THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS STONE
US, 2002, 114 minutes,. Colour.
Helen Mirren, Olivier Martinez, Anne Bancroft, Rodrigo Santoro, Brian Dennehy, Roger Allam.
Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman.
The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone is based on a novel by Tennessee Williams, best known for his plays. There was a film adaptation in 1961, filmed beautifully in Rome, with Vivian Leigh in the title role and Warren Beatty as the gigolo she meets in Rome. Lotte Lenya is very striking as the impoverished Countess.
This 2002 version was made for Showtime television with Helen Mirren as Mrs Stone and Olivier Martinez as the gigolo. This time the Countess is Anne Bancroft, with Brian Dennehy as Mr Stone and Rodrigo Santoro as mysterious young man on the Spanish Steps.
Karen Stone is an ageing actress on Broadway, too old for Romeo and Juliet for which is criticised but for which she is still adored by her husband. They travel to Rome and he dies. She decides to stay in the beautiful city, taking an apartment, encountering an impoverished Countess who begins to exploit her, setting her up with young men who have sad stories begging for money, and the hungry Countess spends a lot of her time eating fruit.
Olivier Martinez is Paolo to whom Mrs Stone is attracted and they begin an affair, he showing affection, she falling in love, he courteous and polite, and they become a source of gossip in Rome. Ultimately, the ageing Paolo brings the relationship to an end, Karen Stone having harsh words for the Countess – but ultimately, throwing the key over the apartment balcony for the hungry young man seen begging on the streets and has who has been watching her.
Roger Allam as a playwright is an impersonation of Tennessee Williams.
Helen Mirren gives a powerful performance, enabling the audience to empathise with Mrs Stone and her frustrated experiences.
1. Tennessee Williams’ novel? Two film versions? Themes, from Tennessee Williams, Roger Allam portraying a character based on Williams?
2. The atmosphere of New York and Broadway, the theatre? The contrast with Rome, the ashes in the Coliseum, Trinita dei Monti, apartments, restaurants and streets, the countryside? The exotic touches? The musical score?
3. The title, its tone, the emphasis on, the possibilities for spring? Karen as Mrs Stone? Karen’s story, her experience, and corrupting?
4. Postwar Italy, the sufferings in the war, starvation, the need for money, survival stories, the aristocrats and hard times, pride, American exploitation, the need for American dollars, pimping, the gigolos, the beggars? The religious traditions, the change in morals?
5. The contrast between Helen Mirren and Vivien Leigh? Olivier Martinez and Warren Beatty? Anne Bancroft and Lotte Lenya?
6. The situation, Karen, her age, playing Juliet on Broadway, the responses, the criticisms? Her husband his love and support? The playwright and his friends? Her later saying she was not an artist but an actress? The decision to leave New York? The later offer by the playwright for a comeback, her refusal?
7. Love of her husband, his character, the travel, the plane, his death, the ashes in the Coliseum?
8. Karen and her apartment, the glimpse of the begging young man, his looking, continually watching, the beggar and his grabbing the piece of pizza from the careless American woman, sitting watching, his coming up, exposing himself, following, Karen, pushing her aside, Paoloo and his reaction? Karen, watching the beggar, throwing down the keys, his coming up, the final image?
9. Karen, the American friends, visitors, and making excuses not to be with them?
10. The Contessa, Italian, her wig, surface respectability, apartment? Being hungry and always eating with relish? The young men, creating their stories to beg money from Karen and other women? Her friendship with Karen, the cheques, her asking for money, getting $400, her spurning yet? The Contessa and her promotion of Paolo, social meetings? The American film star, talk, admiring Karen? Karen and her finally spurning the Contessa?
11. Paolo himself, managed by the Contessa, his own personal story, meeting Karen, the attraction, getting the job, the affections, the sexual encounters, social outings, the picnic in the country, the edge, his elaborate begging story, the tensions with Karen, the visiting starlet, the final breaking with the Contessa? Memories of Mrs Coogan and going to Morocco? His age, 40s, failure?
12. And the effect of the relationship with Paolo, the sexuality, her own body, ageing? Being rejected – looking out from the balcony, throwing down the keys to the young man? The final image of her face?
