28 August
        A very interesting retrospective: "Venice Fifty Years Ago: The
Mostra of 1947," showing the films that were presented at the Venice
FilmFest in 1947.  Just a sample: *The Stranger* by Orson Welles,
*Die Morder Sind Unter Uns* by Wolfgand Staudte, *Gente del Po*
(first film) by Antonioni, *Caccia Tragica* by Giuseppe De Santis,
*Odd Man Out* by Carol Reed, *Le Diable au Corps* by Claude
Autant-Lara, *The Woman on the Beach* by Jean Renoir, *Leave her to
Heaven* by John Stahl, *Spellbound* by Alfred Hitchcock, *Farrebique
ou les Quatre Saisons* by Georges Rouquier, *The Story of G.I. Joe*
by William Wellman, *Admiral Nakhimov* by Vsevolod Pudovkin, *Quai
des Orfevres* by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
        In competition today (with my personal prediction that it will win
the Golden Lion): *Historie Milosne* by Jerzy Stuhr (Poland).
        Dedicated to Krzysztof Kieslowski--with whom Stuhr worked in a
number of films (including *Trois Couleurs: Blanc*), "to express his
gratitude for Kieslowski's helps and suggestions for the script up to
the eve of his death," *Historie* features Stuhr in four roles: a
college professor, a priest, an innmate, and a soldier engaged in
relationships with women of different ages.  Of these characters
Stuhr said: "Its is essentially a single character, a jedermann of
medieval theater.  The different social positions condition the
bahavior and language of each person.  For an actor, it's marvelous
to have four roles to wrap around himself at once."
        In the "Noon" section, *The Locusts* by Patrick Kelley (USA)
with Kate Capshaw, Jeremy Davies (a sure Oscar nomination for best
non supporting actor), Vince Vaughn, Ashley Judd.
        Michel Piccoli's directorial debut with *Alors,
Voila,* (France).  After the screening, Piccoli met with the public
and of the title he said that he dislikes titles that explain
the film and this title stands for a sentence a la "Once upon a
time,..." nothing more.  Somebody invoked the name of Jacques Tati,
while I was waiting for the name Godard to appear, but nothing
happened until I went up to him and mentioned Uncle Jean as a
"presence" in the film.  He replied, though relunctantly: "Vous avez
raison."  Well, if Michel Piccoli tells me that I'm right....:-)
 
        Gloria Monti
 
 
 
 
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