L'innocente (1976)

I've seen several movies by director Luchino Visconti and although the art in those movies are excellent, mostly they are, for me, very slow. So far only Rocco and His Brothers which I thought very captivating - for it's very dramatic. Now I have added L'innocente to this list. L'innocente is the last movie by Visconti, and he had died before the premiere.

L'innocente tells about rich aristocrat Tullio Hermil (played wonderfully by Giancarlo Giannini), who has an affair with widow Teresa Raffo (Jennifer O'Neill). This affair is publicly known, and his wife Giuliana (Laura Antonelli) can only accept it. Tullio can even discuss his mistress with his wife and tell her to stay silent in order to avoid further scandal. In her loneliness, she cannot resist the charm of writer Filippo d'Arborio (Marc Porel), who is brought to the house by Tullio's brother. Tullio is suspicious that his wife has an affair and he tries to win her back. The day after their reunion as husband and wife, Tullio learns that Giuliana is 2 months pregnant. He knows he is not the father. He contacts his brother so he can meet Filippo, but his brother tells him that Filippo is gravely ill.

Tullio himself has an affair, but he cannot accept if his wife is infidel. He perhaps can forgive her if she doesn't carry a souvenir from her affair. Tullio tries to kill the baby before it is born. To protect the baby, Giuliana pretends that she also hates the baby - and this proves to be fatal, because it gives Tullio encouragement to murder the baby, the innocent. Tullio can never win Giuliana back for his two rivals are dead.

Teresa is also not faithful to Tullio. She has another suitor, to whom she often makes promises. Tullio is not faithful, yet he demands his wife and his mistress to be faithful to him.

Le notti bianche (1957)

Two years ago I saw clips from Le notti bianche in a RAI documentary about Luchino Visconti and at that time thought that the movie seemed boring. However as I had collected several Visconti works on DVD and it happened that last month this movie was on 50% discount, I thought I would try to watch it because in it there was Maria Schell, whom I thought was great in Gervais.

I just finished watching the movie and I must say that I like it very much. It's a beautiful story in a beautiful setting. It's about dream and hope.

On his way home, Mario sees a girl crying on a bridge. He offers if he can takes her home, thus begins a friendship between them. They promise to meet again the next night, then she tells him that she has been waiting for her lover, who has promised to meet her on that bridge. Her name is Natalia and her lover was a tenant in her house. One night the tenant took her, her grandmother, and her servant to an opera; and the next day he told her he was going away and that he would be back in a year. Mario thinks Natalia is crazy, for during the one year there is not any news from the tenant. "We agreed not no write to each other," she says. Mario tells her to stop waiting and ask her to learn to love him instead.

But who is dreaming? Who is having a false hope? Mario or Natalia? Among all the movie I have seen, this is certainly one of the most romantic. In the end, as the white snow falls, it seems that a new hope is born - as it turns out, but only for one of them.

Marcello Mastroianni usually plays annoying characters, but in this one, I really sympathize with his character. I wanted Mario to live happily ever after with Natalia and that the tenant never came.

Boccacio '70 (1962)

Boccaccio '70 is anthology of 4 segments about love and morality in modern times, each directed by a great Italian director. Giovanni Boccaccio is a 14th century Italian writer and the stories in this movie is what he might have written. As for the year '70, the directors joked that with the censorship that time, the movie might would be released only in 1970.



1. Renzo e Luciana by Mario Monicelli
I have never seen Mario Monicelli work or Marisa Solinas before. What struck me at first, was the colour of this movie. Monicelli seemed to use limited colours (especially compared to the 3rd & 4th segments), but it looked wonderful. Luciana (Marisa Solinas), a book-keeping clerk, has signed a contract not to marry, so when she marries Renzo (Germano Gilioli), a courier in the same factory, they must hide the fact. There is also problems at home because in the small house, the new couple don't have their own private room. In the end, she realises that if they both are kicked out from the factory, with the bonus money, they can afford to have their own place.


2. Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio by Federico Fellini
Antonio (Peppino De Filippo) is a conservative who cannot stand the new billboard of Anita Ekberg in a sexy position selling milk. He complains everywhere but is ignored. In the end he starts seeing things. For me this segment is very scary - and I heard this was a comedy! There was a point when I couldn't stand it anymore (I was so frightened!) and moved forward to segment 3. Never knew that Anita Ekberg could be so menacing. Her face was so scary. I wonder what it would be like, if Fellini was to work on The Picture of Dorian Gray - perhaps it would be the scariest movie I have seen. The song "Drink More Milk" by Nino Rota is very catchy.


3. Il lavoro by Luchino Visconti
What would you do if a tabloid printed your affairs with call-girls on front page, which makes your father-in-law stops sending you money? Count Ottavio (Tomas Milian)'s source of money is his wife's father, a German capitalist. His lawyers advise him to talk to his wife Pupe (Romy Schneider). However, Pupe decides to be independent and finds a job. As she only can make love, she tells her husband that if he wants to make love to her, he must pay her the same amount as he gives to the call-girls - only since there is no pimp, he will spend less.


4. La riffa by Vittorio De Sica
To pay back taxes, Zoe (Sophia Loren), a shooting-booth manager in a carnival, offers herself for one night in a lottery. The men try to buy the winning number from a lucky sacristan, but he won't give up to prove himself to his mother and the town. On the same day, she is attracted to a handsome young man, who becomes jealous when he knows what she is about to do.


Each segment is very good and 4 the main actresses are outstanding, although in segment 2 the main character is a man.

Death in Venice (1971)

Death in Venice tells about composer Gustav von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) who comes to Venice for a holiday, in the Lido island. He is a very reserved person, very unhappy because of the death of his dear daughter, and seems the hotel manager (Romolo Valli) is the only person he talks to. His life is changed when he sees a young Polish boy in a sailor suit, Tadzio (Björn Andresen), who, in his opinion, possesses the ideal beauty. He falls in love with Tadzio, but doesn't have any courage to talk to him. At first they only exchange glances, then Tadzio seems to come nearer. Later, Aschenbach stalks him, and finally: he caresses Tadzio's hair. Aschenbach tries to find out the truth about the health notices posted in the city so he can warn Tadzio's mother (Silvana Mangano), even though it means the family has to leave Venice and he cannot see the boy anymore. The movie ends with the death of the composer on the beach, straight after seeing perhaps the most beautiful vision in his life: Tadzio, his legs in the sea, pointing to the sun.

Based on a novel by Thomas Mann, Death in Venice is a beautiful movie. Luchino Visconti recreated Venice in 1911. If you have seen any work of Visconti, you know how he paid attention to details - and this movie is no exception. The character of Aschenbach is based on Austrian composer/conductor Gustav Mahler, so Visconti used Mahler music for the movie. [In the novel, Aschenbach is a writer.] Like Aschenbach, Visconti himself was obsessed by beauty. The movie itself is very very slow and perhaps only can be enjoyed if one is not in a hurry.

The face of Tadzio reminds me of Shinobu Ijuin from Haikara-san ga Tōru (published here under the title of 'Miss Modern' in the early 90's) by Waki Yamato, originally published in 1975-1977. The hairstyle is also similar. Ijuin is so beautiful that 'it pains me when I look at him', says his fiancée Benio.

La Terra Trema (1948)

In 1947, Luchino Visconti went to Sicily to make a short documentary. However, after staying there for several months, the project turned into something much bigger. La Terra Trema (=The Earth Trembles) was to consists of 3 episodes: about the fishermen, the peasants, and the sulphur-mine workers. Only the episode about the fishermen was finished (thus the subtitle: Episodio del mare), probably because of the financial trouble. As the project was going, Visconti had run out of the initial budget and continued with his own money.

Starring by the real Sicilian fishermen, this movie focused on the Valestro family in the Aci Trezza village. The fishermen work hard, but the money they bring home is hardly enough. Last night's work is for today's food, and tonight's is for tomorrow's. The wholesalers force them to sell their fish cheap. A young man, Ntoni Valestro, believes that they can get out of this poor life. "He has serviced military in the mainland and learnt about injustice," says his brother Cola, when the old generation wonders why the young just can't accept the life as it is: "The poor is always poor". Ntoni mortgages the family house, buys the boat, and plan to sell the fish to Catania directly. It sounds easy, but in one stormy night, the boat is destroyed. With the loss of the boat, the Valestro family lost every thing and in hunger they must place themselves back into the merciful hand of the wholesalers.

I somehow scratched my head when the Valestros think they are rich after the mortgage of the house. The heap of cash has made them forget that they have to pay the bank back. People around them also think the same. Nicola, the house-builder, knows that he is now too poor to marry Ntoni's sister Mara whom he loves.

After the loss of the boat, the Valestros are out of job. It seems never-ending troubles come to them then. None will hire Ntoni (probably afraid of the wholesalers), his girlfriend is gone, Cola runs away (probably to America), the grandfather falls ill, her sister Lucia becomes an officer's mistress, Mara has lost her better opportunity to marry, and the family house is confiscated. The movie ends with sort-of happy ending, as Ntoni has to swallow his pride and asks the wholesalers to hire him again.

The language used in this movie is the Sicilian dialect, which underlines the sense of poverty.

Ossessione (1942)

Luchino Visconti's first film, Ossessione, is based on James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice. I haven't read the book or watched the 1946 movie version by Tay Garnett, so I can't compare.

The beautiful Giovanna is unhappy with her marriage with the fat, dirty, but rich Bragana in Ferrara. Enters Gino, a handsome tramp, who works temporarily for Bragana. Giovanna and Gino fall in love to each other and plan to murder the husband. The police have their suspicion, and the guilt after makes both Gino and Giovanna realize that life is not as beautiful as they have dreamed.

Giovanna marries Bragana because she wants a home. Gino is a tramp who cannot easily stay in one place for a long time. She refuses when he asks her to go away with him, to leave the husband she hates. Love is one thing, but Giovanna sees the reality of life. She cannot leave her comfortable home. She cannot live like Gino. After the murder, Gino has to stay with her and this makes him miserable. When she tells him that Bragana has a life insurance, Gino thinks that she has drawn him into the mess, and now he has blood in his hands. [This is very interesting, especially after watching new movies where people seem to kill without blinking.] He reconciles with her, after she told him that she is pregnant his child. With the police in tail, she finally agrees to leave with Gino, but they have a car accident.

Bellissima (1951)

Last year, I watched an excerpt from Bellissima in a documentary about Luchino Visconti from RAI. It showed a little girl crying, while men laughed at her. That seemed not interesting enough. However, recently I watched a couple of Cesare Zavattini's works and liked them, and found out that this movie was also based on his story, only this time he worked with Visconti instead of Vittorio De Sica.

Compared with Visconti's other works, Bellissima seems to be a little movie. Stella Film is looking for a little girl between 6 and 8 years old. Maddalena, a mother who gains money by injecting diabetic people and is crazy about cinema [Their house is near to an outdoor cinema. She can even tell Burt Lancaster by his voice! I actually think that at that time, Burt Lancaster's voice must have been dubbed by an Italian. She must have known all of the lines in the movie.], wants her daughter Maria to get the part. She does her best to achieve this dream. Although she has a strong personality, means no one can tell her what to do, in her anxiety, she polishes Maria with an acting lesson, a ballet practice, a new hair cut and a new gown - because other people say this and that. She spends her last lira to buy presents for the director's wife, the cameraman... but she soon knows that the man whom she gives the money to uses it to buy a new scooter for himself.

Anna Magnani as Maddalena is excellent. I like her here better than in Rome, Open City (1945). Maddalena is so real and reminds me of obsessive mothers who want their kids to be the best, get the first rank in class, etc. The little girl is also very good. She is very cute and I prefer her with long plaits. She looks innocent in the beginning of the movie, and very polished in the end with the curls and the ballet gown. Gastone Renzelli, who plays Maddalena's husband Spartaco, was not a professional actor and discovered at a slaughterhouse in Rome. There is also Walter Chiari, who was the most sought after actor in Italy at that time.

Visconti has made changes from Zavattini's story. In the original, after all Maddalena's efforts, Maria is not accepted. In this film, Maria gets the contract, but only after a humiliation and tears. Maddalena's anger has turned into a bitterness. Her little girl is not an object to laugh at. The studio cannot wipe away the humiliation with two million liras. Maddalena decides that Maria will stay at home.

Ludwig (1972)

This movie is about King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886), from his coronation until the day he was found drown in the river with his physician. They say this king was mad, and here Visconti takes us to a journey, to know about this king, mostly from the testimonies of the people near to him. Falling in love with his married cousin, Elisabeth of Austria (Romy Schneider reprised her role as Sissi, but different from the sweet character from the popular series. Here, she tells Ludwig bitterly about her loneliness, that Franz Joseph chooses to go to war instead to be with her, and how she never gets along with her mother-in-law.), Ludwig is disappointed when Sissi tries to make him marry her sister, Sophie. Ludwig asks for her hand, but later breaks off the engagement. He spends state money to indulge his favourite musician, Wagner, and his favourite actor, Joseph Kainz. He also spends lots of money to build castles: Linderhof, Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee; which are left empty. Finally his ministers cannot endure his eccentricism anymore and has a physician to declare him mad and unfit to rule. He is taken to Berg Castle, where later he and the doctor are dead.

The movie is extremely beautiful. As I have never been to Germany, I am really grateful with the numerous shots of the castles, i.e. when Queen Elizabeth comes to inspect them. The scene I love most probably when Ludwig feeds the swans.

The DVD comes with a documentary about Luchino Visconti from RAI, which is also included in Masters of Cinema's Rocco and His Brothers. However, there are also documentary about Suso Cecchi d'Amico, the writer who has worked with great Italian directors; and actress Silvana Mangano; both are very interesting.

The Damned (1969)

Luchino Visconti's The Damned is a very complex movie and should be watched more than once. The story is about the Essenbeck family in Germany who owns a steel factory. It begins in February 1933 with the birthday celebration for Joachim von Essenbeck, who has most of the factory shares. In this party we are introduced to the family members: Herbert Thallman, his wife Elizabeth, and their two daughters Thilde and Erika; Konstantin (a member of SA) and his son Gunther (a student); Frederick Bruckmann, an executive from the factory who is also the lover of Sophie (Joachim's daughter-in-law. His only son has died as a war hero.), Martin (Sophie's son), and Aschenbach (an SS captain). The celebration is interrupted by the news of the Reichstag (the parliament building) Fire. Herbert, who is a liberal, has a dispute with Konstantin, and the conservative Joachim takes this opportunity to choose his successor: Konstantin. The ambitious Frederick, with Aschenbach's support, asks Sophie to help him getting the power. On that night, Joachim is murdered and Herbert runs away to Austria. After his argument with Konstantin, it isn't safe for him to stay. Although his gun is the murder weapon, we all know the killer is not Herbert, but Frederick. Herbert later is be forced to return, because Elizabeth and the two girls are sent to the camp in Dachau. Elizabeth dies in the camp, but in exchange for the girls, Herbert must give himself up. After Joachim's death, Martin, as the sole heir, under his mother's influence, appoints Frederick to be the company's president. Later, Konstantin holds proofs that Martin has molested little girls and uses him for his favour, but Sophie finds out that Konstantin has power on Martin. On the Operation Hummingbird (Night of the Long Knives), in which SA members are massacred, Frederick himself kills Konstantin. At this point, Martin himself has become to hate his mother and destroys her with incest. He still allows Frederick marries her, but gives the new couple poison to drink. That leaves Martin as the most powerful decision maker on the factory which makes weapons.

Visconti paid much attention to details as always, so the production design, sets, and costumes are amazing. I myself particularly like the clothes worn by Charlotte Rampling. Apart from Visconti's name, what made me want to watch this movie was the SA massacre scene, which was included in a program about the director I saw several months ago. I thought the scary scene was very well done.

Rocco and His Brothers (1960)

I like Rocco and His Brothers better than The Leopard, because for me the story of poor rural migrants struggling in a big city is more moving than an aristocrat who realizes he has become old.

Rocco and His Brothers tells about the Parondi family. The eldest son, Vincenzo, has already been in Milan when his mother arrives with 4 more sons from southern Italy to escape from their miserable life. Things begin to get bad when the 2nd son, Simone, blinded by his initial success as a boxer, becomes a drunkard, gambler, and petty thief; and get worse when his lover Nadia falls in love with Rocco, the 3rd son.

I was lucky that when I was about to get the DVD, there was a new version coming out in the UK, with interviews, documentaries, and a 40-page booklet. Italian movies are not so easy to understand (unlike Hollywood productions) so it makes me glad if the extras on the DVD are as many as possible. The booklet contains lots of information, including why Luchino Visconti chose Alain Delon to play saintly Rocco, why it’s called Rocco and His Brothers (not Simone and His Brothers, for example), and the change of the family name from Pafundi to Parondi. Although the movie is quite long, almost 3 hours, and it wasn’t boring at all. It's a serious movie with very good studies on the characters. The rape scene is one of most moving moments in film I’ve ever seen, so is the scene when Rocco tells about the hatred grows up in him. Among the wonderful cast, in my opinion, Renato Salvatori stood out as the troubled Simone: his hopeful spirit when he first came to Milan, until how bad he turned to be in the end. Rocco and Ciro, the 4th son, both adore Simone, but they act differently. Rocco does anything for Simone's sake, but Ciro is the sensible one and does what is the best for the family. Rocco thinks that if Nadia comes back to Simone, Simone will be good again; but it’s not true; for when she is still with Simone, he has already been lazy and drunk too much. Nadia is leading a new life, but Rocco’s decision makes her lost her growing faith, and although he has a good intention, it leads them all to a tragic end.

The DVD contains 2 soundtracks: Italian and French, which enable me to hear the real
voice of Alain Delon and Annie Girardo (who interestingly murmured their dialogues in French); for both are dubbed in the Italian soundtrack. The black and white images are great. It’s nice to see how Milan looked like in 1960. The most beautiful background must be the roof of Duomo di Milano. I have a friend who told me that Italy has more beautiful buildings than anywhere in the world.

Il Gattopardo (1963)

Casting an American actor to play an Italian prince must be not an easy decision, but Burt Lancaster is very convincing as the Prince of Salina, although he is dubbed entirely in Italian. Il Gattopardo, directed by Luchino Visconti, is a masterpiece, won the Palm D'Or in 1963. Every detail was carefully attended, I wish my television were bigger. After giving some thought about what version I should take, I finally bought the region 2 DVD, which was relatively cheaper than region 1 which actually had more extras - but I decided that I didn't need a cut English dubbed version. The region 2 has commentary by Forgacs and Capitano, which I find very helpful in understanding the movie. However I still had to read some Sicilian history, especially during 1860-1862, in order to appreciate this movie better.

Based from a book by Prince of Lampedusa, Il Gattopardo begins with the interuption of a morning prayer in Prince of Salina's house because the servants have found a dead soldier in the garden. At that time, Garibaldi has landed with his troops in Marsala, seeking freedom from the Bourbons. Tancredi, the prince's nephew, whom he loves more than his own children, goes to join the rebels, and comes back with a wound near the eye and a promotion. A war may take place, but the people's life doesn't change. The prince and his family, like always, go to Donnafugata for their holiday. The prince's daughter, Concetta, developes an expectation that Tancredi is in love with her and will ask for her hand; but when Father Pirrone tells the prince about it, the prince says that Concetta is only dreaming, and that Tancredi needs a very rich girl to meet his ambition. That night Don Calogero comes for dinner with her beautiful daughter Angelica, and soon Tancredi, who has left Garibaldi and now joins the royal army, falls in love with her. The prince approves because Don Calogero, although not well learnt, has lots of land and money. The story culminates in the ball in Palermo, where for the first time Tancredi introduces his fiancee to the high society and the prince realises how old he has become.



I read complains about how long the ball is, it takes about 45 minutes - but I disagree and must say how I enjoy it: the music, the costumes, the decorations - are superb. Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale made a very beautiful couple and it is lovely to see them dancing, so happy they were. In English, the title of this movie is translated to 'The Leopard' - which is not 100% accurate (Gattopardo is a large African cat), but it refers to the big prince with his side whiskers and 'paws'. On the left, you can see the family crest.

My favourite moments:
1. The dog won't let go Tancredi's hand. I heard that Visconti rehearsed every
movement, but this must be an accident. I don't believe anyone can train a dog like that!
2. The singing is so boring that the dog yawns.
3. The local band keeps coming in at the wrong moment.
4. The prince slaps his knee so hard he hurts himself.
5. Tancredi and Angelica dance together.

'If we want everything to stay as it is, everything has to change.' ~ Tancredi Falconeri.