Le notti bianche
Encyclopedia
Le Notti Bianche is a 1957
Italian
film directed by Italian neorealist
Luchino Visconti
. The movie takes its title and basic plot from Fyodor Dostoevsky
’s 1848 short story, White Nights
.
) is lonely for social reasons; he is a stranger and a newcomer to town. Natalia (Maria Schell
) is lonely because she has always lived in isolation, even in the heart of the city. Her loneliness is intensified because she is in love with a man (Jean Marais
) who may not ever return to her, but who continues to occupy her heart to the exclusion of any other possible relationship.
In turning the Dostoevsky story into a film, Visconti eliminated the first-person narration and made Natalia less of an innocent, and at times something of a hysteric and a tease. For his part, Mario rejects obvious offers of romantic attention from other women in the story, holding on to a fruitless obsession.
Mario thanks the young woman for the moment of happiness she has brought him. However, he is left alone at the end of the film, befriending the same stray dog he met at the beginning. He is back at square one, and has put more energy into pursuing the fantasy of an obsession rather than any prospect of real love.
, a 2009 movie by James Gray, is loosely based on the 1957 movie.
1957 in film
The year 1957 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue-Awards:...
Italian
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
film directed by Italian neorealist
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
. The movie takes its title and basic plot from Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov....
’s 1848 short story, White Nights
White Nights (short story)
"White Nights" is a short story by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, originally published in 1848, early in the writer's career. Film adaptations have been made by Russian director Ivan Pyryev , by Italian director Luchino Visconti , by French director Robert Bresson , by Iranian director Farzad Motamen...
.
Plot
A lonely young man, Mario, meets a lonely young woman, Natalia. Mario (Marcello MastroianniMarcello Mastroianni
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, Knight Grand Cross was an Italian film actor. His honours included British Film Academy Awards, Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe Awards.- Personal life :...
) is lonely for social reasons; he is a stranger and a newcomer to town. Natalia (Maria Schell
Maria Schell
Maria Margarethe Anna Schell was an Austrian/Swiss actress, who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 1956 for Gervaise....
) is lonely because she has always lived in isolation, even in the heart of the city. Her loneliness is intensified because she is in love with a man (Jean Marais
Jean Marais
-Biography:A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover, most famously Beauty and the Beast and Orphée ....
) who may not ever return to her, but who continues to occupy her heart to the exclusion of any other possible relationship.
In turning the Dostoevsky story into a film, Visconti eliminated the first-person narration and made Natalia less of an innocent, and at times something of a hysteric and a tease. For his part, Mario rejects obvious offers of romantic attention from other women in the story, holding on to a fruitless obsession.
Mario thanks the young woman for the moment of happiness she has brought him. However, he is left alone at the end of the film, befriending the same stray dog he met at the beginning. He is back at square one, and has put more energy into pursuing the fantasy of an obsession rather than any prospect of real love.
Cast
- Maria SchellMaria SchellMaria Margarethe Anna Schell was an Austrian/Swiss actress, who won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in 1956 for Gervaise....
... Natalia - Marcello MastroianniMarcello MastroianniMarcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, Knight Grand Cross was an Italian film actor. His honours included British Film Academy Awards, Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe Awards.- Personal life :...
... Mario - Jean MaraisJean Marais-Biography:A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover, most famously Beauty and the Beast and Orphée ....
... Tenant - Marcella RovenaMarcella RovenaMarcella Rovena was an Italian film and voice actress. Born in Conegliano, she started her career on the big screen in 1932 with director Nunzio Malasomma in the film La telefonista.-Selected filmography:...
... Landlady - Maria ZanoliMaria ZanoliMaria Zanoli was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 45 films between 1943 and 1961.-Selected filmography:* Vengeance * Le Notti Bianche * L'ultimo amante...
... Maid (as Maria Zanolli) - Elena Fancera ... cashier
- Lanfranco Ceccarelli
- Angelo Galassi
- Renato TerraRenato TerraRenato Terra, born July 26, 1922 in Naples, died November 28, 2010 in Rome, had a career working in film as an actor, and has appeared in over 80 movies...
- Corrado Pani
- Dirk Sanders ... Dancer
- Clara CalamaiClara CalamaiClara Calamai was an Italian actress.Her debut was in 1938 with Pietro Micca, directed by Aldo Vergano....
... Prostitute
Remake
Two LoversTwo Lovers (film)
Two Lovers is a 2008 American romantic drama film, taking its inspiration from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's short story "White Nights". which was already turned into a film by Luchino Visconti: Le Notti Bianche. The movie is directed by James Gray and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Vinessa...
, a 2009 movie by James Gray, is loosely based on the 1957 movie.