ARENA: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF COUNT LUCHINO VISCONTI
{2003 INTERNATIONAL EMMY AWARD} (TV)
Summary
One in this innovative arts series. This installment is an examination of the extraordinary life and works of Italian film and opera director Count Luchino Visconti. Visconti's story is told through the juxtaposition of narration, archival interviews with Visconti and colleagues, contemporary interviews with Visconti's colleagues and intimates, clips from his films and scenes from his opera productions, and archival footage of historic events. The first part of the film is an overview of the people, places, and events that shaped Visconti's life and works and features narration over clips from Visconti's films "Gotterdamerung" ("The Damned") (1969), "Death in Venice" (1971), "Ludwig" (1973), and "The Innocent" (1976). This portion also includes images of Visconti's childhood homes and landmark buildings in and around Milan; archival footage of Visconti in Venice; newsreel footage of Queen Elizabeth II of England attending a premiere of "Death in Venice" with daughter Princess Margaret; commentary from Visconti's nephew Count Gianmaria Visconti Di Modrone and his niece Princess Merarlda Caracciolo Di Melito; and archival interviews with Visconti. Next, Visconti's entry through arts and politics into filmmaking is explored. This portion includes commentary from nephew Luchino Gastel; segments of archival interviews with Visconti; images of Visconti's artworks "The Mother and the Son" (1925) and "Self Portrait"; newsreel footage of Visconti's participation in the 1925 Milan Gold Cup horse races; archival footage of Coco Chanel at the House of Chanel; clips from French director Jean Renoir's "Une partie de Campagne" (1937), on which Visconti served as Renoir's assistant; and an archival interview with Renoir. Visconti's rise to fame as a director of film and opera during and after World War II is covered next. This portion features segments of archival interviews with Visconti; clips from his films "Obsessione" (1942), "The Damned" (1969), "La Terra Trema" (1948), "Senso" (1954), and "Rocco and His Brothers" (1960); commentary from Ignazio Maccarrone, a child actor in "La Terra Trema" (who became Visconti's butler), Visconti's one-time assistant directors Francesco Rosi and Franco Zeffirelli, "Senso" actor Farley Granger, and "Rocco and His Brothers" actress Annie Girardot; and archival interviews of opera star Maria Callas. Next, the film focuses on Visconti's life and works from the 1960s through his death in the late 1970s, when he was established as an internationally celebrated director. This section includes clips from the films "The Leopard" (1963), "The Damned" (1969), "Death in Venice" (1971), "Ludwig" (1973), "The Innocent" (1976), and Dino De Laurentis's "The Witches" (1969); commentary by actress Claudia Cardinale, "The Leopard" director of photography Giuseppe Rotunno, costume designer Piero Tosi, script writer Enrico Medioli, actor and Visconti's longtime lover Helmut Berger, actress Charlotte Rampling, and Zeffirelli; archival commentary by and interviews with Visconti; clips of "The Leopard" company at the Cannes Film Festival in 1963; archival commentary from actor Dirk Bogarde; and archival footage of Visconti's funeral in Rome.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Marc Haas and Helen Hotze Haas Foundations, 2003/2004.
Details
- NETWORK: BBC Four (United Kingdom)
- DATE: April 19, 2003 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:46:49
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:79569
- GENRE: Arts documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Films - Production and direction; International Collection - United Kingdom; Motion picture producers and directors; Motion pictures - Italy
- SERIES RUN: BBC (United Kingdom) - TV series, 1975-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Anthony Wall … Production (Misc.), Series Editor
- Adam Low … Director
- James Fox … Narrator
- Helmut Berger
- Dirk Bogarde
- Maria Callas
- Claudia Cardinale
- Coco Chanel
- De Laurentis, Dino
- Di Modrone, Gianmaria Visconti
- Di Melito, Merarlda Caracciolo
- Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
- Luchino Gastel
- Annie Girardot
- Farley Granger
- Ignazio Maccarrone
- Margaret, Princess of Great Britain
- Enrico Medioli
- Charlotte Rampling
- Jean Renoir
- Francesco Rosi
- Giuseppe Rotunno
- Piero Tosi
- Luchino Visconti
- Franco Zeffirelli