taut, surprising Italian mystery
THAT AWFUL MESS ON VIA MERULANA by Carlo Emilio Gadda is one of the great modernist Italian novels of the 20th Century, often ranked alongside such classics as Joyce's ULYSSES or Robert Musil's A MAN WITHOUT QUALITIES; the novel is especially noted for its linguistic dexterity. As the crime is investigated, the police officer is confronted with a vast array of suspects in a tenement in Rome; as they come from all over Italy, each suspect presents a story told in another dialectic. This linguistic diversity gradually becomes vertiginous; the "case" is not solved, but is an excuse to introduce us to the mysteries of the Italian language.
Obviously, Pietro Germi's film of the Gadda novel cannot hope to encompass the linguistic virtuosity of the novel; instead, the film strips the novel down to its plot, which is still intriguing. This is one of the best Italian policiers, a taut, tense thriller with a wonderful array of characters, played by a wonderful cast that...
Pietro Germi is a great director as well as a good actor.
More than 50 years ago this film was introduced in Japan, and beame a hit with this beautiful music.
The theme song was so sad and romantic.
Again Eleonora Rossi Drago was not given a proper role.
Stylish mystery, Italian-realism school.
Stylish mystery, Italian-realism school. Plot, characters and Rome come together in a rare gem. New English subtitles easy to read.
Click to Editorial Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment