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.
Tapum!, la storia delle armi
La storie delle invenzioni
Un Oscar per il Signor Rossi
Alpha Omega
I Due Castelli ; Il Signor Rossi va a Sciare
Il Signor Rossi al mare
West and Soda
Il Signor Rossi compra l'automobile
Una vita in scatola ; L'uomo e il suo mondo
Vip mio fratello superuomo
Ego
Il Signor Rossi al camping
Sottaceti
Oppio per oppio ; Il Signor Rossi al Safari Fotografico
Opera ; La cabina
Self Service ; Il Signor rossi a Venezia
Gli Sport del Signor Rossi
Il Signor Rossi cerca la Felicita ; La Piscinia ; Allegro non troppo
I sogni del Signor Rossi ; Le Vacanze del Signor Rossi ; Striptease
Baby Story
Happy Birthday
Giallo automatico ; Sandwich ; Ma come fanno a farli cosi' belli? (4 films); Lilliput-put (13 films)
Quark (35 films)
Homo Technologicus (7 films)
Tennis Club ; Sporting ; Homo Technologicus (8 films)
La Pillola ; Milano Zero ; Sigmund ; Nel Centro del Mirino ; Homo Technologicus (6 films)
Moa Moa ; Sandwich ; Homo Technologicus (8 films)
El Dorado ; Homo Technologicus (5 films)
Spiaggia privata ; Spider ; Quark Economia (13 films)
Sotto il ristorante Cinese ( Below the Chinese Restaurant ); Baeus ; Quark (5 films)
Sigmund (for TV); Mini Quark (29 films); Quark (6 films); Mister Tao
Cavalette ; Big Bang
Dancing ; Ski Love
Tulilem
Maleducazione in Montagna ; Educazione al Cinema ; Drop
Help?
Cinema International , no. 16, 1967.
Filmblatter , 2 February 1968.
Banc-Titre (Paris), October 1982.
Segnocinema (Vicenza), vol. 7, no. 28, May 1987.
Bendazzi, G., Bruno Bozzetto: Animazione primo amore , Milan, 1972.
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
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: