The history of cinema, and notably that of post-war Italian cinema, can only be understood in the context of other contiguous cultural disciplines. World literature, including that of France, Germany, and Russia, played a key role in the development of post-war Italian film and the cinematic technique it has come to embody. Moving away from the usual modes of defining this period - a trajectory that begins with neorealism and ends with Bertolucci - this work offers proof that coming to terms with literary texts is an essential step toward understanding the motion pictures they influenced. The means of recreating literature for the screen has changed drastically over the last half-century, as has the impact of different national traditions on Italian cinema. The text links postwar Italian cinema to general intellectual concerns such as the relationship between literary authors and cinematic auteurs. Moreover, the analysis of the impact of French, German, and Russian cultures on Italy brings forth a new reading of Italian cinema, a new paradigm for exploring complex issues of authorship, culture, and art.