/ Alain Delon and Annie Girardot in Rocco and His Brothers (1960) /
Recently watched: Italian art cinema virtuoso Luchino Visconti’s ambitious epic (177-minute!) tragedy Rocco and His Brothers (1960). In his review, critic Roger Ebert summarizes Rocco and His Brothers as “operatic” and “homoerotic” – both descriptions are apt! What greater recommendation is there?
Led by widowed matriarch Rosaria, the Parondi family relocates from grinding poverty in the rural south to urban industrialized north (in this case, Milano) in search of better prospects. Instead, all they find is relentless catastrophe. And the options for the brothers seem limited to boxing or crime.
Like his contemporary Pier Paolo Pasolini, Visconti had a superior “queer eye” when it came to casting handsome male actors. All five Parondi brothers are stone cold stunners – particularly beauteous young Alain Delon as Rocco. (We get ample opportunity to ogle the brothers wearing the de rigueur Italian neo-realism white “wife beater” vests, sparring in the boxing ring and showering). In terms of homoeroticism: also note the corrupt boxing promoter and how he is coded as vaguely sexually predatory (especially the scene where he walks into the gym’s changing room and stares frankly at Simone and Rocco as they shower. Although I can’t say I blame him).
But arguably, the film is dominated by Annie Girardot as local prostitute Nadia, the Parondis’ new neighbour. Encountering the glamorous, sensual and insouciant Nadia throws a hand grenade into the family’s life, with both deeply flawed Simone (Renato Salvatori – magnificent in this complex and demanding anti-hero role) and Rocco falling hopelessly in love with her. Inevitably, heartbreak and death ensue. (As someone laments towards the end, “Christ will regret the suffering visited upon us!”).
Perhaps understandably, Rosaria is prone to
glancing skyward despairingly and calling Nadia a “putana.” (This archetypal
black-clad Italian peasant mamma is actually played by volatile Greek actress Katina
Paxinou. And Delon and Girardot are, of course, French actors playing Italian
characters – and dubbed by Italian voices. Watch also for gorgeous young starlet
Claudia Cardinale in a supporting role). I’m embarrassed to admit I wasn’t very
au fait with Annie Girardot (1931 - 2011) beforehand but judging by her heart-wrenching
performance here she was every bit the equal of other iconic European art
cinema actresses like Jeanne Moreau, Anna Magnani and Monica Vitti. Time hasn’t
blunted the impact of Rocco and His Brothers.
Alain Delon was undoubtedly THE most beautiful man ever to appear on screen! Delicious... Jx
ReplyDeleteBut he was French, not Italian, and I never understood why he was cast in this movie. Yes, he was a beauty -- but again, not Italian, which really makes a difference in a film about an Italian family. It's like the ridiculous casting of Warren Beatty as the Italian gigolo in The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. For me, this sort of thing never works.
DeleteStrange detail to obsess over. In Italian cinema everyone was dubbed anyway and Italian directors often worked with non-Italian / French actors (like Fellini with Anouk Aimee in La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2) with great success.
DeleteYou make a good point, and I'm not being consistent anyway, as I like very much Anouk Aimée in the Fellini films, Simone Signoret in Adua and Her Friends, and so on. Yet there are certain Italian films where it really bothers me, such as the casting of Jean Sorel in From a Roman Balcony -- I know it seems illogical, but I just can't accept a Frenchman playing this part; I want to see a handsome young Italian in the part; it's really essential to the story, in my opinion. But this is my weird little issue, I admit. And I love this blog. For instance I really appreciate that you would review Story of a Love Affair -- one of the many wonderful, often forgotten Italian films.
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