La Signora senza camelie (1953) - film review

Stardom comes too quickly for Clara Manni.  Leaving her parents’ drapers shop in Milan, she becomes a film star overnight, thanks to a small role in a film.  Her producer, Gianni, quickly derails a promising career, however.  Passionately in love with Clara, he imposes marriage on her and forbids her to appear in another film unless it is worthy of her talents.  Gianni finally finds her such a role – as Joan of Arc in his next big budget picture.  The film is a disaster and Gianni is ruined.  Clara leaves him and goes off with a young diplomat, Nardo, who has come to love her through her films.  With Nardo’s encouragement, Clara restarts her acting career, the hard way.

Michelangelo Antonioni’s third full-length film is this cleverly updated version of Alexandre Dumas (fils)’s novel La Dame aux caméllias, with the central role of the prostitute replaced, tellingly, with that of an actress.  Although somewhat lacking in emotional power (mainly on account of the generally subdued acting performances), the film’s beautiful black and white photography makes it a strangely mesmerising film.  Along with his contemporaries, Fellini and Visconti, Antonioni sets new standards in filmmaking which would herald a major revival in Italian cinemas in the 1950s and 1960s, combining the visual power of the neo-realists with a classy modernity, tinged with a hint of cynicism.   Interestingly, both Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren turned down the leading role in this film.  The part went to Lucia Bose, the star of Antonioni’s first film, Cronaca di un amore .

© James Travers 2007

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