Sometimes during this quest to see
all of these films aspects of the viewing that are beyond the control of the movie’s
director affect that viewing nonetheless.
Down to the last 44 titles, I’ve been forced to make a few (and in
context, minor) sacrifices. I’ve had to
watch deteriorating VHS copies of some of these hard to find films, and in many cases
that means altered “full screen” projections and no audio options. Thus, if dubbed dialogue is my only option
then dubbed dialogue I shall endure. Though
I hate to say it, sometimes these alterations might actually help me to sit
through these titles, as I’m more alert while trying to imagine how the full
1.85:1 aspect ratio cinematography might look.
On the other hand, these alterations can be distractions that pull my
focus away from characters and narrative.
Such
was the case with Vittorio De Sica’s The
Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970), where I was unable to avoid the
thought that the 4:3 ratio and dubbing bastardized the film a bit. Eventually, this distraction achieved a
second level manifestation, and it began to take a concerted amount of effort
not to wonder, while still watching, what the most heinous crime against cinema
in the form of alteration could be. Surely any serious film lover would agree that
colorization, that awful trend of the early 90s, is a sin above others. But is it worse than say, the gross reduction
of a 4 hour cut of a film to a more theatre friendly 2 hour version? Does it matter that the director will
undoubtedly then release his cut of the film on DVD? What about alternate endings? Are they offensive slights against the
theatrical version or just fun options to find as Easter eggs? Ultimately these sins, or potential sins, are
in the eye of the beholder (viewer), and will affect them only to the extent that
they wish to care. I suppose that means
that all sins of alteration are relative…accept for colorization, that’s just
evil Ted Turner.
As
far as plot is concerned, Finzi-Continis
is short on it. Like so many films based
on novels— in this case the work of Giorgio Bassani—it is built on theme much
more so than story. On a textual level,
the movie is about Giorgio, a young middle class student who is beginning to rise
in social stature in 1930s Italy. He
plays tennis at the beautiful estate of the Finzi-Continis, a wealthy family
whose daughter, Micòl, he’s always been sweet on. Though the two have much in common and share
a fondness for remembering the times in which their childhoods collided, they are
nonetheless separated by class. Giorgio’s
father is skeptical about his son’s interactions with the affluent family, and
warns his son that the Finzi-Continis are “not our kind of people.” For her part, Micòl seems to reject Giorgio
for a number of reasons, but all of which she keeps to herself.
Still,
there is one connection between Giorgio and Micòl that cannot be denied. Both are Jewish, and as such Giorgio feels a
sacred relation to her. This however
means little to Micòl, and she seems to toy with his affections more than
embrace them, until the shifting political climate pushes them somewhat closer
together. The new fascism of Italy
imposes laws that restrict Jews from certain activities and practices, but for
the most part the Finzi-Continis’ money keeps them above reproach. Giorgio
deals with these restrictions more directly and is marginally interested in
politics, but neither one seems to fully grasp the severity of the turning
tides.
Throughout
the film both characters make choices in their relationships with friends that alienate
them from one another and distract them from the coming atrocities of the
war. As I mentioned before, this is a
film that plays like a novel and it’s difficult to not think of it within that
context. Perhaps I would have been more
engaged by this picture if I’d seen it in its full widescreen presentation and
original audio Italian dialogue. After
all, it does have some awe inspiring views of Italy, not the least of which
come from within the garden of the title.
As it was, I found it to be bland outside of these occasional visual elements.
Language:
English Dubbed/Original: Italian
Runtime:
94 Minutes
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