PASSIONE D'AMORE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.3
Year Released: 1981 Re-release: Fall 1994 Running Length: 1:56 Rated: No MPAA Rating (Sex, nudity, violence)
Starring: Bernard Giraudeau, Massimo Girotti, Jean-Louis Trintignant,
Laura Antonelli
Director: Ettore Scola
Screenplay: Ettore Scola
Cinematography: Claudio Rogoni
Released by Kino International
In Italian with subtitles
1994 has offered an opportunity for American viewers to catch a snapshot of the career of the well-respected European actor Jean-Louis Trintignant. Earlier this year, with the re-release of Bernardo Bertolucci's THE CONFORMIST, the (relatively) youthful Trintignant was featured in an early leading role. In the final installment of Krzysztof Kieslowski's THREE COLORS trilogy, RED, a more grizzled Trintignant, twenty-four years older, appears opposite Irene Jacob. Now, with the second theatrical engagement for Ettore Scola's 1981 PASSIONE D'AMORE (resurrected because of the success of Steven Sondheim's Tony-winning musical PASSION, which is based on this film), we get a performance chronologically midway between the other movies.
Actually, as far as acting goes, Trintignant's performance is one of the high points of PASSIONE D'AMORE. Controlled and quietly passionate, the actor never overplays his role--a qualification that cannot be applied to his two co-stars, Bernard Giraudeau and Massimo Girotti. Ettore Scola's film contains a number of good ideas, more than one of which is sabotaged by a display of histrionics.
PASSIONE D'AMORE is essentially a "Beauty and the Beast" story with a twist. Set in 1862 Italy, Scola's film examines familiar themes from a different perspective. This time, it's the man, Giorgio (Giraudeau), who is the specimen of physical perfection. He becomes the object of an obsessive and unhealthy attraction developed by Fosca (Girotti), the homely daughter of Giorgio's commanding officer in the Italian army. As repulsed as he is by her appearance, Giorgio nevertheless attempts to befriend the ailing Fosca, but inadvertently becomes trapped in an unwanted relationship when the woman's doctor (Trintignant) informs him that without his attention, Fosca will die. This situation not only threatens Giorgio's own health, but drives a wedge into his relationship with his alluring lover, Clara (Laura Antonelli).
Of course, the major theme is that, ultimately, there isn't necessarily a connection between physical appearance and love. The affair between the comely pair of Giorgio and Clara proves fragile while the feelings binding the protagonist to Fosca, although taking time to develop, are both deeper and more lasting. Actually, Giorgio is the only one to acknowledge this truth. Even Fosca, desperately longing for affection, doesn't see it, observing that it's impossible to love someone as ugly as she is.
A secondary issue dealt with by PASSIONE D'AMORE, and the one that sets it apart from most similar films, is the potentially-devastating nature of any passionate relationship. Love is more often presented as a destructive force than something positive, with the corrosive effects of obsession used as a prime example. It's never clear whether the change in Giorgio's attitude to Fosca is caused by an inner revelation or is the result of her unremitting, slavish adoration eventually eroding his defenses and sanity.
Combine these two themes, and there's fertile territory for a powerful motion picture. Unfortunately, PASSIONE D'AMORE too frequently crosses the line separating thoughtful production from overacted melodrama, thus at times eviscerating its potential impact. Girotti's displays of emotion aren't always appropriate and Giraudeau fails to display the range demanded by his character, the only one to really undergo a transformation. Despite these acting deficiencies, the story is strong enough to be disturbing, and worth seeing by all who don't demand a Disney-like ending to every version of this age-old tale.
The above represents the opinions of the author, and not necessarily those of Bellcore or any organization within Bellcore.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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