Final answer:
The assertion that Neo-realist filmmaking was strongly influenced by French Poetic Realism is false. While Poetic Realism and Realism influenced Italian Neorealism, they are separate movements with different characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Neo-realist filmmaking style was strongly influenced by the French Poetic Realism is false. Neo-realist cinema arose in Italy after World War II and it was characterized by stories set amongst the poor and the working class, filmed on location, often using non-professional actors.
While French Poetic Realism, which developed in the 1930s, also depicted everyday life and was one precursor to Italian Neorealism, the two are distinct movements. Italian Neorealism was more focused on the realities of post-war Italy and used a more documentary style of filming, often showing the economic hardship, oppression, injustice, and desperation faced by ordinary people. French Poetic Realism, meanwhile, had a strong narrative element and often included a fatalistic view of life but was noted for its stylization rather than the documentary realism of Neorealism.
Looking at the broader artistic movement of Realism, it began in France in the 1850s as a reaction against Romanticism and aimed to portray 'real' contemporary subjects and situations with truth and accuracy. Realist works depicted people of all classes in ordinary life situations, often reflecting the changes brought on by the Industrial and Commercial Revolutions. The movement influenced various forms of arts including literature, painting, and eventually cinema.
It is important to note that while Realism and French Poetic Realism preceded and influenced Italian Neorealism, to say that Neo-realism was strongly influenced specifically by French Poetic Realism simplifies the complex interactions and influences within European cinema movements.