BOZZETTO, Bruno

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Animator. Nationality: Italian. Born: Milan, 3 March 1938. Education: Studied the classics, law, and geology in school and university. Career: 1958–59—freelance animated film designer: first film as animator, Tapum, 1958; 1959–60—studied animation under John Halas, London; since 1959—director, Bruno Bozzetto Film, Milan, making advertising and entertainment films. Address: Bruno Bozzetto Film, Via Melchoirre Gioia 55, 20124 Milan, Italy.

Films as Animator:

1958

Tapum!, la storia delle armi

1959

La storie delle invenzioni

1960

Un Oscar per il Signor Rossi

1961

Alpha Omega

1963

I Due Castelli; Il Signor Rossi va a Sciare

1964

Il Signor Rossi al mare

1965

West and Soda

1966

Il Signor Rossi compra l'automobile

1967

Una vita in scatola; L'uomo e il suo mondo

1968

Vip mio fratello superuomo

1969

Ego

1970

Il Signor Rossi al camping

1971

Sottaceti

1972

Oppio per oppio; Il Signor Rossi al Safari Fotografico

1973

Opera; La cabina

1974

Self Service; Il Signor rossi a Venezia

1975

Gli Sport del Signor Rossi

1976

Il Signor Rossi cerca la Felicita; La Piscinia; Allegro non troppo

1977

I sogni del Signor Rossi; Le Vacanze del Signor Rossi; Striptease

1978

Baby Story

1979

Happy Birthday

1980

Giallo automatico; Sandwich; Ma come fanno a farli cosi' belli? (4 films); Lilliput-put (13 films)

1981–83

Quark (35 films)

1981

Homo Technologicus (7 films)

1982

Tennis Club; Sporting; Homo Technologicus (8 films)

1983

La Pillola; Milano Zero; Sigmund; Nel Centro del Mirino; Homo Technologicus (6 films)

1984

Moa Moa; Sandwich; Homo Technologicus (8 films)

1985

El Dorado; Homo Technologicus (5 films)

1986

Spiaggia privata; Spider; Quark Economia (13 films)

1987

Sotto il ristorante Cinese (Below the Chinese Restaurant); Baeus; Quark (5 films)

1988

Sigmund (for TV); Mini Quark (29 films); Quark (6 films); Mister Tao

1990

Cavalette; Big Bang

1991

Dancing; Ski Love

1992

Tulilem

1993

Maleducazione in Montagna; Educazione al Cinema; Drop

1995

Help?

Publications

By BOZZETTO: articles—

Cinema International, no. 16, 1967.

Filmblatter, 2 February 1968.

Banc-Titre (Paris), October 1982.

Segnocinema (Vicenza), vol. 7, no. 28, May 1987.

On BOZZETTO: book—

Bendazzi, G., Bruno Bozzetto: Animazione primo amore, Milan, 1972.

On BOZZETTO: articles—

Rivista del Cinematografo (Rome), July 1964.

Film a Doba (Prague) no. 2, 1965.

Halas, John, and Robert Delpire, in Film and TV Graphics, edited by Walter Herdeg, Zurich, 1967.

Cinema International, no. 15, 1967.

Rivista del Cinematografo (Rome), January 1967.

Image et Son (Paris), November 1967.

Cineforum (Bergamo), November 1968.

Rivista del Cinematografo (Rome), June 1975.

Film Guia, June/July 1975.

Edera, Bruno, in Full Length Animated Feature Films, London, 1977.

Canemaker, John, in Film News, Summer 1979.

Film Library Quarterly (New York), vol. 13, no. 4, 1980.

Banc-Titre (Paris), December 1980.

Bastiancich, A., "Italie: visages de Bruno Bozzetto," in CinémAction (Conde-sur-Noireau), no. 51, April 1989.

* * *

Bruno Bozzetto's early education consisted of classical studies and some years at university devoted to law and geology, but since entering animation and design at the age of 17, he has succeeded in a field that was primarily dominated by the Hollywood-based studios, such as those of Walt Disney, Hanna-Barbera, and more recently, Filmation and Ralph Bakshi.

Bozzetto's main attributes are his consistency of output and his inimitable style of grotesque, highly individual caricature. He can define with simple outlines the true essence of a personality which is instantly recognizable and commands interest. As a film cartoonist, he is able to expand a character with the right behavior patterns and to create a complementary personality in depth. One of his stock characters, Il Signor Rossi, who appears in numerous short cartoons from 1960 onwards and in three of his feature-length films, became the symbol of the Italian "little man"; resourceful, determined, greedy, and vain, he charmingly puts his family interests above all others.

Bozzetto's rare asset is his ability to coordinate and control story continuity, characterization of personalities, development of story, complementary sound effects and music (which underline the behavior of his figures), humor (which never steps out of context of the subject), and ideas (which are within the bounds of the technical flexibility of animation) to achieve the final effect. His sharp, European wit differs from the American (which is more physical), inasmuch as he comments satirically on human shortcomings, such as greed and stupidity. Nevertheless, his humor is light, it never swings over into preaching, and is fixed firmly within the limits of traditional Italian comedy.

His large output, which includes several series for television and six full-length animated feature films, reached a peak with Allegro non troppo in 1976. A parody on a grand symphony concert, it plays on the unexpected happenings which could occur during such an event. The film combines pleasing graphic design, close relationships between choreography of movement and music, and a degree of visual progression which few animated films have achieved. Several of Bozzetto's shorter films, such as Alpha Omega, Opera, Ego, and Self Service, all classic cautionary tales for our time, exemplify his integration of graphic design, storytelling, and European humor.

—John Halas