Italian Escapism

I realized that I’ve mentioned a movie, book or song in pretty much every post so far. Obviously, most have to do with Italy. I went over the ones I’ve mentioned (A Room With a View, Enchanted April, Roman Holiday, Under the Tuscan Sun, Letters to Juliet, Dangerous Beauty) and I’ve concluded that I much prefer the English fantasy (and they are all fantasies) of Italy to the American one. Not much of a surprise given my news sources. In the English portrayals, Italy is a place to open up gently - “you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens.” The Americans tend to bang around until they’re hit over the head with what they’ve been looking for. I’d definitely like to watch more Italian cinema to see how they portray their own country – probably much less escapist beauty.

P.S. Quote is from e.e. cummings’ poem “somewhere i have never travelled…”

Rereading the whole thing I realized how suitable it was (and realized again how perfect a poem it is).

“nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing”