In 1914 an ephemeral production, the Film Morgana, launched a successful movie, centered on the description of the neighborhoods of Naples and the main spearhead of a current verismo in Italian cinema. His title was Sperduti nel buio (Lost in the Fog) , led by Nino Martoglio. Especially praised in the 30's, during World War II was seized by the Nazis and from there, making cruel honor his title, came to join the list of hit movies is not lost know if forever. For a better idea of \u200b\u200bwhat each other meant that realism has come Neapolitan one of their top performances: Assunta Spina (1915) Gustavo Serena y. .. Francesca Bertini, produced by Film Caesar in Rome. Gustavo Serena (1881-1970) already know in his role as actor for his role as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1912) Ugo moth and, especially, having starred as Petronius, "arbiter of elegance "in Quo Vadis? (1912) by Enrico Guazzoni. His performance career stretches from 1909, with the help of Mario Caserini in Bianca Cappello, until late 1950, with several appearances in film unaccredited sound, as in Rufufú . His career as a director is shorter, concentrated almost entirely in the silent cinema, and has Assunta Spina and Lady of the Camellias , also in 1915, its main titles.
For a long time ignored appropriations Assunta Spina in not recognizing the work of Francesca Bertini in managerial and in writing the script. His long life (1892-1985) allowed him to assert himself as such and give the reasons for this absence. The main one: the concept of woman director was frowned upon and could be a commercial ballast. Many of the ideas were his and other script you were rejected, also for commercial reasons, such as writing signs in Neapolitan dialect. Unlike other "divas" such as Borelli, Bertini was credible both popular characters (the ironing of clothes Assunta Spina) and ladies of high society (the noble character of La Dame aux Camelias ). His career focused on the silent and sound principles until 1930, both in Italy and in France (worked for Marcel L'Herbier). Since then made sporadic film appearances, with high economic demands for those who have adored it for a tribute. One that did it was in his Bertolucci Novecento (1976). This was his farewell as an actress, but not his last appearance on screen, sad honor to be a television documentary, which will be discussed in the following article, entitled The last diva: Francesca Bertini (1982), in which a Bertini octogenarian asks to see a screening in private screening of his Assunta Spina.
The movie has an argument with elements certainly rough: the popular atmosphere in a neighborhood of Naples, she Assunta Spina (Francesca Bertini), who works for ironing, is engaged to Michele (Gustavo Serena). Alerted by an anonymous letter, which notifies you of anyone wanting also Assunta, Michele bursts after birthday party for his beloved, in which it accepted dance with the young Raffaele. Michele, jealous, and brutally beaten in public in the face of Assunta, leading the police to arrest him. Despite efforts to defend Assunta, Michele is sentenced to two years in prison. To avoid being transferred to a prison outside Naples, Assunta just having sex with a prison official, Federico (Carlo Benetti), which just fell in love. The day comes that Michael gets the freedom and this is the beginning of a tragedy. At their reunion, Assunta confesses her love for Frederick and Michele go to kill him. Federico falls stabbed near Assunta, who, to protect her former lover, declares the author of murder.
an argument, it certainly sordid, it could have resulted in the hands of a German filmmaker a few years later in a dark movie, full of long shadows, torn gestures, bizarre dreams and glitter of a dagger. In this case, we face a more sober film, with two distinct aesthetic parts. The first abounds in outdoor environments, both on the streets of Naples and in the solitary walks or accompanied by the sea. The second, more somber, unfolds in indoor spaces and ends with a full technical bid: ten minutes (nearly a quarter of the length of the film) with a fixed camera in a small room in the dark, based on the performance of the actors, an interpretation that sometimes exceeds the likelihood. The latter may seem a contradiction, but the realism was as regards both the translation "verismo" popular environments as an operatic dimension of interpretation. In that small space takes place Assunta conversation with a colleague, the surprise arrival of Michael after his release from prison, the tension between them in crescendo to the confession of love by Federico Assunta, the latter's death with a dagger crossed (After an insert in which Michele Federico chases down a street) and the arrival of the police to stop taking the Assunta. The camera still does not move and a FINE then appear as a banner as part of the room that served as a main stage of the last section of the tape. Some windows allow you to see something outside shading the street, just a blurred figures who pass by. Everything changes with the completion of the tragedy, and the faces of onlookers crammed into the glass. These visuals and the tension of what happens, reminiscent of the statist legacy of the theater space, help to give meaning and effect to this risky bet that closes the film.
It is possible that the filmmakers were aware of the impact of this commitment and this may explain in part the desire of the film reaches that point, causing everything to go very fast in the rest of the tape. It is quite obvious that the movie needed more footage to better explain the evolution of the relationship between the keeper Federico Assunta and more suggested than shown, and scenes like the one that motivates the imprisonment of Michael, attacking Assunta, not very satisfactory. Initial images are beautiful, the sea and the streets of Naples, and create some movie magic, but sometimes stays in the picture and out of tune with the breakneck speed with which events are occurring, as a gesture to the gallery.
With its pros (betting techniques, lighting and Bertini) and cons (some aspects of narrative), this is a film that became legendary and included several new versions: the 1930, directed by Roberto Roberti, starring Rina De Liguoro, that of 1948, Mario Mattioli, Anna Magnani, and a recent television, Riccardo Milani, with Bianca Guaccero as Assunta. No, not even the Magnani, falls short of the Bertini, an actress from which we will talk a lot these next few days.
