This play, a fantasy in the Italian style, takes place at the beginning of the 18th century in a Spanish colony of Latin America ruled by viceroys appointed by the King of Spain. Although filmed in English, this is essentially an Italian film reflecting what Renoir saw as his ‘move towards classicism … of Italy before Verdi and romanticism’. Attention to detail in dress and decor (and Vivaldi’s music), was important to this shift in style. Renoir saw his film not as drama, farce or burlesque but as a ‘sort of irony that I tried to combine with the light-headedness one finds, for example, in Goldini [an 18th century Italian comic dramatist].’ He saw the period and the subject as theatrical so he structured the film like a three act play with the acting ‘a little exaggerated … a confusion of theatre and life’. Renoir diverted Magnani’s ‘ultra-romantic, naturalistic style’ into the mix of spontaneity and classicism central to the commedia dell’arte.
Credits: Producer, Francesco Alliata ; director, Jean Renoir ; writers, Jean Renoir, Jack Kirkland, Renzo Avanzo, Giulio Macchi ; photography, Claude Renoir ; music, Antonio Vivaldi.
Cast: Anna Magnani, Duncan Lamont, Paul Campbell, Riccardo Rioli, Odoardo Spadaro.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
X000433
Language
English
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)