I would say that the only reason I gave the film a 5 was because it was so darn pretty. The vivid Technicolor and the amazing sets were certainly impressive. But the story itself? It was so very dull and unengaging. The film was intended to look like a play within a movie and unfortunately, this was part of the problem--it lacked realism and seemed stagy. Also, the casting of Anna Magnani as the gorgeous and captivating lead was just completely wrong. It seemed to really stretch credibility to have the earthy and rather unattractive lady be so ardently pursued. The Viscount was willing to give every thing up for this lady, but I just couldn't see why. He barely knew her and she just looked old. I usually don't comment on the unattractiveness of a star, as this seems really shallow, but when the woman is so incorrectly portrayed as possessing intense sexual magnetism, it does affect the viewing experience.
I would also like to add that the music was great. This film and The Wild Child (Truffaut) both had scores from Antonio Vivaldi. Considering Vivaldi's been dead for more than 2 centuries, I doubt if he got any royalties!
I would also like to add that the music was great. This film and The Wild Child (Truffaut) both had scores from Antonio Vivaldi. Considering Vivaldi's been dead for more than 2 centuries, I doubt if he got any royalties!