Intellect

Authors:  Franco Manai 
DOI: 10.1386/seci.6.2-3.153/1

Keywords
Pinocchio, Benigni, globalization, American film critics, Ceserani, Forrest Gump

Abstract
Roberto Benigni's movie Pinocchio, released in 2002 and Italian candidate for the 2003 Oscars, opened in the United States to a barrage of almost unanimously negative criticism, ranging from condescending reprimands to open insults of the same director and actor who had recently given such clear proof of his capacity and talent in the Oscar-winning La vita è bella. This article argues that this response is based on a political and economic agenda that promotes cultural homogenization as a means of supporting the globalization of the contemporary world, which is its acceptance of the American economic, social and cultural model. The film is presented with a discussion on its role in a programmatic cultural discourse that, while opposing such globalization, supports and encourages locality and nationality in an effort to overcome local and national barriers.