Malombra

ThisutterlygorgeousGothicmelodramawouldbewidelyhailedasamasterpiece,haditnotbeenmadeinItalyduringtheMussoliniregime.Agrossinjustice,asMalombra-unlikePiccoloMondoAntico,MarioSoldati'searlierfilmofanAntonioFogazzaronovel-containsnotonemomentoftriumphalistflag-wavingorFascistfamilyvalues.OddlyakintoRebeccainitsatmosphereofdeath-hauntedromanceandvoluptuousdoom,itreachesapeakofvisualrefinementofwhichHitchcockcouldonlydream.<br/>　　ItsstarisIsaMiranda(famous,andnotwithoutreason,asItaly'sanswertoGarboandDietrich)playingaheadstrongbutunstableyoungnoblewoman,confinedbyheruncletoagloomyvillaontheshoresofLakeComo.Ayellowedandcrumblingletter,foundinanoldspinet,convincesherthatsheisthereincarnationofheruncle'sfirstwife-anothertroubledbeautywhodiedavirtualprisonerafterbeingcaughtinaforbiddenloveaffair.Whenahandsomeyoungwriter(AndreaChecchi)comestostay,MirandadecidesthatHEisthereincarnationofthedeadwoman'slover.Gradually,shelureshimintoherwebofsexandrevenge...<br/>　　Whatmoretosaywithoutspoilingthefun?MirandagivesaperformancetorivalanyofthegreatdivasofHollywood.OnlyDavisandStanwyck,perhaps,couldplayabadgirlsoboldlywithoutlosingallsympathy.Theevocationof19thcenturyaristocracy,initsfulldecadentsplendour,isvisuallyanddramaticallyflawless-amodelforsuchlaterItaliangemsasVisconti'sSensoandTheInnocent.<br/>　　Ithelped,perhaps,thatSoldatihimselfwasaleadingnovelist.Blessedwithanabsoluterespectfortheclassicsheadapted,butinnowayinhibitedbythem.Hewasalsotheguidingspiritofthenow-forgotten'calligraphic'movement,whichbroughttheItaliancinematosuchwondrousaestheticheightsduringWorldWarTwo,onlytocollapsebeforethehorrorofNeo-Realism.CanweblameSoldatiforgivingupfilm-makingindisgustandgoingbacktowritingnovels?<br/>　　Soifyou'veeverfelt(asIdo)thatRossellini'smuch-toutedRome-OpenCityistheworkofanamateur...well,Malombraisthefilmyouhavetosee!