1860 / Gesuzza the Garibaldian Wife

Alessandro Blasetti's masterpiece 1860 reveals Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand into Sicily from the perspective of a shepherd-turned-soldier and his wife. The campaign was a turning point in Italian unification. The film influenced post-1945 Italian neorealism with its use of location shooting, amateur actors, and focus on everyday people. Blasetti's nationalistic vision closely mirrored the vision of Fascist Italy.