Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An over-looked near classic, January 4, 2000
By A Customer
Strangely, few people seem to have watched this movie, the last in Visconti's stellar career. True, it comes only in a poorly dubbed version and the video transfer leaves much to be desired--there's much screen stretching and nauseau-inducing panning and scanning. That said, the movie itself is quite good. There's not much to say about the plot, as it is skimpy and, on the surface, rather trite. What it's best for is the lavish period detail and for Visconti's patented dramatic touches--few will forget the protagonist's torment as he looks down upon his wife's illegitimate child, or the final shot, in which a horrified woman flees the scene of an unexpected suicide as dawn breaks. Laura Antonelli, evidently a former adult film star, is superb as the spurned wife who's indiscretion sets the story in motion, and she is almost matched by, of all people, Jennifer O'Neill, who proves here that her big screen career in hack pictures was a tragic misuse of talent. While not nearly as gripping as "The Damned", this is a fine film in its own right, one that deserves a revival--and a decent screen transfer.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
She's not that innocent., April 26, 2009
"L'Innocente" was the final film from Italian director, Luchino Visconti, and stands up to his greatest achievements. Laura Antonelli, one of the most alluring stars of 70s Italian cinema, stars as Giuliana Hermil, a beautiful aristocrat who is ignored by her philandering husband, Tullio (Giancarlo Giannini). Everywhere Giuliana goes, she is confronted by the most recent of her husband's conquests, the sensual Teresa Raffo (Jennifer O'Neill). After being embarrassed once too often, Giuliana decides to turn the tables and make her husband jealous. However, she underestimates the power of her plan as well as her husband's passion for her, which results in mounting tragedies.
Adapted from the 1892 novel by Gabriele d'Annunzio, the script for "The Innocent" is extremely good, with Giuliana's revenge beautifully plotted. At times, it's difficult to tell her intentions, but that doesn't really distract from the story. The cast is also one of the most stunning looking in history - Antonelli, O'Neill, and Giannini are joined by doe-eyed Didier Haudepin as Giannini's younger brother (he starred 12 years earlier in the notorious French film, "This Special Friendship"). Their physical beauty rivals the sumptuous Italian villas and scenery with which Visconti populates the film.
I'm not sure why it took until 2009 for this near-masterpiece to be released on DVD, but fortunately they did a nice job. The film looks gorgeous. The subtitles are a bit verbose which makes them go by very quickly (I sometimes had to pause to read all of them), but we do get every delicious word of the screenplay. The extras are limited to an interview on Italian cinema with Suso Cecchi d'Amico, a long-time Visconti collaborator who co-wrote "L'Innocente."
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Visconti's magnificent period drama, June 11, 2009
Italian director Visconti is well knows for his beautiful films, powerful stories about class and italian sensibilities. He has impeccable taste that shows it in every little detail, from music, to clothes to the interior design of the most beautiful italian houses and villas.
Set in 19th century, this is a story of a married couple who experiences their marriage turning more and more distant. While maintaining emotionally distant between each other and sleeping in separate bedrooms, husband gives himself a freedom to have a very public affair with a beautiful and rich high society widow. Wife, on the other hand, supported by loyal family and friends lives a quiet and seemingly subdued life not resisting her husband wishes to enjoy his open marriage in its fullness.
When one day it becomes apparent that wife is pregnant with another man's child their relationship changes instantaneosly. Keeping the truth secret from friends and family they choose not to disclose that child is not his for the sake of their marriage. Secretly husband hopes that the wife will loose this child as she did their own during early days of their marriage together. It is at that point that we fully understand the reasons for their previous estrangement.
But as the true father of the child dies in Africa during his military mission, husband becomes obsessed that his wife's love for the father of her child will transfer to the child himself and he will loose her and their life and future together. He is determined to remain in control of their life together at all cost. His resolve is unthinkable and leads to the utter disaster for all involved. I have not seen such visually pleasing film in a long time and it is almost impossible to believe that the film was made more than 30 years ago.
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