venice Film Festival. He received the Mussolini's Cup for Best Italian Film on multiple occasions, winning for Lo squadrone bianco in 1936, The Siege of the Alcazar in 1940, and again in 1942. These awards were significant during the Fascist era, as the films were often seen as embodying the regime's ideals and were recognized within that political context. In 1949, he also won the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival for his post-war film Heaven Over the Marshes.

5.2. Other Major Awards

Beyond the Venice Film Festival, Augusto Genina was also honored with the Nastro d'Argento award, one of Italy's most prestigious film accolades. In 1950, he received the Nastro d'Argento for Best Director for his film Heaven Over the Marshes. This award highlighted his continued artistic relevance and critical acclaim in the post-war period.

6.1. Positive Contributions and Artistic Merit

Genina's artistic achievements are evident in his diverse filmography, which spanned various genres and adapted to significant technological shifts in filmmaking, from silent films to talkies. His direction of Miss Europe demonstrated his ability to work with international stars and new sound technologies. Post-war, his film Heaven Over the Marshes (1949) was critically well-received, earning him the Nastro d'Argento for Best Director. Despite some critics considering it too melodramatic for strict Neorealism, the film was widely praised for its quality and emotional depth, showcasing Genina's continued directorial skill and his ability to engage with contemporary cinematic trends.

6.2. Criticism and Controversy

A significant aspect of Genina's career that draws criticism and controversy is his involvement with Fascist propaganda films. His multiple wins of the Mussolini's Cup at the Venice Film Festival for films like Lo squadrone bianco and The Siege of the Alcazar directly link his work to the political agenda of the Fascist regime. These films were explicitly designed to promote Fascist ideology, and while they were celebrated by the regime, their propagandistic nature remains a contentious part of his legacy. This period of his career highlights the complex ethical considerations faced by artists working under authoritarian governments.

6.3. Influence on Cinema

Augusto Genina's influence on cinema stems from his pioneering spirit and adaptability. As one of Italy's early film directors and producers, he was instrumental in the development of the national film industry. His willingness to experiment with new technologies, such as sound in the late 1920s, and his international collaborations, particularly in France and Germany, contributed to the transnational exchange of cinematic techniques and ideas. His later engagement with Neorealism demonstrated his capacity to evolve with changing artistic movements, influencing subsequent generations of filmmakers by bridging different eras of Italian cinema. His extensive filmography provides a comprehensive record of the stylistic and thematic developments in Italian film over several decades.

7.1. Death Details

Augusto Genina died on 18 September 1957.