Customer Reviews

Senso (1954)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of Luchino Visconti's top four or five masterworks. This baroque but magnificent evocation of the Garibaldi period of Italian Revolution in late 19th century is truly one of the great Italian masterpieces of 1950s. The film brilliantly delineates the erotically charged love story between Alida Valli (her best performance ever) and Farley Granger, and the bitter legacy of the revolution. History and Romance merge in a way only Visconti knew how. And the result is an operatic realism at its highest order. Despite the great, heart-renching performances, though, the film's fascination and power lies the sumptuous "look", the realistically accurate detail of that period. Visconti's unique attention to detail is breathtaking. Some may find SENSO crudely melodramatic and is certainly a notch below Visconti's best film, THE LEOPARD (which also features Burt Lancaster's greatest performance); still, it cannot be ignored. It is a must-see if you want to find out why Visconti was one of the great film artists who ever lived.

It's difficult to find, in all the history of the cinema, a so beautifull, sugestive and deep work like this masterpiece of Luchino Visconti. Glorius technicolor, a magnificent cast (even Farley Granger, a very limited actor, is splendid here),dialogues by Tennessee Williams and a wonderful historical recreation of the "Risorgimento", plus a musical score by Verdi and Bruckner make this film a permanent pleasure for persons of good taste. In my opinion the best film of Visconti and perhaps the most beautiful film of all times.

the production design, the music, the attention to period detail, the plot, the actors all fit together in this story of cynical, deluded people betraying each other, themselves, and their country amid beautiful sets and photography. This is an historical film for adults, not some adolescent escapism like Shakespeare in Love.

Set in the 19th century durning the Italy's resistance to Austrian occupation Visconti was able to dazzle us with a wonderful display of costume designs, production design, and all around great acting. This is course is not to mention the great directing by Visconti himself. Alida Valli starts as an Italian countess who finds love in an unusual place, an Austrian officer (Farley Granger). She begins an affair that can lead both of them into great danger. Her husband can find out and cause ridicule and shame. And as for him, he can lose his position. But, each doesn't care. They are in love! When compared to other Visconti films this one might fall short to masterpieces like "Ludwig" and\or "The Innocent". But, when judged merely as an individual film and not part of Visconti's collection it's quite enjoyable. Wonderful locations,screenplay (Visconti co-wrote the film), and pleasant music by Verdi and Bruckner. Not my favorite Visconti film, but one that would be a good film to start off with your collection of Visconti film.

Last year I spent over $55.00 for a pristine, still shrink wrapped copy of Senso on dvd. What I DIDN'T originally know was that the dvd was multiregional, coming from Brazil, in the original Italian language with subtitles ONLY in Portugese! Unless you are fluent in either Italian or Portugese, you will be spending a high price on a dvd you will never watch. If the Amazon.com Seller had notified me before my purchase that the dvd had no English subtitles before they so willingly took my money, of course I would have saved my cash. Adding insult to injury, I found MANY copies of the very same dvd on eBay, and they were ALL much cheaper! Take it from a guy who has learned a hard lesson: Before your bank account is charged for this dvd, inquire about it. You will be glad you did.

I have rated this film 4 only because of it's length, there are some ponderous moments, but otherwise it is a 5.

Italian cinema was still having growing pains from the war, but this epic succeeds, and skillfully incorporates the war torn landscape into this tale of an earlier war. The music score is very big and melodramatic, but fitting. The film opens with an opera in an enormous opera house, and this is fitting for the grand scale and operatic scope of this romance and the background. This is "Gone With the Wind" - Italian style - with a much more sympathetic heroine.

I am a fan of Alida Valli and have sought out her work. Perhaps because this is in her native Italian, and/or because of her Italian director, she is a full, vital, feminine woman in this film; very different from her more restrained work in America. (Her breathtaking performance in "The Paradine Case" is a study in austerity and an almost masculine stillness.) I had hoped that we would see a more free actress in her native language, and we do! She flutters and tosses her hair, she is a Countess reveling in her earthy affair. This is a full bodied performance.

Farley Granger's performance, whether in response to Valli, or just given a really meaty bad-boy to play, is a total revelation. (AND THIS IS FARLEY Granger, the same actor Hitchcock used in "Strangers on a Train" and "Rope.") He is lusty and sexy, provocative, pouty and passionate. In one scene, he greets her by wordlessly grabbing her hand and almost devouring it with kisses. This is a rare film where both the woman AND the man have real powerhouse roles. The confrontation scene at the end is gripping.

A small but pivotal role is played by Marcella Mariani. Her cow-like leadenness, laced with sisterhood, bespeaks a worldliness that, paired with her ethereal youthful beauty is just wrenching. All supporting roles, especially the maids, are interesting and give a sense of intrigue throughout.

There ARE mistakes on the box. As mentioned, this IS Farley Granger, but he is listed on the box as English (he is American), and Alida Valli is listed as French (she is Italian).

The outcome of one major plot point is cut out (apparently by Italian censors of the time) which leaves you wondering... "but what happened with that?" Still, the major story is the romance, which I think will be satisfying for men as well as women, because both sides are given such full emotional life. This is an enjoyable, big emotion, epic wartime romance.

Are you kidding - $1000?!?!
It doesnt matter how old rare good and any other criteria no DVD is worth this
Put this guy out of his misery. Please.
you are better off sending a letter to Criterion!

THIS IS A VERY RARE EDITION ON DVD BUT WITH THREE MINUTES CUT. ONLY THE ITALIAN AND FRENCH EDITIONS OF SENSO ARE UNCUT. THE UNCUT EDITIONS OD THIS MOVIE MUST HAVE A 123 MINUTES LENGHT WITH NTSC SYSTEM AND 118 MINUTES WITH PAL.

This is a captivating movie, it's definitely less complex than other Visconti's films. But thisis comparing Visconti to himself; on a gande sca;e of things, this is indeed a great movie that still unfolds unexpectedly, which has you in total suspense.

Tragic drama around a noblewoman who sacrifices her marriage when she loves a handsome but cowardly young officer. Lavishly produced and superbly photographed.

When many people expected Visconti continued his variants about the Neo Realist tendency (La terra trema, Bellisima) the director withdrew deliberately to face a work epoch, placed in the War between Italy and Austrian, with the Venetian territory in dispute(1866). The three points of support for Senso will be then, the Great Italian Opera, the historic novel(in the same line of Parma ` s Nun `s Stendhal) and a visible intention of social critic, clearly Marxist. The intrigue is centered around three well definite characters: The Italian and idealist patriot Usoni (Massimo Giroti), the cynic Austrian officer Franz Mahler (Farley Grainger) and the Italian Countess Livia (Alida Valli), who finally betrays her cause, falling in love with Franz and becomes humiliated.

The multiple problems Visconti had to face embraced twenty years. Initially he wanted to Ingrid Bergman and Marlon Brando as central couple. In the middle of the filming the photograph died in an accident and was substituted by Robert Krasker, because he needed an expert in Technicolor. The planed title was Custozza, that alludes to a lost battle by Italians (Jun 24 1866) but this idea was immediately rejected by the Producer Empress, the Italian Government and the censure. The final was changed , when Mahler is declared deserter instead of shot, as well the cut of a sequence in which a drunk soldier cries: "Long live to Austria."

After having been presented in Venice Festival the film suffered other additional cuts. Finally the film was exhibited in 1968 in new York with a running time of 125 min.

Alida Valli as you know has been the greatest actress Italian has produced ever, and in spite of the close similitude with its Russian homologue, Anna Karenina, the picture is provided with a dignity at the same level that his director.

Do not miss this jewel of the Italian Cinema.