Thursday, May 26, 2005

La notte di San Lorenzo / The Night of the Shooting Stars



Tähtikirkas yö / Stjärnklar natt . IT 1981. PC: RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana, Ager Cinematografica. P: Giuliani G. De Negri. D+SC: Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani. DP (1,66, colour, Agfa): Franci Di Giacomo. PD: Gianni Sbarra. M: Nicola Piovani; Verdi: Requiem; Wagner: "O du mein holder Abendstern". ED: Roberto Perpignani. Location: Tuscany.
    CAST: Omero Antonutti (Galvano Galvani), Margarita Lozano (Concetta), Claudio Bigagli (Corrado), Massimo Bonetti (Nicola), Norma Martelli (Ivana). 108'.
    A vintage 35 mm print, mediocre definition, with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Eija Pokkinen / Maya Vanni.
    Viewed at Orion, 26 May 2005.

During the retreat of the Germans in WWII the inhabitants of the Italian town San Martino flee during the night fearing a retribution which does indeed occur, during a service in the church, of all places. This is the story of the flight of a group of people of all ages. On a field they meet the partisans and join them, having to change names in the process. The story culminates in the final battle with the Fascists, where former friends slay each other. The news of liberation are received in pouring rain. There are several dimensions in this historical epic: it is a study of society in extreme transformation; strangers become bedfellows, friends become mortal enemies. History blends with legends from the Classical Age as all is seen through the memory of a six year old girl who now tells a bedtime story to her own little daughter. The famous image of the Fascist impaled by a dozen spears is a fantasy of the little girl.

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