<
BACK
Luchino Visconti's "La Terra
trema" (1948) is a visually
lyrical film that tells the tragic story of a poor Sicilian
family. This great movie has been rather difficult to see in
the United States for some years now, and as of this writing,
it is not readily available on videotape in North America. But
now it is available on DVD, and when I watched it at home
recently, I loved it.
"La Terra
trema" was shot entirely on location in Acitrezza, a small coastal town in Sicily. Professional actors
were not used; instead townspeople played all the roles. But
Visconti did a good job of typecasting, and he spent countless
hours working on the dialogue with the people who appear on
camera. The characters in the film speak in a Sicilian
dialect, but voice-over narration in standard Italian is used
to explain and comment on the events we are shown. The
storytelling style is operatic, and I found the movie to be
very emotionally engaging.
The central character in the film is
'Ntoni Valastro, a
twenty-something man who lives with his mother, his seven
younger siblings, and his grandfather. 'Ntoni, his three
brothers, and his grandfather work on fishing boats, as did 'Ntoni's father, who was recently killed in an accident while
at sea. The Valastros are poor, but they have a strong sense
of family. 'Ntoni yearns to bring in more money, primarily so
he and his siblings can make good marriages, thus building an
even stronger family in the future.
The commercial fishing business in Acitrezza is structured
in such a way that nearly all the money derived from it goes
to wholesalers and boat owners, while the men who actually
catch the fish are barely able to eke out a living. 'Ntoni and
the Valastros try to escape from this system by mortgaging the
humble house they live in, using the money to buy their own
boat, and going into business for themselves. But things go
badly, and the Valastros end up poorer than ever, the family
apparently loses three of its members, and the hopes that 'Ntoni and two of his sisters will make good marriages are
dashed.
"La Terra
trema" is obviously intended to convey a Marxist
message. This is clearest near the end of the movie when 'Ntoni tells a little girl that he failed to overcome
exploitation because he tried to do it alone rather than as
part of a collective effort. Also, Visconti's title for the
film, which is best translated into English as "The Earth Will
Tremble," expresses the notion of impending revolution.
Yet "La Terra
trema" doesn't feel all that much like a
propaganda piece to me, and I think this is because the
people, time, and place are so specific. I come away from
watching the movie feeling I have gained insight into the
human condition, but I am not persuaded that Marxism—or, for
that matter, any other ism—could solve the problems of the
fishermen of Acitrezza. For me, the genius of Visconti's
achievement is that he captured the more general theme of the
exploitation of the weak by the strong better in "La Terra
trema" than in any film I know.
I like the way "La Terra
trema" closely observes the
details of daily life, showing fishermen selling their catch,
mending nets, and engaging in banal conversations. But the
film doesn't give me the feeling I'm watching a documentary
because of its lyrical cinematography and stately pace.
Rather, watching this movie makes me feel like I'm watching
something akin to grand opera or classical theater. Also, the
movie offers some unforgettable images, such as the one where
the black-shawled Valastro females stand on rocks looking out
to sea after the boat containing all the Valastro males has
gone missing.
Unfortunately the "La Terra
trema" DVD provides no bonus
materials at all. Except for scene selection, the only thing
you can control on the DVD is whether English subtitles are
turned on or off. But "La Terra trema" is a great film, and
I'm really glad to own it on DVD.