Senilità (Mauro Bolognini, 1962)

[Dylan]

Senilità



I've been curious about this film for a long time. I hadn't heard of it until a year ago when I bought the soundtrack by composer Piero Piccioni, which is beautiful, reminiscent of Rozsa and Rota. Having recently pulled the CD out again I'm very curious about the seemingly forgotten film it accompanied.

An excerpt from the sole (spoiler filled) review on IMDb:

Based on Italo Svevo's novel, this film is set in old Trieste and centers on a middle-aged public official and his unrequited love for a flirtatious but unpossessable girl (Claudia Cardinale) who blithely betrays him.

From the descrption (and the music, for that matter) this sounds like it could be a wonderful Italian tragedy in the vein of "Rocco and His Brothers."

By the way: I love Claudia with that hair; reminds me of Anna Karina in Vivre sa Vie.

Has anybody seen "Senilita," know more about it, or know where I can get a copy? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Oh great, now I'm intrigued by the film, too.
The hair reminded ME of Louise Brooks, btw.

[Dylan]

It's actually much closer to Louise Brooks, you are correct. Here's another still I found:



Cardinale is so cute (though that's hardly news to most of us), and this also further confirms the Brooks inspiration (as I've certainly seen stills of Brooks with the same hat, which was an extremely popular look in the 20s-30s).

Maybe NoShame can pick this up?

EDIT: Just sent NoShame an e-mail, will post reply.

[backstreetsbackalright]

I read the novel a couple years ago (based on Harvey Pekar's praise of Svevo), and really enjoyed it. Hadn't known there was a film!

[jesus the mexican boi]

It looks like the film went through a brief American revival in the early 80s and played Los Angeles and New York at least. Kevin Thomas was very positive in his review. NoShame seem like a perfect fit for this. Bolognini is one of those directors who is begging for a reappraisal and rediscovery on DVD.

[Dylan]

I know this is a long shot, but since its been nearly two years...

Is anybody aware of a DVD release of Senilita from any region? Has anybody here been fortunate to see it in any form? I dug up Piero Piccioni's score again, which is amazing, and my love for Claudia Cardinale only continutes to deepen, so my great interest in this MIA film has been resurrected.



It really does sound like a lost Italian masterpiece.

[rohmerin]

she was married to Franco Cristaldi, and in Italy, Cristaldi's films have been re-released with English subtiles, so, we'll cross the fingers.

in Spain you can find Il bell"Antonio, a Bolognini masterpiece with Mastroianni and your Cardinale. Italian + Spanish audio and subt.

La viaccia is not on dvd here.

[Dylan]

A couple Senilità posters:

she was married to Franco Cristaldi, and in Italy, Cristaldi's films have been re-released with English subtiles, so, we'll cross the fingers.

He produced a lot of great films; aside from Senilita I see he was producer on Gli Indifferenti as well.

in Spain you can find Il bell"Antonio, a Bolognini masterpiece with Mastroianni and your Cardinale. Italian + Spanish audio and subt.

I've been wanting to see that forever. I know it had a VHS release in America with English subtitles, so I guess I'll hunt that down whenever I buy a new VCR.

Meanwhile, I hadn't even heard of La viaccia, but I see it has Jean-Paul Belmondo co-starring with Cardinale (and another Piero Piccioni score) so it must be good!

Synopsis:

The death of a wealthy patriarch in 1885 sets off an interfamily power struggle. Son Ferdinando buys out his other relatives in order to gain full control over the dead man's property. But Ferdinando's country-bumpkin nephew Amerigo holds out. Amerigo's stance is weakened when he heads for the city and meets prostitute Bianca. To support her in the manner in which she is accustomed, Amerigo steals from his uncle. Disgraced in the eyes of his family, Amerigo decides to stay near his beloved Bianca by becoming a bouncer in her brothel.

And:


I need to start a Cardinale crusade and get everything she did in her prime out there on DVD with English subtitles.

[rohmerin]

La viaccia is a a few boring. I mean, Bolognini NEVER was Visconti. I saw it ten years ago on Spanish tv. I'd like to tach it again because I was too young.

[pro-bassoonist]

La viaccia is a a few boring. I mean, Bolognini NEVER was Visconti. I saw it ten years ago on Spanish tv. I'd like to tach it again because I was too young.

Bolognini may not be Visconti but... as boring as La Venexiana is I can not stop watching the Italian disc.

Ciao,
Pro-B

[Dylan]

Has a DVD (with or without English subtitles) of Senilita surfaced yet?

[rohmerin]

Sadly there are no prints, even not in the mule.

Here you can watch 5 minutes. She's very weird with that 20's looking wig, and of course, she's dubbed by an Italian woman. She, Angelina, confess that she is going to marry with a tailor man because he's got money and her family is in hurry but their love affair will go on

BTW: La ragazza di Bube is a masterpiece

[TMDaines]

There's now a copy of this floating around in various places but still no DVD yet I believe. If there's a DVD anywhere then place share!

[Fred Holywell]

Apparently, the film was restored a few years ago -- all the more reason it should be put on DVD:

In 2005, the [Svevo] Museum, in collaboration with the Bolognini Centre, Pistoia, showed the film Senilità (1962), directed by Mauro Bolognini, to an enthusiastic audience in a rare, restored celluloid copy.

[rohmerin]

La viaccia is not boring, is beautiful, but cold and disappointing (I re watched it and I regret my previous words of what I remember like 15 years ago).

Finally I saw Senilità. My impressions, pictures I made, posters and words in my blog. I don't use spoilers, don't worry.

http://rohmerin.blogspot.com.es/2012/05 ... visto.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CinemaDog]

La viaccia is not boring, is beautiful, but cold and disappointing (I re watched it and I regret my previous words of what I remember like 15 years ago).

Finally I saw Senilità. My impressions, pictures I made, posters and words in my blog. I don't use spoilers, don't worry.

http://rohmerin.blogspot.com.es/2012/05 ... visto.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wonderful blog! I have a copy of Senilità but also poor. Great comparison with Gli indifferenti which I also noted. Mauro is like a depressed impressionist also with La Viacccia and Il bell'Antonio...how he portrays bad girl CC with a hopeless man :)

And there's a film poster of Senilità with CC in a transparent slip and so...yes, that is a rare view of CC.

[Fred Holywell]

Keep your eyes open for editions of "La Viaccia" on a certain tube site for watching movies. Complete copies in Italian, and Italian with French subs, are or have been available. It's hoped that eventually an Italian with English subs will turn up, too.

[Rupert Pupkin]

thanks . so it's not a rip of the French DVD which has the subtitles "burnt-in" in the master which is really annoying - even for a French like me (so VLC won't do anything since it isn't forced subtitles).

Why no blu-ray of Bolognini : Il Bell'Antonio could be magnificient on blu-ray...

speaking about Claudia Cardinale; since I have what I may call an "unsolved problem" with her, I would die to say a great Zurlini movie (the restoration in theatres was great and I'm sure a HD master could be done) La Ragazza con la valigia

and why no Visconti - Sandra / Vaghe Stelle dell'Orsa ?
I've been thrilled by the Italian DVD. Superb picture, but ratio is not correct. I think it was a Sony restoration. I'm sure a blu-ray could be fantastic.
It's a fantastic movie, superb photography, superb b&w, superb Claudia Cardinale, and it sould be in the Criterion collection next to the Leopard...

[Fred Holywell]

Finally, with English subtitles... Senilità.

[Dylan]

Finally, with English subtitles... Senilità.

Oh wow! This is showing up seven-and-a-half years after my initial post! Thank you so much for directing us to this. I watched the first scene - it's already fascinating and there's some really lovely cinematography evocative of Antonioni. The print here is stretched a bit but perfectly watchable. Once I get around to watching the entire thing I'll post my thoughts here - they're a long time coming!

[Rupert Pupkin]

it is out on blu-ray ??? where ???

[Dylan]

it is out on blu-ray ??? where ???

Nobody said it was on blu-ray, but (if you go back two posts) a rip with English subtitles is on YouTube.

[CinemaDog]

Finally, with English subtitles... Senilità.

Oh wow! This is showing up seven-and-a-half years after my initial post! Thank you so much for directing us to this. I watched the first scene - it's already fascinating and there's some really lovely cinematography evocative of Antonioni. The print here is stretched a bit but perfectly watchable. Once I get around to watching the entire thing I'll post my thoughts here - they're a long time coming!

Yes, it was a gem! CC was sexy and treacherous! I had a bad copy but this one on youtube is excellent. I like to see both English and subtitled version. Or Italian, although I am not so good with my Italian anymore.

I have the first poster shown above. Very sexy, German, in excellent condition. Of course, the image is a stretch as that never quite occurred in the film. I have 70 of CC's films. :) Good luck in making your own collection!

[Fred Holywell]

One of Bolognini's best -- maybe my favorite of his after "Il Bell' Antonio". Cardinale is terrifically good, as is Francisosa. But Blair is something of a revelation -- even better than she was in "Marty", imo. Ultimately, a rather sad story, but very well told (as is much of Bolognini). Glad to have seen it. Now I should read the original novel to learn how it compares.

[rohmerin]

Impressive C.C at TUMBLR page.