So here's an interesting film. Have you ever wanted to see a movie that was 1/2 tourism mixed with 1/2 failing marriage. Because if that's the odd parameters you're looking for then this movie will deliver.
There's this British couple travelling to the south of Italy by car. The wife of the couple had arranged it this way so that her husband could get some much-needed relaxation as he's something of a workaholic.
But it turns out that this is quite problematic as the two of them have had a lot of time to reflect on their relationship and realise that they don't really have anything in common.
They don't communicate with each other, they never spend time together and overall their marriage just seems to be kind of hollow and empty.
The two of them don't hate each other but there's certainly nothing there to keep a marriage going.
And this constant trip through a romanticised land filled with song and just helps to illustrate how disinterested these two people are in each other.
In a way it's the business of this trip that stops the two of them from outright fighting with each other, as they have to head over to this large property located in a secluded part of southern Italy to try and sell it off; as the husband (play by George Sanders) has no interest in staying in this land given that he wants to get back to London to do his job.
It seems the guy that owned the property before that was the uncle of the wife.
Uncle Homer who was something of a fanatic in life. A hearted man who had many friends and I generally interesting disposition towards living.
Honestly I thought the film would spend a bit more time explaining his character or having one of the main characters fall in love with the house but it really is just a backdrop.
A large part of the film is dedicated to the time of the wife as she goes from one historical location to the next becoming enthralled and horrified with the romantic and semi creepy imagery of this land. Everything from graveyards, cemeteries and Volcanic pressure Chambers created by seismic activity not unlike that of Pompeii.
It's this part of the movie that has me claiming that it's a half tourism film. As it's literally just tour guides going through various famous locations and landmarks of southern Italy.
One of which is the always gorgeous 12 ft High statue of Hercules which baffles me every time I see it.
It keeps popping up in films that I know it exists but I just can't get over how much freaking work must have got into this ancient sculpture depicting the Ancient Man of old who had the power of 12 individual Mortals.
Anyways most of this film was just a passive-aggressive attitude between our romantic couple as they realise that their marriage is kind of a sham and they want to get divorced but ultimately can't get divorced because no matter how much they seem to dislike each other and they're still in love.
In real life I would say these two probably should get a divorce anyways cuz it's pretty clear that no matter what happens here their marriage is probably going to fall apart at some point. But that doesn't make for a good romantic drama now does it.
And it's kind of weird because it seems to me that it's Catholicism that gets these two to stay together in the long run. Mainly through the imagery of the Madonna and the general good cheer of the surrounding crowds at one of the many parade procession.
I'd say it was a pro Catholic film if Catholicism didn't come off as this strange alien substance that almost feels like how most American films depicting Vaudoux or any of the more traditional African A faiths.
It kind of makes the Italians out to be this simpleton group of people who still live like it's 1820. Which admittedly is a pretty heavy stereotype that I'm sure still exist in some movies to this day.
But I'm getting off track.
Overall this is a fairly okay romantic film with two people who have a good chemistry for being at each others throats.
But ultimately not working out as an actual couple.
I think the film would have benefited more if the two decide to break up in the end. Maybe through a more lighthearted approach with no real bad feelings; But just something that wasn't the two of them magically connecting with each other because of convenience circumstance.
I don't know am I being bitter and crusty about this?
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