Vaghe stelle dell'orsa
Luchino Visconti
Sandra and her husband Andrew return to Volterra for a ceremony in honour of her father who died in an extermination camp. She sees her brother Gianni, who is in the middle of writing an autobiographical novel, her mother, who has serious psychiatric problems, and her uncle. This reunion is a stage where old family accounts will be settled. With accusations of collaborating with the Nazis and underlying incest, no-one will come out unharmed.
With : Claudia Cardinale, Michael Craig, Jean Sorel, Marie Bell
Screenplay : Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti
Image : Armado Nannuzzi
Editing : Mario Serandrei
Music : César Franck
Screenplay : Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Enrico Medioli, Luchino Visconti
Image : Armado Nannuzzi
Editing : Mario Serandrei
Music : César Franck
Production : Vides Cinematografica
Distribution: Park Circus
Distribution: Park Circus
One of Visconti's least known and least shown films, Vaghe stelle dell'Orsa (Sandra) is far from the flamboyant aesthetic of his previous film Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) returning to a more intimate drama in black and white (with contrasts similar to Le Notti Bianche (White Nights)). Distilling a venomous romanticism, Visconti tells the story of a couple caught up in a heavy family secret, in search of a truth that will destroy everything when it is revealed. Using long zooms, he tries to delve into what is buried away in the depths of this dark story riddled with lies and treason, driving the characters to the revelation.