Parthenope at The Rex Berkhamsted

 

Set amongst the villas on the coast outside the city of Naples, this Italian film is a thing of beauty. The light, the colour, the locations, all are a delight. As are the cinematography, the clothes and music. The story of Parthenope less so but still worth seeing. Loosely based on a siren from Greek mythology on this same coastline, writer/director Paolo Sorrentino has made a homage to his home city. He has cast Celeste Dalla Porta in her break out role as the great beauty. But she never really takes advantage of her looks, more interested in her academic studies in anthropology. This is just a side plot of little significance, although it does bring in Devoto Marotta as Silvio Orlando as her tutor, and the best acting in the movie. These  scenes are the most dramatic. 

Then there is Gary Oldman, no less, as the famous writer John Cheever. (Of course Parthenope loves his books, but he sees nothing in her). I would love a film about this man. See picture below. Of less interest is the too long section towards the end when Parthenope meets the awful Cardinal Teserone, maybe an excuse to see the seedier side of Naples. At well over two hours, this film would have been far better with this part cut out. But we had to see the dark side of the city. Especially at night the long straight street called Spaccanapoli. (It did remind me of when we took the train from Sorrento to Naples, Alison just getting off at Pompeii. The walk from the station in Naples to the sea front was, I remember, through a seedy part of the city, but one particular church was superb. And I did get to see the Galleria Umberto, also in the film. I took the ferry back to Sorrento.)

So the film is visually stunning. It is the locations that make this movie. Catherine Wheatley in a 25th May post for Sight and Sound magazine called it "a swooning tribute to Naples" and that "it puts beauty before plot". However she likes "the images - the images - etc". We also see Capri. Everything lit in the sun. One particular piece of music was wonderful. Valse triste Opus 44 No 1 by Sibelius.