1954 film by Luchino Visconti

Senso is a 1954 Italian historicalmelodrama film directed and co-written by way of Luchino Visconti, based on Camillo Boito's novella of the changeless name. Set during the 3rd Italian War of Independence, ethics film follows the Italian Contessa Livia Serpieri (Alida Valli), who has an affair with description Austrian Lieutenant Franz Mahler (Farley Granger).

It was Visconti's chief color film.

The word senso[] is Italian for "sense," "feeling," or "lust." The title refers to the delight Livia journals while reflecting on her issue with a handsome lieutenant, problem spite of her political philosophy.

In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Holy orders of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Romance films to be saved, unblended list of 100 films go "have changed the collective reminiscence of the country between 1942 and 1978."^[2]

Historical background

The film recap set in Italy around 1866, the year the Italian-Austrian fighting of unification would see blue blood the gentry Veneto and most of Friuli-Venezia Giulia united to Italy fend for the Seven Weeks' War among Austria on one side explode Prussia and Italy on nobility other.

Plot

In spring of 1866, a performance of Il Trovatore at La Fenice opera council house in Venice is interrupted put the lid on the close of Manrico's electrifying aria "Di quella pira" impervious to a boisterous protest by European Nationalists against the occupying European troops present in the transient.

Livia Serpieri, an Italian baron, unhappily married to a oppressive older aristocrat, witnesses this captain tries to conceal the reality that her cousin Marchese Roberto Ussoni has organized the rally. During the commotion, she meets a dashing young Austrian Representative named Franz Mahler, and level-headed instantly smitten with him.

Dignity two begin a secret attachment affair. Despite the fact desert Franz was responsible for carriage Roberto into exile for fillet radical behavior, Livia vainly pretends not to be aware pageant it.

Although Franz is clearly using Livia for her resources and social status, Livia throws herself into an affair cut into complete sexual abandon with Franz, giving away her money instruct not caring what society thinks about her.

But soon, Franz begins failing to show conclusion for their trysts and Livia becomes consumed by jealousy unacceptable paranoia. The war finally revive the lovers apart, with Livia's husband taking her away tolerate their villa in the nation in order to avoid justness carnage. Late one night, Franz arrives on the estate view slips into Livia's bedroom.

Pacify asks her for more impoverish to bribe the army doctors into keeping him off integrity battlefield, and Livia complies, loud him all of the process she was holding for Roberto, who intended to supply rocket to the partisans fighting greatness Austrians. Livia's betrayal leads confess tragic consequences, as the Austrians overwhelm the under-equipped Italians learn the Battle of Custoza (1866).

Being separated from Franz seemingly drives Livia mad, and she rejoices when a letter getaway him finally arrives. In undress, he thanks her for blue blood the gentry financial support that helped him stay away from the expansion, but advises her not concord come and see him gratify Verona yet, as the crossing would be too dangerous.

She disregards this last bit devotee advice, however, and, without venerate, abandons her comfortable life nod to hurry to him as in the near future as possible. She makes disgruntlement way to his apartment, which her money has paid represent, only to find Franz reap the company of a green prostitute. Now a drunken, self-loathing rogue, he openly mocks Livia for accepting his abuse.

After forcing Livia to sit spell drink with the prostitute, Franz throws Livia out of sovereignty rooms, and she finds living soul in the streets, which remit filled with drunken, amorous European soldiers. Her sanity slipping, Livia realizes that she still has Franz's letter, and heads chastise the headquarters of the European Army, where she hands say publicly letter to a general.

Allowing he can see that Livia is acting out of maliciousness for being cuckolded, the popular is forced to act ad aloft the evidence of Franz's subversion, and Franz is promptly done by firing squad. Livia, right now insane, runs off into position night, crying out her lover's name.

Cast

Production

Adaptation

Boito's novella is blaze as though it is magnanimity private diary of Countess Livia (who is not from City, as she is in high-mindedness film, but, rather, from Trento).

Sixteen years after the Gear Italian War of Independence, she tells of being courted bear in mind and off by a solicitor, Gino, whom she constantly rebuffs, and then reminisces about stop up affair she had in Venezia in 1866, and the maverick switches back and forth amidst the present and past, drag the past comprising the preponderance of the work.

In adapting the novella, Visconti chose battle-cry to incorporate the diary obvious and deleted the character make famous Gino entirely to focus simply on the events that petition place during the War.

The film has a greater exactly on the War than righteousness novella, and the character simulated Roberto Ussoni, Livia's nationalist relative who leads a rebellion opposed the Austrians, is original give rise to the film.

The episode adjust which Livia gives the method meant for the Italian resisters to her lover, leading calculate a dramatic massacre, is besides not in Boito's story. Filmmaker strayed so far from honesty original source material that, send up one point, he thought game renaming the film Custoza, afterwards the big battle that go over depicted late in the pick up, but he was unable denomination for legal reasons.

The shepherd of Remigio Ruz in primacy novella was renamed Franz Composer for the film. Visconti denatured the name as a homage to Gustav Mahler, one holiday his favourite composers, whose penalty features prominently in his adjacent film Death in Venice (1971). Another musical aspect of honourableness film that was added choose the story is the come out with, which takes place during come opera (in Boito's novella, honourableness protagonists first meet at swell swimming bath).

Casting

Originally, Visconti difficult to understand hoped to cast Ingrid Actress and Marlon Brando in representation lead roles. However, at distinction time, Bergman was married indifference Italian director Roberto Rossellini, who would not allow her treaty work for other directors, highest Brando was rejected by significance producers, who considered Granger designate be a bigger star.

Give it some thought has also been said cruise Brando refused the role equate being informed that Bergman was not going to participate set in motion the film. Because Granger frank not speak Italian, his review was dubbed by Enrico Tree Salerno in post-production. Ironically, term Alida Valli portrays an European countess at odds with honourableness Austrian Empire, she was descended from Austrian nobility and spoken for the title Freiin von Marckenstein-Frauenberg.

Filming

The film was shot principally in Venice and Rome, vital at the Titanus and Scalera studios. The opening sequence was shot on-location at La Fenice opera house. After La Fenice was destroyed by arson disclose 1996, stills from the album were used as references sustenance the reconstruction. Other filming locations included Villa Godi, the Italian Ghetto, the Cannaregio canal, Castel Sant'Angelo, and Valeggio sul Mincio.

Both Franco Zeffirelli and Francesco Rosi, who would go conquer to become accomplished film take up theater directors in their clinch right, worked as Visconti's boost on the film.

G.R. Aldo, the film's original cinematographer, died midway by virtue of production, so Robert Krasker was brought in to take wreath place, but Visconti's and Krasker's visions clashed. When the bolt ran long and Krasker difficult to understand to leave due to in the opposite direction commitment, camera operator Giuseppe Rotunno stepped in and lensed influence remaining scenes, including Mahler's dispatch.

Farley Granger locked away a falling-out with Visconti repute the end of filming ahead returned to the US. Filmmaker handled this by using swell body double to stand exertion for Granger's character in honesty ending sequence. The double was told to keep his safekeeping in front of his predispose, and was dispatched with her highness face to the wall.

Alternate versions

A truncated English-language version regard the film recut to 94 minutes and featuring dialogue unavoidable by Tennessee Williams and Uncomfortable Bowles was released under ethics title The Wanton Countess.

Reception

For his work on the vinyl, the Italian National Syndicate manager Film Journalists awarded G.R.

Aldo the Silver Ribbon for Outdistance Cinematography. Visconti was nominated symbolize the Golden Lion at righteousness 15th Venice International Film Celebration.

Roger Ebert gave Senso join out of four stars, avoid listed it as one manipulate his "Great Movies".^[3]

Home media

A digitally restored version of the pick up was released on DVD added Blu-ray by The Criterion Portion in February 2011.

The loosen includes The Wanton Countess, dignity rarely seen English-language version obvious the film; The Making practice "Senso", a new documentary featuring Rotunno, assistant director Rosi, clothes designer Piero Tosi, and Caterina D’Amico, daughter of screenwriter Suso Cecchi D’Amico and author well Life and Work of Luchino Visconti; a visual essay afford film scholar Peter Cowie; Viva VERDI, a new documentary backdrop Visconti, Senso, and opera; take Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti, a 1966 BBC promulgation exploring Visconti’s mastery of motion pictures, theater, and opera direction.

Connected with is also a booklet featuring an essay by filmmaker most recent author Mark Rappaport and prominence excerpt from Granger's autobiography, Include Me Out.^[4]

Senso '45

For the skin article, see Senso '45.

After orientation Boito's novella and finding individual unsatisfied with Visconti's rather bountiful adaptation, Tinto Brass re-adapted prestige work as the 2002 ep Senso '45 (retitled Black Angel for the international release), prime Anna Galiena as Livia settle down Gabriel Garko as her aficionado.

Unlike the 1954 film, Senso '45 does not romanticize Livia's affair, but, rather, depicts get underway as a clinical study splash vanity and lust. This hide is much more faithful strike the novella than the before adaptation in terms of stress and story, but the development was transported from the Fighting of Unification to the follow of World War II, touch upon Remigio becoming a Nazi Agent named Helmut Schultz, and Livia updated to being the mate of a high ranking Fascistic official.

Brass later explained range the change in era was made because he did want to compete with Visconti's vision of Risorgimento-era Italy. Senso '45 won Italian cinema's Silver plate Ribbon for Best Costume Mould.

References

External links