THE 'FICKLE GODDESS' AND FASCIST MODERNISM NOVELTY IN A STYLE THAT MOVES BETWEEN AUTARCHY,FASHION, SYNTHETIC FABRICS, PROPAGANDA AND NEW FORMS

摘要

Dea volubile ("The Fickle Goddess"), a brief documentary film by the Istituto Luce, presented fashion as a flighty muse. The sudden firing of a shell heralded the new century with the energy of war, new dances and a "revolutionary" art. "Foreign words and barbarian rhythms," warns the narrator's voice as images flash from the feet of a couple dancing the Charleston, to a black musician and a list of words to avoid: bar, tea room, dancing. Meanwhile, the voiceover concludes disconsolately, "Fashion continues to watch Paris". These were the years of Fascism, when totalitarian ambitions espoused the desire to "make history", as well as a relish for creating and renewing the nation.