Senso

One of Luchino Visconti's second-tier efforts, Senso is set in Venice, circa 1866, when the Austrian military occupation was being challenged by Garibaldi's uprising. The emotional core of this 1954 film lies in the destructive love affair between an Italian countess with ties to the nationalist rebellion and a younger Austrian lieutenant with no particular political passion; but Visconti never seemed particularly focused on capturing the full power of this doomed union, instead emphasizing style over substance. As a result, opulence prevails here, with the splendor of 19th-century Venice captured in brilliant production design presented in the three-strip Technicolor process, sure to inspire any student of cinematography, costume design, or art direction. But the visual appeal cannot fully compensate for the film's dramatic deficiencies. As the Austrian soldier, Visconti illogically cast Farley Granger in hopes that his presence would guarantee a commercial U.S. theatrical release—which, ironically, never happened. Granger's bland, dreary presence makes the full-throttle performance by Alida Valli as the countess seem peculiar. Why would she drive herself mad and ruin her life for such a dull man? The bountiful extras include the severely edited English-language version, The Wanton Countess, with Granger and Valli speaking purple dialogue written by Tennessee Williams and Paul Bowles; three short documentaries on Visconti's career; a visual essay by film scholar Peter Cowie; a 1996 BBC program exploring Visconti's mastery of cinema, theater, and opera direction; and a booklet. While recommended for Visconti fans, this is optional for those unfamiliar with the great filmmaker's canon. (P. Hall)