Senso

Rating:
Summary: Be Careful Before You Buy This!
Review: Last year I spent over $55.00 for a pristine, still shrink wrapped copy of Senso on dvd. What I DIDN'T originally know was that the dvd was multiregional, coming from Brazil, in the original Italian language with subtitles ONLY in Portugese! Unless you are fluent in either Italian or Portugese, you will be spending a high price on a dvd you will never watch. If the Amazon.com Seller had notified me before my purchase that the dvd had no English subtitles before they so willingly took my money, of course I would have saved my cash. Adding insult to injury, I found MANY copies of the very same dvd on eBay, and they were ALL much cheaper! Take it from a guy who has learned a hard lesson: Before your bank account is charged for this dvd, inquire about it. You will be glad you did.

Rating:
Summary: They don't know what is on the package.
Review: I just bought this film on VHS produced by Fox Lorber Home Video, to my surprise ( or shock ) I found in the box that the leading male actor is Stewart Granger !!!! instead of poor Farley. And this mistake is repeated all over. This is just poor merchandising. It just happens poor Farley gained inmortality by starring in this movie.

Rating:
Summary: The most beautiful film of all times
Review: It's difficult to find, in all the history of the cinema, a so beautifull, sugestive and deep work like this masterpiece of Luchino Visconti. Glorius technicolor, a magnificent cast (even Farley Granger, a very limited actor, is splendid here),dialogues by Tennessee Williams and a wonderful historical recreation of the "Risorgimento", plus a musical score by Verdi and Bruckner make this film a permanent pleasure for persons of good taste. In my opinion the best film of Visconti and perhaps the most beautiful film of all times.

Rating:
Summary: Bellissimo
Review: One of Luchino Visconti's top four or five masterworks. This baroque but magnificent evocation of the Garibaldi period of Italian Revolution in late 19th century is truly one of the great Italian masterpieces of 1950s. The film brilliantly delineates the erotically charged love story between Alida Valli (her best performance ever) and Farley Granger, and the bitter legacy of the revolution. History and Romance merge in a way only Visconti knew how. And the result is an operatic realism at its highest order. Despite the great, heart-renching performances, though, the film's fascination and power lies the sumptuous "look", the realistically accurate detail of that period. Visconti's unique attention to detail is breathtaking. Some may find SENSO crudely melodramatic and is certainly a notch below Visconti's best film, THE LEOPARD (which also features Burt Lancaster's greatest performance); still, it cannot be ignored. It is a must-see if you want to find out why Visconti was one of the great film artists who ever lived.

Rating:
Summary: Visconti Magic
Review: Set in the 19th century durning the Italy's resistance to Austrian occupation Visconti was able to dazzle us with a wonderful display of costume designs, production design, and all around great acting. This is course is not to mention the great directing by Visconti himself. Alida Valli starts as an Italian countess who finds love in an unusual place, an Austrian officer (Farley Granger). She begins an affair that can lead both of them into great danger. Her husband can find out and cause ridicule and shame. And as for him, he can lose his position. But, each doesn't care. They are in love! When compared to other Visconti films this one might fall short to masterpieces like "Ludwig" and\or "The Innocent". But, when judged merely as an individual film and not part of Visconti's collection it's quite enjoyable. Wonderful locations,screenplay (Visconti co-wrote the film), and pleasant music by Verdi and Bruckner. Not my favorite Visconti film, but one that would be a good film to start off with your collection of Visconti film.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best historical films ever
Review: the production design, the music, the attention to period detail, the plot, the actors all fit together in this story of cynical, deluded people betraying each other, themselves, and their country amid beautiful sets and photography. This is an historical film for adults, not some adolescent escapism like Shakespeare in Love.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie, perhaps early Visconti
Review: This is a captivating movie, it's definitely less complex than other Visconti's films. But thisis comparing Visconti to himself; on a gande sca;e of things, this is indeed a great movie that still unfolds unexpectedly, which has you in total suspense.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie, perhaps early Visconti
Review: This is a captivating movie, it's definitely less complex than other Visconti's films. But thisis comparing Visconti to himself; on a gande sca;e of things, this is indeed a great movie that still unfolds unexpectedly, which has you in total suspense.

Rating:
Summary: operatic stories should stay at the opera
Review: what a pitty, to waste this cast on such a screenplay. in fact, if one looks better one can find that the source of the story was boito--the same as arrigo boito, the author of mefistofele and libretist of his time.

the characters are out of place, and the story syncopated.