Vittorio De Sica

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An Italian film director and actor known for realistic movies like Bicycle Thieves

proper noun

: Vittorio De Sica

Vittorio De Sica was praised for his groundbreaking film 'Bicycle Thieves', which is considered a masterpiece of world cinema.

Examples

Vittorio De Sica directed several influential films, including 'Umberto D.', which highlights the struggles of post-war Italy.
Many film critics cite Vittorio De Sica as one of the founders of Italian neorealism.
The influence of Vittorio De Sica can still be seen in contemporary filmmaking worldwide.
Many consider Vittorio De Sica a pioneer of Italian cinema.
Did Vittorio De Sica win an Academy Award?
Film historians often discuss Vittorio De Sica when analyzing the evolution of neorealism in cinema.
The films of Vittorio De Sica are studied in film schools around the world for their innovative storytelling techniques.

Surface Forms

Vittorio De Sica main

Morphology

Vittorio + De + Sica

This is a personal proper name referring to a specific individual; knowing the constituent tokens ('Vittorio', 'De', 'Sica') does not convey that he was an Italian film director or a neorealist pioneer. Proper names are referential rather than compositional, so the biographical meaning cannot be derived from the parts and is therefore not transparent to learners.

Etymology

Vittorio De Sica made films in Italy after World War II that used real streets and everyday people instead of famous stars to show the hard lives of ordinary people. That's why his name is linked to 'neorealism' and to films that try to show life as it really is.