In Roberto Rossellini's Viaggio in Italia, Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders are a married couple traveling to Naples to dispose of a deceased uncle's villa. Their marriage isn't strong anymore. Stuck together in the villa, their vacation starts to unravel bringing to the surface the unpleasantness they feel for one another. Ingrid Bergman takes off on her own to explore Naples from its crypts to its volcanoes. George Sanders, on the other hand, begins to pursue other woman, flirting with them, but never taking it beyond that. Rossellini effectively documents the decline of their marriage, emphasizing every non-verbal and silent moment between the two of them. The camera is simple and unobtrusive. It's through this starkness that Rossellini captures the destructive boredom in their marriage. Every silence is heightened by the camera. Viaggio in Italia is a simple movie on the surface, but in actuality it contains significant depth and detail.
1 comment:
Wow -- that's a good description! I'd definitely like to see this movie if they ever revive it in LA. The movie seems like it has a tone somewhat similar to L'Avventura.
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