Carlo Bernari
Carlo Bernari, born Carlo Bernard on October 13, 1909, in Naples, Italy, was a notable novelist and screenwriter recognized for his insightful depictions of the socioeconomic conditions in Southern Italy. Coming from a family with a history in the textile industry, Bernari's early experiences likely shaped his political outlook and influenced his writing. His education was interrupted at the age of thirteen due to expulsion from school, which led him to self-educate during the oppressive regime of Fascist Italy.
Bernari's literary career began with his first novel, *Tre operai*, published in 1934, which faced censorship for its critical portrayal of working conditions. His works often explore the complex relationship between individuals and their environment, particularly the vibrant yet challenging life in Naples, which served as both a backdrop and a subject in many of his narratives. His novels, noted for their blend of fiction and realism, garnered significant acclaim, leading to several adaptations in film and translations into multiple languages.
Among his notable accolades, Bernari was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for *The Four Days of Naples* and received the 1950 Viareggio Prize for his novel *Speranzella*. While he expressed some reservations about being categorized within the neo-realist movement, many critics recognize his contributions as foundational to this influential cultural trend in Italian literature.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Carlo Bernari
Fiction and Nonfiction Writer and Screenwriter
- Born: October 13, 1909
- Birthplace: Naples, Italy
- Died: 1992
- Place of death: Rome, Italy
Biography
Born Carlo Bernard in Naples, Italy on October 13, 1909, Carlo Bernari was the son of Eugenio Bernard, the director of a textile factory, and Emma (Cacace) Bernard. His early observation of the struggles of workers in the textile industry may have influenced his later political views and contributed to his focus on the socioeconomic reality of Southern Italy. Bernari’s family was of French extraction and had lived in Italy for several generations. He attended public school in Naples, but he was expelled at the age of thirteen due to a stone- throwing incident. Under Italy’s Fascist government, his expulsion meant that Bernari was barred from attendance at all Italian schools, and so he became responsible for his own education. He was married to Marcella Palange in 1939; the couple had three sons.
In 1934, Bernari’s first novel, Tre operai, was published. This book, however, was almost immediately censored by the Fascist government due to its unflattering depiction of industrial working conditions. The novel was unusual for its time in its focus on the lives of the proletariat and its realistic portrayal of squalid urban living conditions in Naples. The city was a source of fascination for Bernari; it was a place he both loved and loathed. He published three books on the city’s history during his lifetime, and Naples frequently served as the backdrop for his fiction. Bernari’s novels have been widely praised for their graceful juxtaposition of fiction, fantasy, and reality and for their fusion of fictional private lives with realistic sociohistorical contexts.
Bernari’s work has reached a wide audience. At least three of his novels, Tre operai, Amore amaro, and Un foro nel parabrazza, have been adapted into films, and some of his novels have been translated into Spanish, French, German, and Russian. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 1963 film, The Four Days of Naples, and his novel Speranzella was awarded the 1950 Viareggio Prize. Although Bernari sometimes balked at the neo-realist label during his lifetime, the critical consensus has been that his earliest work is, in fact, representative of the initial stylistic and thematic traits of this cultural movement that was dominant in Italy from the 1930’s to the mid 1950’s.