Journey to Italy (1954)

When I finished watching this movie, I remembered F.W. Murnau's "sunrise" and also Michelangelo Antonioni's (later) films. Also in this "viaggio in italia" there is not much that happens, however everything "little" that happens in the movie holds us attention, hypnotizes us and "glue" to the screen. This is just the third film I have seen of Roberto Rossellini, after "rome citta aperta" and "stromboli" (the latter also with Ingrid Bergman), films that I also liked a lot. Lately I have seen a lot of European cinema, mainly French and Italian, essentially from the 50s, 60s and 70s. European cinema is different, especially for those who are used to American cinema only. What happens is that when we first see Antonioni, Godard, Malle, Truffaut, Rosselini, Chabrol, etc., the first sensation we have is strange, but if we insist on continuing to watch films of these fantastic filmmakers we soon begin to discover a new cinema, which we learn to see with immense pleasure, that stimulates us, that opens us perspectives, that makes us think and that gives us immense joy to see. As with this beautiful Rossellini film.

Luckily they projected an old 35 mm copy to get the right feeling of looking at the past. This is not a very spectacular movie. It seems that the tourism promotion of Naples in 1954 sponsored part of the movie. There is a lot of advertising time for the area around Naples (Pompeij, Capri) in it. But from today's point of view these scenes are quite interesting. You see explanations how they uncovered the remains of Pompeij and wonderful statues of ancient times. Besides that we see a very believable struggle between man and woman in a late stage of their marriage. How first love is translated into a somehow different, but never-the-less, important feeling.

I had to work at watching this impartially because it came complete with an albatross around its neck in the shape of the statement by Truffaut that this was the real beginning of the new wavelet which contrary to what the academic-pseud access keeps on mantra-ing did NOT change the way people made films; watch any mainstream film made since the end of the 60s and you'll find they are STILL being made in the pre-New Wavelet style. That being said any film with Ingrid Bergman in it is worth watching - well, ALMOST any film, strike Under Capricorn. George Sanders is not exactly chopped liver too but Rossellini is hardly afraid of the odd metaphor - empty spaces, isolated images, Pompeii as symbol etc. Once we get past the ultimate metaphor - the JOURNEY itself, a non-too subtle nod to Heart Of Darkness - we are left with a beautiful actress and an actor more at home in support than leads. On that level it's worth a look

This is a film about relationships that is bereft of emotion. Bergman's character is self-centered, self-pitying,juvenile (while always physically luminescent); Saunders' is shallow, self-centered, aloof. There is not an iota of chemistry between the two; no believable relationship is portrayed, so their emotional estrangement rings hollow. The contrast between these annoying, entitled protagonists and an Italy ravaged by war, and it's impoverished people, is stark. After an entire film of emotional discordance, Bergman and Saunders are implausibly reunited at the last second. The only interesting element is the vivid scenes of Italy itself, and its ebullient, stalwart citizens.