Puccini

The most laughable Hollywood biopic doesn't have much on this opulent but soap-opera-ish 1953 Italian take on the career of the composer of Madama Butterfly, La BohPme, Tosca, and Turandot. There's no claim to accuracy on the part of filmmakers Carmine Gallone and Glauco Pellegrini—the opening credits define this as “a free and poetical interpretation of the life of Maestro Giacomo Puccini”—which is wise, since its adherence to the historical record is often tenuous and some scenes are faintly ridiculous (at one point, the composer sits down at the piano to play a piece for some aristocrats, and the sound of a full orchestra emerges from his fingers—an impressive, if implausible, feat). Ignoring Puccini's early life, the film concentrates on the period 1884-1904 (adding a coda set in 1924, the composer's final year), jumping about chronologically while juxtaposing accounts of his artistic triumphs and failures with extended domestic scenes, especially related to his troubled marriage and penchant for womanizing. The overall treatment comes across as both stagy and episodic, while Gabriele Ferzetti in the title role serves up more matinee-idol posing than true acting, and the English dubbing is sometimes distracting. Still, Puccini looks lovely—accentuated by the lustrous Technicolor cinematography of Claude Renoir—and the musical excerpts are vocally distinguished even though the actual recording is a bit flat. Optional. (F. Swietek)