Luchino Visconti directs Antonio Arcidiacono, Giuseppe Arcidiacono and Venera Bonaccorso in this classic of Italian Neo-Realism where a family of fishermen try to become independent from the price fixing wholesalers.

I watched the for A-Level Film Studies as a teenager. 2 and a half hours of misery. Slow misery. Yet also a perfect example of the Neo Realist movement. On location filming. Non actors approximating roles that reflect their day to day lives. Politically critical of the unfair imbalances of unchecked capitalism. But also… we just aren’t used to lingering on failure in cinema. Fall and rise? Sure. But Visconti holds steadfast on the ruin of their fortunes and the unravelling of the family. A lot of people are impressed that an aristocrat’s son, born into wealth and privilege, made such a work with a beating Communist heart. I’m not so persuaded. I see a movie whose ultimate message is “Stay in your lane.” Otherwise the community will shun you, the masters will mock you, your house will be lost and your sister will become a whore. Don’t try, don’t struggle, don’t break free. Pessimism rather than realism, possibly pessimism with a vested interest in the status quo. Still… a very beautiful process movie (Mediterranean fishing as graft and risk) and surprisingly well acted given the amateur one-time-only cast.

7

Perfect Double Bill: Ossessione (1943)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/ and my own Substack https://substack.com/@edinburghlaughterbulletin