Under the Sun of Satan (1987) and Silence (2016)

The common thread is that these two movies are about priests. And they both have endings that stuck with me long after seeing them. I'll go into that at the end of each post - spoiler warning.

The first is the 1987 French film Under the Sun of Satan (Sous le soleil de Satan), starring Gerard Depaurdiu; he plays a priest in a small French village. I saw this at a revival screening in Chicago.

Movies about priests can be depressing. This is one of them.

At the very start of the movie, Gerard has a long tedious conversation with his superior (Maurice Pialat - the film's director) who is disappointed in him. Then we see Gerard whipping himself after having sinful thoughts.

Then the director focuses on a different story about a young emotionally tormented woman who may or may not have killed someone.  After a constant struggle with his faith and worthiness, the priest finally meets face-to-face with the woman (which seems to take forever), and we realize that the priest is almost as emotionally tormented to the same degree as the woman.  By the end of the film, the priest is looked upon as a something of a saint by the villagers.

I like the last scene of the movie, when the priest dies in the confessional -- he's laying there dead while Catholic after Catholic pass through and confess their sins, unknowing that a corpse is on the other side of the screen.

There's some deep meaning in that. After all, there are a lot of dead people in churches, even if they are alive.

Another blogger's perspective:

Surrender to the Void

Silence, directed by Martin Scorcese

Silence is also a dark film, but it has a different tone, an epic scale (nearly 3 hours), and set in Japan.

It is 1633 in Japan, and Christians and priests are being murdered and live in fear, as Christianity is outlawed. Liam Neeson plays a priest who survived persecution; he now lives in Japan but has renounced the priesthood. Two of his mentees (Adam Driver and Adam Garfield) travel from Portugal to Japan on a mission to find him, but they risk their lives every day they stay there. They meet a group of secret Christians who befriend them and want them to be their priest. One character they meet continually proves to be untrustworthy. Eventually both of the priests come to a crossroads where they are faced with the decision to renounce their faith.

The focus of the story is on Andrew Garlfied's  priest. We follow him throughout the duration of the film, and hear his narration throughout; frequently commenting on what life is like as a priest, providing a sense of his mind.

Having been raised Catholic and hearing about missionaries of the past who went out to other countries to bring Catholicism, this movie interested me.

The film is based on a book by a Japanese Catholic,  Shūsaku Endō, and directed by Martin Scorsese, also a Catholic who has tackled God and spirituality in some of his other films such as The Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun, about the life of the Dalai Lama. I read somewhere that Scorsese himself wanted to be a priest before he became a filmmaker. I think this film was his way to explore what life as a priest is like. It certainly gave me some further insight into the devotion of such priests.

Essentially what happens in this movie and in the book is that the priests have to renounce their faith, and end up living the rest of their lives in Japan. I'm guessing the book goes into more detail. But we learn that the priests eventually help officials identify Christian symbolism in the society where it is not allowed. I wish the film focused more on this part of the story.

At the end, Adam Garfield's character dies, and he's buried with a Christian cross in his casket, even though he could not practice his religion most of his adult life. It's an interesting image, and profound. Makes you wonder if a person leaves the faith tradition they were raised in, is it still a part of you until you die?

Going My Way (1944)

Sentimental. Sappy. Syrupy. Inspiring. Happy-go-lucky. This movie can be called all of those things.

Inspiring film comedy directed by Academy Award-winning director Leo McCarey ("The Awful Truth"). The theatrical trailer said it best, "For a world that needs the lift of its wonderful story": Bing Crosby plays happy-go-lucky young priest Father O'Malley, a new kid in town who comes to help out a struggling church shepherded by a curmudegionly old Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald), who is initially threatened O'Malley's optimism and enthusiasm. As the new priest settles into the neighborhood, he helps to reform some unruly neighborhood kids by getting them involved with the church. Proven to be a peacemaker in the community, he also helps out numerous other locals in need and also arranges a long overdue reunion between crusty Fitzgibbon and his elderly mother, in a very touching scene at the end. Academy members found it to be a sentimental favorite impossible not to love, and voted for it as the year's Best Picture, worthy of the honor in my opinion. Co-starring legendary Metropolitan Opera star Rise Stevens (in one of her only movie roles - she's wonderful) and Frank McHugh. 1944 was a great year for movies: "Laura", "Since You Went Away", "Double Indemnity". "Going My Way" should be seen at least once, along with its sequel, "The Bells of St. Mary's". Oscar trivia: Barry Fitzgerald was actually nominated twice this year for the same role: Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor! After this year, the rules were changed, and an actor could only be nominated once for a movie.

Read Becky's post on this movie at her blog Classic Film and TV Cafe.

Read Matt's review of Going My Way on his blog.

Becket (1963)

Peter O'Toole is great as King Henry II, who ruled England from 1154 to 1189.

When the Archbishop of Canterbury dies, he appoints his old drinking buddy, Thomas Becket (Richard Burton) to the post.

This is an intense, emotional drama that probes the changing relationship between two young men - between two close friends bound together by similar pride of flesh and spirit who become deadly enemies as they pursue their separate destinies: that of king, and that of saint.

Nominated for 12 Academy Awards.

In High School, I had to write a report about this film and play for extra credit.

- A post about Becket here at the Critcaretro blog 

The Rose Tattoo (1955)

First watched in 2004. Takes place in an Italian neighborhood on the gulf coast in Louisiana.

This was Italian actress Anna Magnani's first English-speaking film. She is wonderful as Serafina, a single parent and strict Sicilian Catholic who begins to withdraw from the world after her husband's death; she later learns of her husband's infidelities. Daughter (Marisa Pavan) starts to see boys, to her mother's disapproval.

Her mourning leads to depression but she begins to come out of it when she meets another Italian man named Alvaro (Burt Lancaster) a handsome truck driver with a rose tattoo on his chest. He brings a little zest into her life, though she's still tormented by her past.

In October 2009, one of my favorite blogs, European Film Star Postcards, did a great piece on Italian-born actress Marisa Pavan, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for "The Rose Tattoo". Check out the post.

Le Plaisir (1952) directed by Max Ophuls

Translated into English, "Le Plaisir" means "The Pleasure".

The film is a compilation of three short stories, and features a fine cast of French actors: Pierre Brasseur, Danielle Darrieux, Jean Servais, Simone Simon, and Jean Gabin.

According to the Criterion website, the film "pinpoints the cruel ironies and happy compromises of life with a charming and sophisticated breeziness."

Story 1: Le Masque (The Mask): Takes place in a dance hall. A rubber mask reveals an old man who loves to dance.

Story 2: Le Maison Tellier. (The Tellier House) A madame by the name of Tellier closes her brothel for the day and travels to the countryside with her workers for a Catholic mass. Meanwhile, a Jewish girl is touched by the serenity of the service.

Story 3:  Le Modele.(the model)  An artist meets Simon Simone in the Louvre and falls in love.

Fluid camerawork by cinematographers Philippe Agostini and Christian Matras.
Written by Guy de Maupassant. Directed by Max Ophuls.

Ida (2013)

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Ida - a critically acclaimed 2013 Polish film recently released in the United States - is the story of a young nun who is granted time away from her convent before she takes her vows. While away, she discovers some secrets bout her family's past that she never knew.

I found it to be very thought-provoking. The characters do things that you don't expect and makes you think about what you would do in their circumstances.

The film is beautifully shot in black-and-white; after a few minutes I was convinced I was watching a documentary made in the early 1960s (when the film is set).

Read more reviews at the blogs Black Maria | Cinema Romantico |  City Upon A Hill  |  Cinema Viewfinder  |  Wide Screen World | Surrender to the Void | Roger Ebert | Sheila O'Malley

The Nasty Girl (1990)

Before the opening credits, the director (Michael Verhoeven) explains that the characters are fictional.

The story, however, is inspired by true events, as noted on Ted's blog Just a Cineast earlier this year.

The movie is narrated by the lead character, thirty-something Sonja (Lena Stolze), who speaks directly to the camera as though she's a reporter. Kind of similar to what Michael Caine's character does in Alfie.

The stories she tells are all flashbacks, which makes the film feel something like a docu-drama.

Sonja tells stories about her strict Catholic upbringing in Bavaria and about her mom and dad, both teachers. In one funny scene, Sonja (as narrator), is interrupted by a group of unruly teens and she quips how she was raised very differently. Then we see a scene of her as a young teenager, presumably  in the early 1970s. It's remarkable how she can convincingly play a young teen and an adult. The early flashback sequences are in black-and-white, and then switches to color when she comes of age.

Most of the film is a recollection of her high school years the history assignment that changed her life forever. Sort of like Nancy Drew, she goes on an investigation, interviewing numerous people about her town's Nazi past. In the process, she uncovers some old wounds that the townspeople would rather not deal with. In her determination to uncover the facts, she develops a reputation of being a "nasty" girl. Ultimately her school project turns into a lifelong passion.

Despite the serious subject matter, the film has a lighthearted tone, and lots of quirky comedic elements that some critics - including Roger Ebert -  found confusing. But the style was OK with me. The pacing, the direction, and the editing of this film are done well.

Fellini's Amarcord (I Remember) (1974)

This is Fellini's Italy as he remembers it when he was a young boy. It's an an ensemble featuring a number of interesting characters centering around teenage Titto, his friends, family and neighbors. Fellini was not a fan of the fascism of the time and we see that in character's reactions to the new developments in the government. The film is like a scrapbook with a number of humorous stories about fascism, the Catholic church, school, and family. For example, Titto has a very grouchy and temperamental uncle and a loving and devoted aunt, and they often argue. These family scenes are very enjoyable. The town has a prostitute, and we get to meet her a bit. There is also a hairdresser character, Gradisca, played by Magali Noël. She's the woman who every man has a crush on, and eventually marries in the end, in a big wedding where everyone in town is invited. There are also funny moments in the classroom and with the teachers.

I really enjoyed this movie very much. I thought of Woody Allen's Radio Days and how similar they both are, and also thought of other coming of age films that owe alot to this film. It is very lyrical and beautiful to watch, photographed by Giuseppe Rotunno the same cinematographer who shot Robert Altman's Popeye, another movie that this reminded me of.

Though much less cerebral than 8-1/2, there are a number of symbolic elements that have kept critics discussing ever since the film came out, including the famous ship scene and the peacock scene. Why do they appear in the film? Well, the ship is a grand construction of Italy (based on the real SS Rex), and is source of great pride to the villagers. The peacock, well, that's not so easy to explain. It's rare appearance suggests royalty or even a angelic spiritual presence. There are a number of wonderful moments like that in the film, including a scene showing a rare snowfall that really happened one year. I haven't heard the DVD commentary yet but plan to because there's so much to enjoy in this, and so much history as well.

Magali Noël in Amarcord

Our instructor for the course was Dr. Constance Markey, who is the co-author of the 1978 book Federico Fellini: A Guide to References and Resources and the author of the 1999 book Italo Calvino: A Journey toward Postmodernism. She has taught Italian literature and film at DePaul University for many years. During our final class discussion, she and her husband brought in two bottles of wine for us to enjoy! It was nice. She taught us a few Italian words and phrases and talked about her travels to Italy, pointing out that many of the settings in Amarcord are still as they look today; she roomed in houses just like Titto's family's house.

She also mentioned that she and her husband went to see the Venice-set The Tourist (which I reviewed the other day here) but didn't care for it much other than for the scenery. She said movies like that don't stay in her head long after the film is over, like Amarcord . I didn't argue with her about it. The Tourist for me I guess is a guilty pleasure I suppose. 

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo

Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960)

La Dolce Vita is another classic film celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

A few weeks ago, Oct 30, 2010 to be precise, Fellini's film had a special anniversary screening at a Rome film fest where American director Martin Scorsese appeared in-person to introduce the film. It's been restored once again with 10 additional minutes of footage, most likely trims to shorten the film. (Read the report from the Associated Press) This is indeed intriguing. I'm assuming a new DVD will be released in the future with this footage.

My first viewing of this film was in a film appreciation course taught by Constance Markey who co-authored the 1978 book, "Federico Fellni: A Guide to References and Resources". For further insight, I like Roger Ebert's 1997 review of this movie, published just a few days after the passing of Marcello Mastrioanni in December 1996. Ebert said how he saw this movie at several points in his life; each time he saw something different about the main character. ¹ His essay helped me understand this movie, and I will be referencing it a few times in this post.

A NEW KIND OF CINEMA

Phillip French, writing in The Observer a few years ago, wrote that Fellini ²

"introduced a new kind of cinema appropriate to a country that had emerged from fascism, the Second World War and post-war poverty to embrace (at least in Rome and the north) a glitzy affluence and a changed set of values that challenged Catholic morality."

Bosley Crowther's review in the New York Times said, ³

"Dignity is transmuted into the sensational. Old values, old disciplines are discarded for the modern, the synthetic, the quick by a society that is past sophistication and is sated with pleasure and itself."

RISE OF TABLOID MEDIA AND MODERNIZATION

Set in Rome in 1959, Marcello Mastroiani plays a tabloid reporter who mingles with high and low society, aristocrats and outcasts, movie stars and peasants. He is a man who observes, and through Marcello and his sidekick photographer, Paparazzo (inspiration for the word "paparazzi") we are introduced to a number of characters.

Fellini had been living in Rome for 10 years - all through the 1950s - and had been observer like Marcello. He saw Italy rise into a more prosperous society after WWII. He would have met characters like we meet in this film, having been around people involved with the media.

It was during this time that a scandal took place in Italy, when in 1954 Italian fashion model Willma Montesi was found dead on a beach and a number of high society people were put in the spotlight. Though there is no direct parallel to the so-called "Montesi Affiar" in La Dolce Vita, there is a fashion model, a high society scandal, and a death on the beach. I'm sure Fellini was somewhat inspired by these events, and I think Italian and European viewers may have drawn the connections as well.

Another Italian scandal was an inspiration for this film. In 1950, Italian writer Cesare Pavese committed suicide at the age of 40. Pavase was schoolmates with Tullio Pinelli, the co-screenwriter of La Dolce Vita. Pinelli wrote the character of "Steiner" with Pavase in mind.

CHANGES IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

This film came out right after the papacy of Pope Pius the 12th, who had been pope for almost 20 years and all through WW2. His death in 1958 marked an end of an era, not just in Rome but worldwide. This was also the era of what is called Vatican II, where new regulations and procedures involving how the masses are said were introduced. For example, in English speaking countries such as America, more Catholic services could now be heard in English, and not Latin, which was a departure from centuries of tradition.

A COMMENT ON SOCIETY

The film has been interpreted to be critical of various society groups - the upper class, the lower class, the media, and the Catholic Church. People didn't like how Rome's society was portrayed, but I think Fellini is commenting on it, and the fact that people are turning away from the church and embracing more of sin. The hedonism portrayed in the film was a bit disturbing for its time, and it still is depressing to see the lead fall from grace, or rather, fall from potential grace.

THE OPENING SCENE

The opening scene establishes the Rome setting and establishes that Marcello is some sort of wild documentarian. The people who are carrying the statue are doing their job moving the sculpture of Christ. The immature ones that Fellini focuses on are Marcello and his crew. What publication they are working for is still a mystery. Fellini only wants us to know that Marcello is a guy who gets around, and he does, especially with the ladies.

In the film, Marcello is "turning away" from Christ (as his helicopter crew wants to flirt with the women) and instead, they turn to womanizing/sin. Sort of sums up the film. At least that is how I took this to mean, and I think it's close to what Fellini is trying to express. I don't think he's mocking Christ or Catholicism, he's just making an observation of what people are doing in Rome, and sadly, the Catholic church is reduced to the sidelines for many people.

At the time, some devout Catholics saw this opening scene as a parody presentation of Christ's second coming and found this to be blasphemous, especially since Fellini intended this movie to be a dark comedy. ⁴ I can understand this sensitivity because I have studied Catholic theology and have spent many years with Catholic people, teachers, and leaders.

Iconic representations are important to many Catholics; it's been a tradition for centuries. While watching the opening sequence, I recalled the enormous 33-foot statue of the Virgin Mary that travelled through Chicago in 1999 and 2000. She was called "Our Lady of the Millennium", and many Catholic churches in Chicago had the statue on their premises for a few weeks at a time. You can see some color photos of this taken by Oscar Mendez See Photos here. (Courtesy of Flickr) I had always wondered how the statue got around, so this sequence sort of answered that for me. To my knowledge, when this film was released in 1960 the Pope did not issue any death threats to Fellini nor any one associated with the film to cause anyone to go into hiding. I mention that because I thought of what would happen If Fellini included anything in the film that could be interpreted to be critical about Islam or showed any representations of Mohammed in the film. The ramifications would be very different.

STYLE AND TECHNIQUE

Allegorical: with this film, Fellini once again succeeds in making us think of the deeper meaning underneath what we are seeing on the screen.

Editing: There are quick jump cuts from one scene to the next without a sense of elapsed time. Because of these startling cuts, the movie lost me at times. Some other directors use this technique and I'm not a big fan of it.

Breaking the fourth wall: One character speaks directly to the camera to us, the viewers.

Other Fellini Films: It might help to have seen La Strada and/or I Vitelloni before watching this film. There's a bit of Zampano (from La Strada) in the Marcello character, and a bit of Fausto (from I Vitelloni).

POP CULTURE REFERENCES

A number of topical inside references may fly over a casual viewer's head. In the famous interview scene with bombshell Sylvia (Anita Eckberg) one of the reporters asks her about what the thinks about "neo-realism", a genre some critics have associated Fellini's early pictures with.

Toward the end of the film, Marcello mentions the young American actor John Barrymore (Drew's father) who actually had something of a buddy career in the late 50s and early 60s (even in Italian films) before he ruined his own life. (I will discuss more about him at the end of the post)

SEVEN DAYS?

It's been written that this film takes place over a period of 7 successive days. Really? I didn't pick up on that when I first watched. To me, it seemed like the film could span a month or even a year.

THE TITLE

For the longest time I kept thinking of how the title fits with the story, and I concluded that it must be the name of the gossip magazine that he works for: "The Sweet Life" Magazine. Well, that's my take at least.

THE SEVEN DEADLY EPISODES?

There are a number of episodes throughout the three hour epic. Some critics have suggested that all seven deadly sins can be found, but I haven't studied the film enough to agree with it. Ebert felt the same way when we wrote about this in his 1997 column. ⁵

SATIRE AND SYLVIA

I love the episode with Sylvia, the Marilyn Monroe-esque movie star. Marcello and Paparrazzo are there to greet her as she steps off the plane. It is interesting Fellini satire. Here we have a blond, buxom Swedish movie star visiting Italy and she's the toast of the town. Italian men loved their blond Swedish women, and I think that's the message of this sequence. I love how Marcello becomes so smitten with Sylvia that he goes out of his way to find some milk for the stray kitten she picks up. That's a classic moment. I think an entire movie could be made from this one episode.

THE SAD LIFE

Other episodes reveal more of Marcello. We are introduced to Marcello's girlfriend, an emotional basketcase, who he later verbally abuses. Then Marcello has a one night stand with a high society woman (Anouk Aimee) who, like him, is a game player. A modern film that reminded me of this sequence is Up In the Air.

We also meet Marcello's father who comes to town to get away from Marcello's mother, and to drink his cares away. In this sequence we learn that Marcello is not close at all with his father and that his family life is a wreck, which says alot I think about why Marcello is the way he is.

THE ANGEL AND MOMENTS OF INSPIRATION

We meet another acquaintance, Steiner (Alain Cuny), who greets Marcello warmly, in a church. This is the only time we see Marcello in a church.

Steiner and invites Marcello to a housewarming gathering and introduces him to his children. Steiner represents someone that Marcello can look up to, and appears to have it all together. Steiner even encourages Marcello to find better work than writing for a gossip magazine, and encourages him to pursue writing a book he's been working on for years.

This encounter with Steiner leads to one of the most interesting scenes in the film. We see Marcello off relaxing at at beach resort working on his book after he's been inspired by Steiner. He meets a young blond girl and calls her an angel, who he sees again later in the film.

THE FALSE VISION

One episode doesn't seem to be as connected to the rest (or is it?) is the one where Marcello and his girlfriend travel to the remote village to cover a supposed miracle that has taken place, a vision of the Blessed Mother (Mary, Jesus' mother).

It's been reported that two children see the vision, and it's Marcello's job to try and figure out what's going on. When we do see the little kids, they are running to and fro and giggling as they proclaim "there she is!" in every possible direction.

It is all a silly set-up, yet a mass of people still believe it. It's like that with almost any "vision". I don't think this sequence is a direct criticism of religion, but rather a criticism of those people who will exploit people's sensibilities, a theme of Elmer Gantry which came out around the same time in America.

Ebert wrote of the vision as "an idealized woman" who represents "the hope that she can solve every problem".⁶

In this sequence, I think there is something to the part where Marcello's girlfriend prays. She wants to believe in something, and something spiritual happens inside of her that causes her to pray that Marcello will propose. Fellini makes this painfully obvious to the viewer that she wants to settle down and start a family. But Marcello is not in the same world. Later in the film, she pleads with him again, but he kicks her out of the car and calls her a whore. It's a really sad and depressing part of the film when this happens. We are left to assume that Marcello's girlfriend has given up on life - and prayer - too.

THE SEA CREATURE (DEMON?) AND MARCELLO'S DARK DESCEND

Marcello's world is shattered when one of his friends commits suicide. He has given up on writing and has become a seedy publicity agent who begins to hang around a group of pleasure seekers, leading to a life of lasciviousness.

One day a large sea creature washes up on the shore, and Marcello and his entourage go to check it out. If you didn't know from mythology or theology that a leviathan represent the demonic, this sequence might not make as much sense. It's also interesting that Fellini ends the movie on the beach, just as he did in La Strada. In a way, it's almost the same ending. The leviathan washing up on the shore represents the lowest point in Marcello's life. The angel he sees at the end represents his only link to hope, to salvation, a second chance, which he turns away from.

Ebert wrote that he felt the opening and closing scenes are symmetrical, and the two main objects are meant to be symbols: ⁷

"the statue "beautiful'' but false, the fish "ugly'' but real. During both scenes there are failures of communication. The helicopter circles as Marcello tries to get the phone numbers of three sunbathing beauties. At the end, across a beach, he sees the [angelic] girl...[yet] he does not remember, shrugs, and turns away."

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT MARCELLO, JOHN DREW BARRYMORE, AND ZAMPANO

I am reminded once again of what happened to John Drew Barrymore, who is mentioned by Marcello near the end of the film, remarkably. Barrymore had all kinds of drug, alcohol, and domestic abuse problems before he became homeless and died without a pot to pee in. I see the Marcello character suffering a similar fate. At the end, he really looks like he could be dead in a few years. Of drugs. Of disease. Of suicide. I think Fellini is trying to tell us that there's nothing we can do for him. He ends up like a dog, just as his girlfriend predicted.

Ebert called this film "a cautionary tale of a man without a center". ⁸ I agree with that. It made me think again about La Strada and Zampano at the end. I wondered if he killed himself after the last scene. He could have, rather than living with the guilt and emotional torment.

La Dolce Vita is a prophetic film, in more ways than one. It's a unique work of art that could be be studied and analyzed for years to come.

The church where Marcello meets Steiner is the San Giovanni Bosco in the Tuscolano suburb.
It was built in 1957-58 in a monumental style of the Fascist period.

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References:

1. Roger Ebert. "The Great Movies: La Dolce Vita". Chicago Sun-Times. January 5, 1997

2. Philip French. “Italian Cinema’s Sweet Success”. The Observer. 17 Feb 2008.

3. Bosley Crowther. "La Dolce Vita: Fellini Film Lives Up To Foreign Hurrahs". The New York Times. April 20, 1961.

4. French.

5. Ebert

6. ibid.

7. ibid.

8. ibid.

Additional Reserarch:

Richard Wrigley. Cinematic Rome. Troubador Publishing. 2008.

Gregory D. Black. The Catholic Crusade Against the Movies, 1975. Cambridge University Press. 1998.

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Note: this post has been submitted to a special series of posts devoted to understanding Catholicism at Jackie's blog My Mother Wears Combat Boots. The series is called Catholicism 101 and if you are interested in Catholicism you can check out more here: http://2jackies.blogspot.com/2010/12/catholicism-101.html

La Strada (1954)

In Fellini's masterpiece, La Strada (The Road), Anthony Quinn plays a traveling performing artist, the great Zampano, and his sidekick is Gelsomina, played beautifully by Guiellta Massina. They travel from place to place. At one circus they meet a daredevil clown named "Il Matto"/"The Fool" played by Richard Basehart, who has a pivotal scene with Gelsomina. Fellini insisted on having Quinn and Basehart in these roles; he thought they were perfect for these parts, and I agree, they are. Their dialogue is dubbed by Italian actors (actually all the dialogue is dubbed, even the Italian-language roles) and their appearances made this an international hit film.

Some think this sequence is critical
of religion because it shows the
procession in a pompous way.
I didn't take it that way.
I think this scene shows further
development of her
character's spirituality and morality.

There's much that could be written about this allegorical film, and much has. The first time I saw this was in a film appreciation class devoted to Fellini. The course instructor said that ever since the movie came out, people have been arguing over its meaning.

In this post, I will share my take on some of the scenes discussed in the class, especially those that have kept me thinking ever since I first saw it. Note: there will be spoilers ahead.



To me, Gelsomina represents impressionible, childlike innocence. When she first watches Zampano perform, she doesn't even know how to react, and looks around for the cue of others. Zampano and The Fool can represent two sides of the nature of man, the bad and the good.

Here are some other thought provoking questions that I continue to ask myself about this film.
This is sometimes described as a "neorealist" film. Is it really?

My take: No. In a neo-realistic film you will find a political message and/or a statement about society, and we don't see that in this film. Like in I Vitelloni, this film is has no specific setting, and could take place in a number of locales.


How did Rosa die?

I might have missed it, but I don't think it was explained. Could Rosa have been beaten to death by Zampano? It's possible.

During the wedding scene, what did you make of the part when the little kids take Gelsomina up to see the little boy in the attic, and she looks at him and smiles? Why is she so interested in him?

I think the boy reminded her of herself when she was his age. I think she might have been bedridden and hidden from other people too. I thought there would be a follow up scene with Gelsomina going back up to see him again, but Fellini doesn't show the upstairs room again. It's interesting to note that right after this scene, Gelsomina decides to run away from the brutal Zampano. Something inside of her told her to get out.

What did you make of Catholic procession scene?

Why does Fellini frame the shot like this?

It looks like Fellini filmed a real procession here for this sequence. Such processions can be found in Mexico and other countries with a large Catholic population. In this part of the story, Gelsomina has escaped from Zampano, and she is experiencing a new freedom for the first time. She's also alone for the first time, and very impressionable. I love the shots of her delighting in a small bug she picks from the ground, or looking into a storefront. Such an innocent creature. I think this scene is meant to show her budding spirituality. Fellini implies that she goes to the mass because we see the inside of the church, and the scene cuts; we don't see Gelsomina praying or experiencing the mass. I also find this overheard shot with the saloon's sign to be an interesting juxstaposition; why does Fellini frame this shot this way? Perhaps it is to show that Gelsomina could head down several roads now that she is free from Zampano – she could become involved with the church, perhaps play music or even become a nun herself, or she could choose to be a saloon performer, and associate with a different crowd.

When Gelsomina and Zampanò spent the night in the convent, did they steal the silver?

I think they did, which is why she cries when they pull away from the convent. Zambano was so forceful that he likely forced her into stealing them. Fellini never shows them doing the deed (or not doing it).

Why does The Fool tease Zampano?

I'm not sure why. Fellini only tells us that they knew of each other before, and they clearly don't like each other when they are reunited. I think Zampano must have said or done something to him in the past to make him disrupt the circus like that. It could have been a physical fight, or he might have said something to really offend him.

Why does Zampanò go to the beach at the end? And why does he look into the sky?

I think he's suddenly realizing that he's totally alone in the world. This might even be a spiritual moment for him. Why does he go into the water? I think perhaps he wanted to go to the beach where Gelsomina died, so he could be there in some way to pay his respects. Some people in the class though he was trying to cleanse himself, which is why he walks into the water, but I don't think so. He breaks down because this is the lowest point in his life. He's in so much inner pain. I think he's realizing what Gelsomina really meant to her. Also, I'm wondering if he felt the same way when Rosa died. It's interesting that the movie begins and ends on the beach.

Another review from the blog Wide Screen World

Another take from the blog Confessions of a Film Philistine

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Note: this post has been submitted to a special series of posts devoted to understanding Catholicism at Jackie's blog My Mother Wears Combat Boots. The series is called Catholicism 101 and if you are interested in Catholicism you can check out more here: http://2jackies.blogspot.com/2010/11/catholicism-101_25.html

The First Legion (1951) with Charles Boyer and Barbara Rush

With a title like The First Legion, I was expecting either a war or horror film. Remember William Peter Blatty's "Exorcist" sequel novel, "Legion"? And opening this Friday in theaters, a new Dennis Quaid sci-fi/horror movie: The title? "Legion". Thankfully, this independently produced 1951 film is not a macabre film; it's a reverent, thought-provoking domestic drama about Catholic priests - directed by none other than Douglas Sirk and starring none other than Charles Boyer.

So what exactly is "The First Legion"? I may have missed any exposition in the film about this. As I understand, "First" in this context means "original" and "Legion" is referring to "legionary", or, the society of Jesuits founded by Loyola. Honestly, I don't know why the film wasn't just called "The Jesuits" or something a little more catchier. According to the TCM website, an alternate title was "Deep in Your Heart", but that sounds like a romance, and probably wouldn't have been a good choice either.

The title, in fact, comes directly from the original depression-era play by Emmet Lavery, which ran on Broadway at both the 46th Street Theater (now Richard Rogers) and Biltmore (now the Friedman) for 3 months in 1934 (Tom Ewell and Charles Coburn were among the actors in the original production).

The play was staged numerous times after the Broadway closing, as the the 1937 poster to the left shows. This particular stage production shown in the poster was part of the New Deal WPA Federal Theater Project. And notice how it was subtitled: "A Jesuit Play", a good clue to theater-goers of what to expect. I don't know enough about playwright Emmet Lavery - who also wrote the screenplay - to know if he had a Catholic or Jesuit background; the story suggests to me that he had some experience in or a good deal of knowledge of the priesthood or Catholicism. Among his film credits are just a handful of movies, including some lesser known war-themed gems, including 1943's Hitler's Children starring underrated actor Tim Holt (not to be confused with the Disney animated short of the same name) and Forever and a Day. He was nominated for an Oscar for writing one of Gary Cooper's last films, The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)

In my research I discovered some interesting differences between Lavery's play and film treatments. The original play featured an an all-male cast; the film adaptation has one character rewritten as a girl, the character of Terry, played by Barbara Rush. The ads and posters showcase her for good reason: she was an up-and-coming star, and generating buzz for yet another summer '51 flick, the sci-fi classic When Worlds Collide. In First Legion, (released just a few months before Collide), Rush plays the character of Terry as a fiesty high school girl, unable to walk due to a horse riding accident. Her bedroom is decorated with her own artwork (featuring dancers), and she dreams of walking and dancing one day.

Before her character is introduced, we meet an interesting group of Jesuit priests. Many spend most of their time in the seminary where they teach, in a small California town, the same town where Terry lives. We first meet one priest who loves classical music, and sneaks out whenever he can to catch a performance. Some get the opportunity to travel, including one who returns from India with some neat home movie footage. Another outgoing and fun-loving priest is played by the ever-reliable William Demarest; he and his fluffy pooch steal just about every scene they are in. And when some of the priests experience burnout, Boyer's character of the wise, French-born Father Arnoux encourages them to remain faithful and committed.

Boyer and Demarest are probably the most likable screen priests since Father O'Mally and Co. of Going My Way; you could almost imagine all of them as friends.

One day, a "miracle" occurs - one of the elder, bed-ridden priests (HB Warner, AKA "Mr. Gower" from my favorite movie, It's A Wonderful Life) suddenly walks, believed by some to be a miracle granted by the deceased Bishop Joseph Martin, who founded the seminary. Word spreads and a media circus erupts, not unlike the one in Ace in the Hole from the same year, ironically. Though there's no Ferris wheel nor rides (like in Ace), there are flocks of pilgrims, and merchants, selling fake holy water and statues of Bishop Joseph for $1. People with terminal illnesses and disabilities flock to the seminary gates for some sort of inspiration - including Terry. But Terry's doctor (Lyle Bettger) advises her against going there.

Uninterested in media hype and exploitation, the priests keep the chapel doors closed, but at the same time work on ordaining Bishop Joseph a saint, which lead to some interesting sequences that portray the inner workings of the hierarchy often questioned in this story, a theme of other Sirk films.

Boyer's wise Father Arnoux character (not French in the play) was a lawyer in his past career, and he does a little investigation into the medical history of the "revived" priest. Boyer is great in this role; he really brings to this movie what it needs, and you'll be convinced he is this priest. There is a sequence in the film where he is confronted with a chain-smoking, seminary-dropout doctor. After the doctor confesses a diabolical scheme, Father Arnoux begins to pray for him in a moving scene which I thought showed the depth of this priest's compassion for other people's souls, even the malicious.

A visually appealing (some very impressive composite shots) and thought-provoking film.

Deanna Durbin in Christmas Holiday (1944)

If you happen to think this Deanna Durbin film is all about gingerbread and mistletoe, forget it. The title of this noirish drama (based on the novel of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham) is a bit misleading, in my opinion. And I'd rank this among my top 10 films taking place at Christmas, yet aren't necessarily "Christmas films".

Dean Harens plays an American soldier on his way home for the holidays in San Francisco. He's forced to spend time in New Orleans when his plane has to make an emergency landing. Stranded and alone on Christmas eve, he walks into a house of ill repute and meets lonely singer/prostitute Jackie Lamont (Deanna) who wants to spend the holidays with him. Does she want to go to bed with him? No, she wants to go with him to midnight Christmas mass (!) Needless to say, she has some deep, dark issues.

The film, mostly told in flashback, is about the complex situation of Deanna's troubled character and her involvement with her husband, played by Gene Kelly, a two-faced, convicted killer. Kelly makes his film entrance from beyond the shadows of Deanna' bedroom as she sleeps. Creepy. Though Dean Harens' character is reluctant to get involved, how can he not? It's Deanna, after all.

Memorable for being Durbin's darkest film, one of Kelly's earliest films, and the one where she sings "Always". Her version became a WW2 staple. With Gale Sondergaard. Directed by Robert Siodmak. The music score by Hans Salter was nominated for an Oscar. Deanna is very good in this dramatic role, and she's beautifully photographed in every scene she's in. The film leaves you wondering why she didn't make more movies like this. Or more films, period.