Occasionally - perhaps about once every other Fall - I catch up with a vintage (vintage in the sense that it was produced way, way back) movie that has attracted rave reviews, albeit not always on its initial release, and find myself asking questions such as WHAT? WHERE is the Style and/or Content? WHY all the fuss? Mensa members reading this will be ahead of me and aware that I have the same problem with this entry. I WANTED to like it, I always want to like a given movie and Renoir isn't exactly chopped liver; no one enjoyed his French Can Can or La Grande Illusion more than I but I did find Le Bete humaine on the so-so side. Here the big problem was Magnani. She is a fine actress no doubt and I myself have seen her give some tremendous performances but the Beauty That Drives Men Mad? I think not. For reasons best known to Renoir and/or his cameraman they have contrived to shoot her in such a way as to suggest she was suffering a bad case of mumps on the floor; tempestuous, yes; volatile, yes; histrionic, yes but incandescent? You've got to be kidding. It was a nice idea to try to replicate the Commedia del Arte and lots of the set-ups are easy on the eye but overall, what's it all about, Alfie.

It was very interesting to read that French director Jean Renoir (Boudo Saved from Drowning, La Grande Illusion, La Règle Du Jeu (The Rules of the Game)) made this film in the English language, he planned to make a French version but had no money to do it, so this the original that all the critics praise. Basically set in 18th Century, in a small Central American town in Peru, a travelling Commedia dell'Arte theatre company arrives to entertain the people and the high society aristocracy. The chief aristocrat of the town is the Viceroy (Duncan Lamont), who has recently bought a fabulous golden coach from Europe to give to his mistress. But this plan changes when he gets to to know the leading lady and actress of the troupe, Camilla (Anna Magnani), he falls in love with her and gives the coach to her instead, and she starts to become accustomed to the high life. She is however also loved by the troupe leader and the local toreador (bullfighter), and the situation becomes a problem for the Viceroy who has his minsters shocked with his reckless extravagance and plan to get rid of him. In the end Camilla solves the situation by donating the coach the Bishop of Lima, and she returns to the theatre troupe and there is a big celebration for their preponderance. Also starring Odoardo Spadaro as Don Antonio, Nada Fiorelli as Isabella, Dante Rino as Harlequin, George Higgins as Martinez, Ralph Truman as Duke, Gisella Mathews as Marquise Irene Altamirano, Raf De La Torre as Chief Justice, Elena Altieri as Duchess Paul Campbell as Felipe and Riccardo Rioli as Bullfighter. It was handy that I did not have to read any subtitles through the film, the cast were all fine, especially Magnani who was radiant as the performer turned unlikely high class socialite of sorts, the story was just about simple enough that I could pay attention to the right parts, the costumes and use of colour is lavish, it feels like a play on stage, I'm sure that was the point, a likable period drama. Very good!

I would say that the only reason I gave the film a 5 was because it was so darn pretty. The vivid Technicolor and the amazing sets were certainly impressive. But the story itself? It was so very dull and unengaging. The film was intended to look like a play within a movie and unfortunately, this was part of the problem--it lacked realism and seemed stagy. Also, the casting of Anna Magnani as the gorgeous and captivating lead was just completely wrong. It seemed to really stretch credibility to have the earthy and rather unattractive lady be so ardently pursued. The Viscount was willing to give every thing up for this lady, but I just couldn't see why. He barely knew her and she just looked old. I usually don't comment on the unattractiveness of a star, as this seems really shallow, but when the woman is so incorrectly portrayed as possessing intense sexual magnetism, it does affect the viewing experience.

I would also like to add that the music was great. This film and The Wild Child (Truffaut) both had scores from Antonio Vivaldi. Considering Vivaldi's been dead for more than 2 centuries, I doubt if he got any royalties!