Senso (1954)

Senso (The Wanton Contessa)
Directed by Lucino Visconti
Written by Suso Cecci D’Amico, Lucino Visconti from a novella by Camillo Boito
1954/Italy
Lux Film
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] “When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince[/box]

This film is almost as lushly beautiful as Visconti’s later classic The Leopard.  I was a bit distracted by my irritation with both of the lead characters, however.

The story takes place in Venice, Italy in 1866.  Venice is still ruled by the Hapsburg Empire but rebellion is running high and the Italian War of Unification was on the horizon.  We begin at the La Fenice opera house where Verdi’s patriotic opera Il Trovatore is playing. The audience uses the occasion to shout revolutionary slogans at the Austrian officers attending the show.  Lt. Franz Mahler (Farley Granger) insults patriot Roberto Ussoni, who challenges the Austrian to a duel.

Ussoni’s cousin is fellow patriot Countess Livia Serpieri (Alida Valli), whose husband has made peace with the Austrians.  She takes it on herself to see Mahler privately and beg him to not accept the challenge.  Mahler says the cousin will be arrested before any duel can take place.  The meeting makes Mahler bold and soon the two are having a passionate affair. This is evidently represents Livia’s sexual awakening.

But after a while Mahler stops showing up for their trysts.  She humiliates herself by calling at the quarters he shares with other Austrian officers but she has no success in learning his whereabouts.  Finally, with war openly declared, the Count moves his household to the countryside.

Just as mysteriously as he disappeared from Livia’s life, Mahler shows up at the estate. Then Livia’s real troubles begin.

This is one of Farley Granger’s better performances, actually, as he certainly inspired some emotion in me.  I disliked his character heartily almost from his very first appearance on screen.  I don’t want to give too much away here but I just could not understand why Valli’s character would be moved to any sacrifice for this louse.  I suppose every heart has its reasons.

The film is absolutely stunning both visually and aurally from the first moments.  Worth seeing.

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