Abstract

Between the fascist period, neorealism and the “commedia all’italianaµ, the Roman dialect moved from being completely absent (in favour of an «official» national language) to a newfound centrality as a quotidian and «standard» language of the people. A radically different use of this dialect can be found in the work of Luigi Magni, who wrote a series of stories based on true events, set in nineteenth-century Rome. This included his second film, “Nell’anno del Signoreµ (1969). This article provides an analysis of the film that departs from its script, held at the CSC archive in Rome. Studying its language will enable a reflection on the eccentric position that Magni held in the history of Italian cinema, and his problematic ideas of national history.