THE BASILISKS
Italy, 1963, 85 minutes, Colour.
Toni Petruzzi, Stefania Satta Flores.
Directed by Lina Wertmuller.
The Basilisks is Lina Wertmuller's first feature film from the early '60s. It began an extraordinary career for an Italian woman director. Flamboyant in style, very critical of social conditions in Italy, Lina Wertmuller has a body of feature films for a quarter of a century. She often indulges in long and allegorical titles. The Basilisks is her shortest film title.
The film has the atmosphere of realism of the period, a portrait of people in an isolated Italian town. The film focuses on a gallery of characters, seeing them in ordinary situations, exploring their hopes and motivations. (one is reminded of Dylan Thomas' portrait of a Welsh village in Under Milkwood. )
The film is well-acted, has a musical score by Ennio Morricone. The black and white photography is striking. It is an interesting portrait of people in the '60s and can compare with the work of such directors as Pasolini. Lina Wertmuller was to go on to a career with such successful films as The Seduction of Mimi and Seven Beauties.
1. The work of Lina Wertmuller, writer and director? At the beginning of her career, Italian? The '60s?
2. Black and white photography, realism? The town and its people, the use of locations? Editing? The score and songs?
3. The title and theme, reptiles, lazy, not moving?
4. The credits and the photos of the gallery of characters? The introduction and the woman's voice-over and comment? The dinner sequence and the family eating in silence? The move to the siesta, the symbolism of the siesta, the whole town sleeping, the introduction to the characters, who was sleeping and who not and why?
5. The range of characters, men and women, old and young? The possibilities for people in the town? In southern Italy? Rome as a goal?
6. The reopening of the social club, later the men playing there? Political and religious stances? Communists? Catholics?
7. Antonio and Francesco: the focus, at home, lifestyle, friendship, getting up, going to work or not, idle, relationships, wandering the town, the possibility of Antonio going to Rome, hopes, Francesco and his plan? Antonio's return? The inevitability of his not leaving the town? Futures?
8. The great range of men and women, the details of life in the town? The younger generation? Marriage or not? The wealthy, the pharmacist? The two ugly daughters and the possibilities of marriage? The older lady and the accounts? The blonde ballerina and her dissatisfaction in marriage?
9. Insight into Italian life, characters? The pessimism of the ending?
