The Night of the Shooting Stars
Encyclopedia
The Night of the Shooting Stars is a 1982
Italian
fantasy war drama film
directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival
where it won the Jury Special Grand Prix
.
The film follows several inhabitants of the Italian town during the end of World War II. Defeat is certain for the Germans, and the front is retreating back to Germany, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. The Germans plan to bomb several buildings in the town, and have told all the villagers to congregate in the town's church. Approximately half of the town decides to stay, and place their trust in the church. The rest of the town dresses in dark clothing, and go out to seek the Americans, who are rumored to be nearby, liberating towns as they come to them.
in The New Yorker
: " The Night of the Shooting Stars is so good it's thrilling. This new film encompasses a vision of the world. Comedy, tragedy, vaudeville, melodrama - they're all here, and inseparable...In its feeling and completeness, Shooting Stars may be close to the rank of Jean Renoir
's bafflingly beautiful Grand Illusion
...unreality doesn't seem divorced from experience (as it does with Fellini
) - it's experience made more intense...For the Tavianis, as for Cecilia, the search for the American liberators is the time of their lives. For an American audience, the film stirs warm but tormenting memories of a time when we were beloved and were a hopeful people."
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fantasy war drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival
1982 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Giorgio Strehler *Jean-Jacques Annaud *Suso Cecchi d'Amico *Geraldine Chaplin *Gabriel García Márquez *Florian Hopf *Sidney Lumet *Mrinal Sen...
where it won the Jury Special Grand Prix
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
.
The film follows several inhabitants of the Italian town during the end of World War II. Defeat is certain for the Germans, and the front is retreating back to Germany, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. The Germans plan to bomb several buildings in the town, and have told all the villagers to congregate in the town's church. Approximately half of the town decides to stay, and place their trust in the church. The rest of the town dresses in dark clothing, and go out to seek the Americans, who are rumored to be nearby, liberating towns as they come to them.
Criticism
The film was given a rapturous review by the critic Pauline KaelPauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
: " The Night of the Shooting Stars is so good it's thrilling. This new film encompasses a vision of the world. Comedy, tragedy, vaudeville, melodrama - they're all here, and inseparable...In its feeling and completeness, Shooting Stars may be close to the rank of Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
's bafflingly beautiful Grand Illusion
Grand Illusion (film)
Grand Illusion is a 1937 French war film directed by Jean Renoir, who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. The story concerns class relationships among a small group of French officers who are prisoners of war during World War I and are plotting an escape.The title of the film comes from a...
...unreality doesn't seem divorced from experience (as it does with Fellini
Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , was an Italian film director and scriptwriter. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century...
) - it's experience made more intense...For the Tavianis, as for Cecilia, the search for the American liberators is the time of their lives. For an American audience, the film stirs warm but tormenting memories of a time when we were beloved and were a hopeful people."
Cast
- Omero AntonuttiOmero AntonuttiOmero Antonutti, is an Italian actor and dubber, appearing regularly in films and theatre performances. He was born at Basiliano, Friuli.His most notable performance to date was in the Taviani brothers' acclaimed film Padre Padrone...
- Galvano - Margarita LozanoMargarita LozanoMargarita Lozano is a Spanish-born actress known for her career in Italian films. She has worked for Luis Buñuel in Viridiana, Sergio Leone in A Fistful of Dollars, Pier Paolo Pasolini in Pigsty, the Taviani brothers in La notte di San Lorenzo, Kaos and Good Morning Babylon; Nanni Moretti in La...
- Concetta - Claudio BigagliClaudio BigagliClaudio Bigagli is an Italian actor. He has appeared in 43 films and television shows since 1976. He starred in Fiorile, which was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
- Corrado - Miriam Guidelli - Belindia
- Massimo Bonetti - Nicola
- Enrica Maria Modugno - Mara
- Sabina Vannucchi - Rosanna
- Giorgio Naddi - Bishop
- Renata Zamengo - La Scardigli
- Micol Guidelli - Cecilia
- Massimo Sarchielli - Father Marmugi
- Giovanni Guidelli - Marmugi Junior
- Mario Spallino - Bruno
- Paolo Hendel - Dilvo