Abstract
This article focuses on the representation and function of Italianness in two British heritage films: A Room With A View (Ivory, 1985) and Where Angels Fear To Tread (Sturridge, 1991). In light of current debates on heritage cinema and on the filmic construction of national identities, the article argues that the films exploit their authoritative aura and privileged British positioning, to present a specifically stereotypical image of Italy. While the films' overt discourse celebrates Italy as seductive and life-enhancing, their subtexts validate the ultimate naturalness and desirability of the British subject; as an arbitrary creation, delimited by a fixed set of representations, this treatment of Italian Otherness is notable for its parallels with generic Western constructions of the Oriental. Confined to a restricted stock of identifications, Italianness emerges as an immutable foil to notions of Britishness, aiding the narratives' exploration of the possibilities and meanings of national self-definition.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
