(1954, Italian) "Nothing matters, neither heaven nor hell," in this epic picture of Italian history and social upheaval, set in the Venice and later Verona of 1866, with music by Anton Bruckner, from director Luchino Visconti (with assistance from Franco Zefferelli and Francesco Rosi), who co-wrote the story and screenplay with Suso Cecchi d'Amico (with collaboration from Tennessee Williams and Paul Bowles), based on Camillo Boito's novella of a wanton countess.

The American actor Farley Granger has the role of Lt Franz Mahler, an Austrian officer, who is challenged by Count Roberto Ussoni (Massimo Girotti) during a disturbance from a revolutionary, anti-Austrian demonstration of a performance of Il Trovatore. Roberto's cousin, Countess Livia Serpieri (Aida Valli), who also narrates the story, requests from a commanding officer an introduction to Lt Mahler ("all ladies in Venice are talking about him") in his opera box, delivering a plea not to engage in a duel with an Italian civilian.

Instead, Roberto, as the organizer of the protest, and two others are arrested. After she begs her husband, an older man with different opinions from hers toward the occupying army, to intervene on Roberto's behalf, and he refuses, Roberto, along with many others, is exiled for one year.

By chance Livia encounters Lt Mahler on the street late in the evening near curfew, who denies responsibility and then insults her by assuming Roberto is her lover. Nevertheless, after he protects her from any suspicion associated with a dead soldier, she allows him to escort her throughout the night, forming a favorable impression as he talks as if war and politics mean nothing to him.

Hoping he will help her with Roberto's banishment, Livia goes to Franz's quarters; no longer the mistress of her feelings ("There's no tomorrow"), she allows him to rent an apartment for their assignations. When he suddenly vanishes, she hears from others that Franz has "no fixed rules" and many other relationships with females.

Hearing from her maid that a stranger came by earlier asking for her, Livia abandons all appearances of decency and dignity, rushing off to the address where she expects to find Franz, closely followed by her husband, whom she confronts and confesses to having a lover.

War breaks out between the Austrians and Garibaldi's Italian revolutionaries under Gen La Marmora. Fleeing to Aldeno with her husband, Livia has been entrusted by Roberto - who tells her that they no longer have rights, only duties - with funds for the patriots; risking his life, Franz appears on her balcony one night with the dogs howling below. He tells her of how a fellow officer bribed a doctor to declare him unfit for service.

In this romance of betrayal, revenge, and regret, Franz warns Livia, who leaves everything for him: "You shouldn't love me like this. No one should." The elaborate scenes leading up to and including the battle of Custozza - several of which the Italian government, sensitive to depictions of defeat after World War II, censured before allowing release of the film - are carefully choreographed and fully restored.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2011 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .