LA TERRA TREMA
Italy, 1948, 162 minutes, Black and white.
Uncredited non-professional actors.
Directed by Lucchino Visconti.
La Terra Trema is the second film of Lucchino Visconti. This left-wing aristocratic artist worked during the '30s as a designer with Jean Renoir. During the war he had his opportunity to make his first film, Ossessione.
It was based upon James Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice. After the war, with a grant from the Communist Party, Visconti went with his cinema team, including directors Franco Zeffirelli and Franco Rosi, to make documentaries about the way of life in Sicily. Only part of the project concerning the fishermen was made. The saga of the Valastro family - a family who was not entirely poor but who was rendered poor by social oppression, is a saga microcosm of families in Sicily. The hero is ‘Ntoni, a young man of potential whom circumstances oppress and make fail. The film is an excellent observation of the way of life, capturing the authentic atmosphere with the use of real fishermen for the roles in the film. Visconti was then to go on to make Bellissima in 1952 and move into a very successful film career in the '60s and '70s with such excellent films as Rocco and His Brothers, The Leopard, Conversation Piece and his final film L'Innocente.
1. The immediate impact of this work? Social, Italian? The work of Lucchino Visconti? Its place in his canon? Reflecting his socialist interests? The fact that it was not seen for so many years, rejected in Italy on its first release?
2. The background of the film, its preparation, Communist Party financing, a part of a project about Sicilian life, the only part completed? The importance of the project in depicting the Sicilian way of life, its poverty, need for social development? The left-wing slant - how obvious? The left wing emphases? Their validity., as visualised. as a reflection of the needs of the people and the place?
3. The documentary fiction tone of the film? The fishermen and their personalities, way of life? The fact that so many of the local fishermen acted in the film? How authentic the way of life in the town, the problems, the characters? Their interactions? The significance of the prologue and the explanation of the film and its place in the project?
4. The detailed attention to village life: the houses, the streets, the companies in charge of the boats the sea. the port. the city of Catania as the city focus for the villagers? The black and white photography, its clarity? The importance of the seasons and the framework of the film, the moods and changes of the seasons? The score and its classic Italian background?
5. The presentation of the Valastro family? In themselves, as a symbol of the Sicilians? The film as the story of this family? The delineation of the characters., the problems, the inter-relationships? The social issues? The importance of Sicilian tradition, wealth and poverty, the need for work? Social traditions, moral traditions, religious traditions?
6. The film's focus on 'Ntoni? His personality, his leadership within the family. his military training background and his wider experience? His capacities as a fisherman? His critique of the situation? The boycott? His mortgaging the homes? His desire for his own boat, the family's support of this, the bank loan? The anchovies? The disaster? How much was the disaster his own fault? The experience of the loss of the boat, the loss of opportunity for work, starvation and the way this was portrayed? The demoralising effect of the family being out of work and out of income? 'Ntoni and his drinking. companionship with the ruffians of the town? His changing? His courtship and the lessening possibility of his marriage? The people who were against him? His having to go can-in-hand to them after saying he would never do this? The motivation for asking for work? The potential of 'Ntoni and its loss? His final speech and the rallying for some kind of social criticism, revolution?
7. The portrait of the other members of the family? The strength of the characters, weaknesses? The parents, the grandfather and his being in the house, his very strong traditional stances, his illness and death and the effect on them all? The pathos presented in the family ties and love in death? The two sisters - the one proper, the other with the possibilities of something happening for her and her turning to prostitution, the jewellery? The hardworking brother and his being tempted and going off? His stealing away from the family? The young boy and his admiration for 'Ntoni? How well were the characters drawn, how empathetic?
8. The importance of the sea, the port, the fish, the market? The bosses and their ganging up on the family? The families and their disdain of the Valastro family? The police? The highlighting of this during the Blessing of the Fleet. the Church Blessing. the whole town turning out. the aristocrats of the town and their critique of the Valastros?
9. Themes of poverty, hunger, loss of work? How did this reach a climax by the end of the winter? 'Ntoni going to look at his boat? The girl at the boat and her comments? Her welcoming him back when he wanted to come?
10. The socialist themes. the importance of a Collective, the propaganda tones of the speeches and the morale of the end?
11. Themes of work, the dignity of man, his values? A presentation of the social realism of Italian cinema of the '40s? The authentic presentation of a way of life and the needs for the future?
