In some of the previous reviews mentioned Italian film diva word associated with a phenomenon inherited from the nineteenth-century theater which was a genre in itself. To understand just see some title to Francesca Bertini, Lyda Borelli and Pina Menichelli, among others. But they can also be two notable documentaries: The last diva: Francesca Bertini (1982), directed for television by Gianfranco Mingozzi, and Diva Dolorosa (1999), a Dutch documentary directed by Peter Delpeut. In the first, we have the opportunity to see a nonagenarian Bertini, three years before his death, with ideas and very fresh memory despite her age, going through his films. A highlight of the tape is the private screening of Assunta Spina at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. And stands in their arrival at the center and its priceless conversation with the head of the file, it complains that still continue to save flammable film, saying that with the amount of bad films that have gone to other formats, does not understand how it did not pass own good. Their resolute character and his knowledge of the film are also shown in the instructions that will give the maker of the documentary that she is "only" player and that is, as he said later, she was aware of all the details of the camera in relation herself.
As the projection begins Assunta Spina is claimed as the film director ("Gustavo Serena was good, but it was only my partner") and is providing technical details and argument about what will appear. It messes with neorealism, claiming all the time she was already using natural light here, the lack of makeup and use of nonprofessional actors. Its intent, which ended not crystallized, using the Neapolitan dialect on signs, little signs, as the detested Bertini (well, at a time that says "Assunta worried," she wonders if he had to that label, "and is is concerned "). Although the phenomenon of hate divas, stresses that this did appear" ugly "and disheveled, for added realism, something that also contributes to natural light and almost no movement of the camera (" then the camera moved very little "), as well as the scenes went out because she never rehearsed, something a bit disconcerting to other players. Surprise at any time to review the dialogue from the film for two reasons: his memory and that these dialogues are not reflected in the titles, but leave the silent lips of the actors, which represents Bertini for a moment the figure of "explainers" of the old cinemas.
The documentary also stripped, or rather points, some aspects of the life of the Bertini, like his encounter with an old Eleanora Duse, after attending a screening of this Fedora ,'s favorite movie Bertini , meeting held in Rome hotel where Duse was withdrawn. It also discusses the reasons of its own withdrawal, tired of having shot many films (one hundred titles) and have made them so fast (and a half months between preparation, filming and editing), justification for adding to their wedding in 1921 Count Paul Cartier and banker. Another detail of his biography, unknown, was staying for ten years in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhere he made up to three hundred performances of the theatrical adaptation of La Dame aux Camelias .
The other title, Diva Dolorosa, is not exactly a documentary but rather a collage , superbly fitted to describe only showing the phenomenon of divas and their aspects. It is available as a grouping divas megapelícula scenes from various sources on a same broad themes, without comment, beyond his written introduction and dating of Baudelaire, Wilde and others which leads some of the chapters. From among them the first, by claiming an ideal woman "beautiful and sad", which goes well with the figure of the divas. Concepts are also associated with the "tortured soul" or mysticism and associated so closely with death and extreme feelings. To intermarry scenes from various films reveal storylines and themes, as well as interpretive behaviors common to all of them. Thus, there are many who resort to looking in a mirror as diva peak, as a symbol of duality that sticks in these women, beautiful on the outside, tormented inside. The incidence of light and shadows on them, their presence distinguished environments and the tragic consequences that their love brings in men and themselves, eventually alone. Two interesting documents not only this issue but also for silent films in general and how to deal with disclosure. As the first route, direct oral testimony of the protagonists it is almost impossible today, the second track of Diva Dolorosa, ie recreation through the assembly of the relationship is a good movie way to approach the constants of the genera and their strengths and weaknesses.
