Cinematic structures in Italo Calvino's fictions.

The article examines the influence of cinema on Italo Calvino's literary style, arguing that his works incorporate specific cinematic techniques and forms, contributing to a distinctive "cinematic mode" in fiction. Through narratological and semiotic analysis, it identifies para-cinematic elements such as cinematic temporality, point of view shots, establishing shots, and montage in Calvino's narratives from *The Path to the Spiders' Nests* (1947) to *Mr Palomar* (1983), with *La signora Paulatim* (1958) exemplifying full cinematization. The study also highlights cinematic characterization in *Marcovaldo* (1963), which draws on classical slapstick comedy traditions, and situates Calvino's visual writing within an intermedial framework that blends literature and film culture without fully equating the two. Overall, the article positions cinema as a significant but nuanced influence on Calvino's prose, enriching its visual quality and narrative techniques while maintaining literary distinctiveness.