In the first decades of the twentieth century, all the countries of the world involved in cinematography were amending their styles, assimilating the novelties of the medium, without doubt being the most revolutionary, the sound. But before that, the cinemas of the dawn were emerging in each nation, and in the case of Italian cinema, the cinema of the extraordinary epic productions was in its heyday, the so-called Italian realism is what was known to the whole world as the maximum production, audiovisually speaking, of the Latin lands. Based on the writings of Titus Livy, the Italian Giovanni Pastrone takes to the big screen this huge story, in which he also recruits the celebrity of Italian letters, the famous Gabriele D'Annunzio, to elaborate the inter titles. The filmmaker tells us the story of Cabiria, a girl who gives the title to the film, who in times of the Punic wars, is separated from her family in Rome by pirates, sold in Carthage, but, when she is going to be sacrificed to the god Moloch, is rescued by a nobleman and his strong slave; years pass, the girl has grown already, but her rescuers will have more than one problem to be able to return to Carthage. One of the largest and most renowned productions of Italian classic cinema, jewel of silent films, a masterpiece inspiring of other masterpieces.
First chapter, in Rome, the small Cabiria (Carolina Catena), is attended by her nurse, Croessa (Gina Marangoni); When the Etna erupts, some pirates kidnap her, the locals believe her dead. Second chapter, in Carthage, Cabiria and Croessa are bought as slaves by the high priest Karthalo (Dante Testa), will sacrifice them to the bronze god. Meanwhile, Fulvio 'Fulvius' Axilla (Umberto Mozzato) and his giant slave Maciste (Bartolomeo Pagano) have arrived clandestinely at Carthage, staying in an inn, they are able to rescue the girl from death. Third chapter, Hannibal (Emilio Vardannes) is crossing the sacred mountains, Fulvio and Maciste protect Cabiria; the beautiful Sophonisba (Italia Admiral-Manzini) is courted by the numidic king Massinissa (Vitale Di Stefano); Cabiria, already grown (Lidia Quaranta), is wanted to sacrifice her, they capture Maciste. Fourth chapter, Carthage is besieged, Hannibal is in danger, but they resist in a great way, they destroy the Roman fleet, Fulvio survives. Fifth chapter, Massinissa has lost her kingdom, Sophonisba must marry thinking of protecting Carthage; Fulvio enters Carthage again, Maciste escapes, together they advance, Sophonisba fears the gods for fleeing Cabiria, whom they believe another slave. Finally Cabiria escapes death, Sophonisba surrenders in sacrifice, Carthage falls before Rome.
In this immortal film the lost days of Roman glory are reflected, the empire was something irresistible for the whole globe, a suitable topic to praise his nation, the filmmakers of that time chose, and Pastrone feels one of the great cornerstones of this cinema, the epic cinema, great solemnity is observed from its first images. In these moments of embryonic development of audiovisual language, the camera is still mostly static, not even talk about speed in their movements, because the camera is static in the first instants, to finally acquire dynamism and a certain independence. Thus some travellings that still showed with timidity arise, an important part of the audiovisual language was born, of the cinematographic language, the liberation of the camera was initiated. And it is that the audiovisual language would be evolving -even today it still is like that- largely hand in hand with the liberation of the camera, its independence, and we have in this remarkable film the first steps in that process of visual expressive independence, with the camera traveling scenarios with tricliniums and clamids. Those were the first steps of the travellings, they were not yet elements, narrative, expressive resources, as much as, according to the director, resources to show all the great scenery; yes, a new audiovisual language was born. In Pastrone's film we will also find great sequences, great representations, thus we have the initial eruption of the Etna, one of the great visual achievements of the film, especially for the time, a well-achieved sequence in which the great Segundo de Chomón, with the unforgettable and egregious trucages of the powerful volcano unleashing fury, visual contraptions with the camera that would set the foundations of all the subsequent cinematographic movements. Among other sequences, of course, we have naval combats, maritime battles and the complexity that, above all, must have entailed, but the sequences, as brief and spectacular as they are, are among the most successful of the film. Likewise, the crossings through the Alps, the raids through the desert, are also proof of the mastery of the shooting, certainly complex sequences for the cinematography of that time, and all of them, combined with those previously mentioned, increase that epic aspect of the film.
It is notable that the feature film has a soundtrack, which certainly helps us to get better into the different sequences, and their different themes or expressive tones. Of course, we will find great sets, many humans, numerous extras, as human props, mega productions, epic productions were already defining their edges, large budgets designed to represent the grandeur of their ancestors. The composition of the images, of the frames, with the numerous humans that overflow the visual range, overflow the frames, and with that visual overflow they dynamize the images, plague of action what is observed, this is a pictorial principle that, transferred to the audiovisual field it just reinforces that feeling of dynamism. Highlight also the images of the temples, splendid and grandiose, the temple of Moloch, god of bronze, is particularly great example of the sumptuousness of this cinema, of the spectacular pageantry in its staging, in which at times humans are reduced to secondary elements of the scene. The scenarios and sets, an unparalleled pomp, unparalleled in representation in any other cinematographic genre, definitely the Italians sat school with their realism. It was their moment, it was their biggest production in the seventh art, immortal classics of the silent cinema saw the light, like
La caduta di Troia (1911), by Luigi Romano Borgnetto and Pastrone himself, in which he also works as a screenwriter,
Quo Vadis (1913) by Enrico Guazzoni, were the italian films the ones setting the trend. This sweeping epic is created in large part thanks to Segundo de Chomón, the mythical Aragonese, a grandiosity of film before which David W. Griffith himself was startled, overwhelmed, breathed in by an artistic alienation that led him to materialize on his part another ineluctable work of the cinema,
Intolerance (1916). No resources were spared, human and economic, this is undoubtedly a milestone in italian cinema, and like Griffith, other masters, then find ways to direct their particular adventures in this type of cinema. The colossal stages, complemented by imposing details in papier-mâché, the hundreds of extras, the tricks and innovations in the audiovisual language, is a summit of italian cinema; before neorealism, there was an italian realism.
This film is one of the first relevant cinematographic treatises on lighting, with Chomón always very involved in these successes, it is increasing the importance given to this resource in a film, the powerful chiaroscuro in the desert and in Roman interiors and Carthaginians, they are flowing and developing valuable techniques, details that with the running of the quinquennials will be the basis of modern cinematographic languages. It is thus configured a type of language that could not be exempt from exoticism, details that enrich the representations, such as the leopard mascot with which Sophonisbe plays, the genre became completely fashionable, adapting great epic themes, brilliant historical moments and magnificent past opulence, the epic cinema had already been born, and was now consolidating. This film, as was usual then, suffered different cuts and footage, but what was unusual is the amount of these variations, with many restorations in recent decades, in each case generating respective versions of this feature film, which have circulated over the years. Another detail that enriches the film are the textual scope, the inter titles, whose inclusion, D'Annunzio's work, some foolish criticized, considering their inter titles as something not indispensable and that was detrimental to the silent work, but in reality, certainly positive these elements, they also attest to the ambition of the film, to be a work of five stars, in all aspects, the inclusion of this referential and multifaceted classic italian man does nothing but reinforce the intentions of the producers of the film. Before finishing, I think it is pertinent and necessary to point out another one of the most successful sequences, it is, in fact, one of the only two sequences in which the narrative linearity is broken, the conventional nature, in space, and flat, in time, of portrayed, this scene is the dream of Sophonisba. The then novel overlays of planes are responsible for engendering that oneiric atmosphere, that sensation of surreal atmosphere, three eyes that appear and disappear, a great hand that extends almost touching Sophonisba in the chest, she who is in the jaws of the creature of three eyes, the terror that she feels before the imminent and unsatisfied fury of the gods, because the necessary human sacrifice of Cabiria has not been carried out; short sequence, but very significant, and also enrich the enormous versatility of a film that, for details like this, is in the Olympus of silent movies. Also, again at the end we see a sequence of the same trend, after the Roman triumph over Carthage, we see Fulvio and Cabiria together, in that closing sequence we observe again the superposition of frames, another proof of versatility, the souls sacrificed in the war flows and they parade surreally around our protagonists, but Rome has won, the fates have favored it, Carthage falls, Rome, heart of the empire, regains its honor, Cabiria, the symbol in the film of that honor, cleans the affront. Certainly a major film, what is called a seamless film, it does not matter that a certain anachronism is noticed in the film, when time passes for Cabiria, being her benefactors, Fulvio and Macisto, apparently hermetic over time. Essential feature film, silent film classic, the first Italian realism, italian epic cinema, a reference for film posterity.
In the first decades of the twentieth century, all the countries of the world involved in cinematography were amending their styles, assimilating the novelties of the medium, without doubt being the most revolutionary, the sound. But before that, the cinemas of the dawn were emerging in each nation, and in the case of Italian cinema, the cinema of the extraordinary epic productions was in its heyday, the so-called Italian realism is what was known to the whole world as the maximum production, audiovisually speaking, of the Latin lands. Based on the writings of Titus Livy, the Italian Giovanni Pastrone takes to the big screen this huge story, in which he also recruits the celebrity of Italian letters, the famous Gabriele D'Annunzio, to elaborate the inter titles. The filmmaker tells us the story of Cabiria, a girl who gives the title to the film, who in times of the Punic wars, is separated from her family in Rome by pirates, sold in Carthage, but, when she is going to be sacrificed to the god Moloch, is rescued by a nobleman and his strong slave; years pass, the girl has grown already, but her rescuers will have more than one problem to be able to return to Carthage. One of the largest and most renowned productions of Italian classic cinema, jewel of silent films, a masterpiece inspiring of other masterpieces.
First chapter, in Rome, the small Cabiria (Carolina Catena), is attended by her nurse, Croessa (Gina Marangoni); When the Etna erupts, some pirates kidnap her, the locals believe her dead. Second chapter, in Carthage, Cabiria and Croessa are bought as slaves by the high priest Karthalo (Dante Testa), will sacrifice them to the bronze god. Meanwhile, Fulvio 'Fulvius' Axilla (Umberto Mozzato) and his giant slave Maciste (Bartolomeo Pagano) have arrived clandestinely at Carthage, staying in an inn, they are able to rescue the girl from death. Third chapter, Hannibal (Emilio Vardannes) is crossing the sacred mountains, Fulvio and Maciste protect Cabiria; the beautiful Sophonisba (Italia Admiral-Manzini) is courted by the numidic king Massinissa (Vitale Di Stefano); Cabiria, already grown (Lidia Quaranta), is wanted to sacrifice her, they capture Maciste. Fourth chapter, Carthage is besieged, Hannibal is in danger, but they resist in a great way, they destroy the Roman fleet, Fulvio survives. Fifth chapter, Massinissa has lost her kingdom, Sophonisba must marry thinking of protecting Carthage; Fulvio enters Carthage again, Maciste escapes, together they advance, Sophonisba fears the gods for fleeing Cabiria, whom they believe another slave. Finally Cabiria escapes death, Sophonisba surrenders in sacrifice, Carthage falls before Rome.
In this immortal film the lost days of Roman glory are reflected, the empire was something irresistible for the whole globe, a suitable topic to praise his nation, the filmmakers of that time chose, and Pastrone feels one of the great cornerstones of this cinema, the epic cinema, great solemnity is observed from its first images. In these moments of embryonic development of audiovisual language, the camera is still mostly static, not even talk about speed in their movements, because the camera is static in the first instants, to finally acquire dynamism and a certain independence. Thus some travellings that still showed with timidity arise, an important part of the audiovisual language was born, of the cinematographic language, the liberation of the camera was initiated. And it is that the audiovisual language would be evolving -even today it still is like that- largely hand in hand with the liberation of the camera, its independence, and we have in this remarkable film the first steps in that process of visual expressive independence, with the camera traveling scenarios with tricliniums and clamids. Those were the first steps of the travellings, they were not yet elements, narrative, expressive resources, as much as, according to the director, resources to show all the great scenery; yes, a new audiovisual language was born. In Pastrone's film we will also find great sequences, great representations, thus we have the initial eruption of the Etna, one of the great visual achievements of the film, especially for the time, a well-achieved sequence in which the great Segundo de Chomón, with the unforgettable and egregious trucages of the powerful volcano unleashing fury, visual contraptions with the camera that would set the foundations of all the subsequent cinematographic movements. Among other sequences, of course, we have naval combats, maritime battles and the complexity that, above all, must have entailed, but the sequences, as brief and spectacular as they are, are among the most successful of the film. Likewise, the crossings through the Alps, the raids through the desert, are also proof of the mastery of the shooting, certainly complex sequences for the cinematography of that time, and all of them, combined with those previously mentioned, increase that epic aspect of the film.
It is notable that the feature film has a soundtrack, which certainly helps us to get better into the different sequences, and their different themes or expressive tones. Of course, we will find great sets, many humans, numerous extras, as human props, mega productions, epic productions were already defining their edges, large budgets designed to represent the grandeur of their ancestors. The composition of the images, of the frames, with the numerous humans that overflow the visual range, overflow the frames, and with that visual overflow they dynamize the images, plague of action what is observed, this is a pictorial principle that, transferred to the audiovisual field it just reinforces that feeling of dynamism. Highlight also the images of the temples, splendid and grandiose, the temple of Moloch, god of bronze, is particularly great example of the sumptuousness of this cinema, of the spectacular pageantry in its staging, in which at times humans are reduced to secondary elements of the scene. The scenarios and sets, an unparalleled pomp, unparalleled in representation in any other cinematographic genre, definitely the Italians sat school with their realism. It was their moment, it was their biggest production in the seventh art, immortal classics of the silent cinema saw the light, like La caduta di Troia (1911), by Luigi Romano Borgnetto and Pastrone himself, in which he also works as a screenwriter, Quo Vadis (1913) by Enrico Guazzoni, were the italian films the ones setting the trend. This sweeping epic is created in large part thanks to Segundo de Chomón, the mythical Aragonese, a grandiosity of film before which David W. Griffith himself was startled, overwhelmed, breathed in by an artistic alienation that led him to materialize on his part another ineluctable work of the cinema, Intolerance (1916). No resources were spared, human and economic, this is undoubtedly a milestone in italian cinema, and like Griffith, other masters, then find ways to direct their particular adventures in this type of cinema. The colossal stages, complemented by imposing details in papier-mâché, the hundreds of extras, the tricks and innovations in the audiovisual language, is a summit of italian cinema; before neorealism, there was an italian realism.
This film is one of the first relevant cinematographic treatises on lighting, with Chomón always very involved in these successes, it is increasing the importance given to this resource in a film, the powerful chiaroscuro in the desert and in Roman interiors and Carthaginians, they are flowing and developing valuable techniques, details that with the running of the quinquennials will be the basis of modern cinematographic languages. It is thus configured a type of language that could not be exempt from exoticism, details that enrich the representations, such as the leopard mascot with which Sophonisbe plays, the genre became completely fashionable, adapting great epic themes, brilliant historical moments and magnificent past opulence, the epic cinema had already been born, and was now consolidating. This film, as was usual then, suffered different cuts and footage, but what was unusual is the amount of these variations, with many restorations in recent decades, in each case generating respective versions of this feature film, which have circulated over the years. Another detail that enriches the film are the textual scope, the inter titles, whose inclusion, D'Annunzio's work, some foolish criticized, considering their inter titles as something not indispensable and that was detrimental to the silent work, but in reality, certainly positive these elements, they also attest to the ambition of the film, to be a work of five stars, in all aspects, the inclusion of this referential and multifaceted classic italian man does nothing but reinforce the intentions of the producers of the film. Before finishing, I think it is pertinent and necessary to point out another one of the most successful sequences, it is, in fact, one of the only two sequences in which the narrative linearity is broken, the conventional nature, in space, and flat, in time, of portrayed, this scene is the dream of Sophonisba. The then novel overlays of planes are responsible for engendering that oneiric atmosphere, that sensation of surreal atmosphere, three eyes that appear and disappear, a great hand that extends almost touching Sophonisba in the chest, she who is in the jaws of the creature of three eyes, the terror that she feels before the imminent and unsatisfied fury of the gods, because the necessary human sacrifice of Cabiria has not been carried out; short sequence, but very significant, and also enrich the enormous versatility of a film that, for details like this, is in the Olympus of silent movies. Also, again at the end we see a sequence of the same trend, after the Roman triumph over Carthage, we see Fulvio and Cabiria together, in that closing sequence we observe again the superposition of frames, another proof of versatility, the souls sacrificed in the war flows and they parade surreally around our protagonists, but Rome has won, the fates have favored it, Carthage falls, Rome, heart of the empire, regains its honor, Cabiria, the symbol in the film of that honor, cleans the affront. Certainly a major film, what is called a seamless film, it does not matter that a certain anachronism is noticed in the film, when time passes for Cabiria, being her benefactors, Fulvio and Macisto, apparently hermetic over time. Essential feature film, silent film classic, the first Italian realism, italian epic cinema, a reference for film posterity.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario