PASSION OF LOVE

Honored in Cannes for the body of his work, director Ettore Scola shifts his focus from contemporary societal problems explored in “We All Loved Each Other So Much” (1974), “Down and Dirty” (1976) and “A Special Day” (1978) to zoom in on a singular obsession in PASSION D'AMORE. Set in Italy in 1862, when the search for the ideal prevailed, PASSIONE D'AMORE is a black comedy twist on “Beauty and the Beast,” among other themes, that links ideas and emotions of the past with today. Beauty is personified by Giorgio (Bernard Giraudeau), a cavalry captain engaged in a blissful adulterous affair with Clara (Laura Antonelli). But Giorgio is transferred north, where his evening companions are garrulous old officers and the witty army doctor (Jean-Louis Trintignant). The colonel's ailing cousin Fosca (Valeria D'Obici) is heard before she's seen; her horrific caterwauling barely prepares Giorgio (or the audience) for the sight of her. Not only does she resemble a plucked vulture, she has none of the kindly, gentle qualities of the fairytale “beast.” Fosca directs her whole lifeforce into possessing Giorgio, whose rejection intensifies her persistence. Ironically, she wins as much as she loses. Outstanding acting, camerawork and Scola's mastery of tone evoke the period in fascinating depth.