Morricone Fans
莫里康内爱好者
EN Home
CN Home
Chronology
Music Overview
Film Overview
VIP Apply
VIP Login
Film Enjoy
Study
Music Sheet
Maestro
Payment
Old EN
Old CN
Personal Page
Resources Delivey
Newest Page
SiteMap
Notice
Lyrics
RSS
Message
Contact
About Us
TOP 120 Music
Morricone Resources Library
Global free resources
Morricone ringtones
Mobile Website
ENG Community
---------------------------
------------------------
English-->engmu003-000-->eng003-006 Same CN
A special column of the music general counsellor of Morriunion
Mr. Yang dalin and Ms. Yang dong
A thinking about "Malena"
---- Italy-US co-production film "Malena" first analysis
The Chinese famous specialists and pioneer for research on film music  The married couple Mr.Yang dalin and Ms.Yang dong
The Chinese famous specialists and pioneer for research on film music
The host of Beijing radio and TV station and so on.
The music general counsellor of "China Morricone Fans Association"
The married couple Mr.Yang dalin and Ms.Yang dong
Their E-mail ydlgzs@sina.com
A thinking about "Malena"
---- Italy-US co-production film "Malena" first analysis
The writer Daling Yang and Dong Yang
Translated by hwg and Tianyi Han on 11th Nov, 2009
Following the "Art Trilogy" "Cinina Paradiso"(1988), Stanno tutti bene (1990) and The Legend of 1900 (1999) creatived as ideas of "movie, opera, music", in 2000, Giuseppe Tornatore shooted a romantic drama film "Malena" that is an Allegorical style with different subject and taken his country Sicilia as background.
The gist of the story
In the spring of 1940, Sicilia, Italy was involved into second war, fascist was cause a temporary clamour in the small town. The juvenile Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro) who have just owned a bicycle, was influenced by a gan of faineant contemporary, start to pay attention to the unique beauty Malèna Scordia ( Monica Bellucci) in the town. Different from the accompaniers who are harassed by Adolescent sexual bud, Renato Amoroso was plunged into among mad hidden love on the Malena, as a result that unable to extricate themselves. Malena is 27 years old, her husband conscripts to fight in foreign countries and she lived alone at home. She became the sex idol worship of boys and center of attention of all male residents of the town when she walks in the street with graceful gait. The father of Malena is a teacher, but he tragically killed in an air strike. And military also announced the Malena's husband died in battle in foreign countries, her situation is even more lonely and helpless and forced prostitution. In a few years time, Renato who have formed peeping habit witnessed that the innocent woman suffered all. U.S. forces liberated Sicily, local women to Malena jealousy, grudge has been a long time, now excuse that she was German whore, dragged her to the square on the beat, and shaved off her hair. Malena who covered with wounds and alone left the town where she was hated and deflowered. After the war, a scarecrow back in town, the only one arm of a man, he just is Malena's husband Nino Scordia, he was still alive. In the town residents with cold-blooded selfishness, only one boy expressed sympathy to him and told his wife's whereabouts. A year later, Renato and his girlfriend standing in the crowd watching a pair of men and women who have experienced the vicissitudes back to the native place. This time, Malena is snuggling with her husband through the town's squares and streets. The couple each other supported with expression of indifference, toward their house is located in the seaside went ... ...
Film Analysis
1. Hiding in the plot of the two themes

The military vehicles through the streets, informing all residents to listen to leader's speech on time, then the voice-over of Mussolini instigates war resounded through the town; A boy Renato finally got a bicycle, riding happily it in the streets; One body part close-up of a woman who is dressing and making up at home; in the process of cross-editing of three sets of lenses, Tornatore tells the story began. The picture presented a warm tone where is away from the war and is warmed by the sun and looks relaxed contentment, when the time is far past, only the voiceover that is flicker and full the smell of gunpowder to remind people that the people where living in that space and time where are experiencing severe war. A comparatively independent and integrated plot filled implied meanning: when the waiting time for the beauty appeare, the children gather together,Through a magnifying glass with focused sunlight, brutal killing of a small innocent lives of ants ... ...

Leaders in the radio so forcefully stressed: "The supreme command, you must unconditionally obey!" ... ...

Driven to distraction of Renato asked: "She is called what?" "Malena, Sicily's most beautiful little girl," expression obsessed partner to answer.

Soon afterwards two voice of dialogue background appeared in the audience ears, Several boys reluctantly ended their greed peek and pursuit to the beauty, lovestruck Renato has thus fallen into the abyss of unrequited love. The signed by above two paragraphs of unrelated language, just is difficult to link the two themes in the story that is Tornatore would like to express: 1.Italy that lose its soul and has been controled by a crazy bedlamite in those year, followed Nazi Germany tend towards the war; 2. A juvenile experienced sexual impulses and finally walk up to maturity, and leave nice memories of adolescence.

Setting of frontal one theme, provided adequate display space for common "anti-war" thinking in the films of many countries, but Tornatore is only through a number of relatively subtle plot to represent it, this just is the key of the movie plot that make one feel serious imbalance: Renato dispute with his father because he stealing to modify his father's pants, Suppress the voice of his father said, "Wait until the leader is dead, I must let you to wear pantalettes"; Renato deliberately colliding with the statue of the leader on the ground after being driven out of the classroom by teacher, Mussolini's head was wrestling in half; A cinema is screening of war propaganda film, auditorium is on the sparse, Renato all turn a blind eye to the screen, a prostitutes are being invited to hand to help him solve the problem ... ...etc. If Tornatore really want to express a "positive anti-war thinking",then only the metaphor of the plot is far from enough, since directly related to the circumstances of war, leaving only a lively scene that Allied landing in Sicily (July 1943)

Although the film's most of the scenes shot in Morocco, but the story place is same with most of the Tornatore previous works (former two films of the "Art Trilogy" and "Blue Spot Dog" of the "Especially on Sunday " componented by 3 segments in 1991 and "Star Maker" in 1995)- all are his hometown, thus, Tornatore who always is with himself as screenwriter used Luciano Vincenzoni's original background of the story of World War II, Once again provides a relatively good display space for he own nostalgic thoughts that is always haunting in his heart

Tornatore In this film intentionally showing off, it just was juvenile Renato's sexual bud and sexual disillusionment, and his "love" experiences and changes in the process. But there is no doubt, so bold, almost undisguised expression of male sexual impulses and voyeuristic behavior, in the world of film is rare.Tornatore caused no small controversy in this time. Movie (in particular full version issued in the Italian home) plot repeated subjective lens with male obscene mean: Malena's feature of various parts of the body from head to toe and corresponding greedy eyes of the boy, subconscious moans and the physical response, the strong cravings of all the men in town when they indecent without exception followed Malena, also impressive hero Renato's pictures of always sexual fantasies and his masturbation in the bed for many times etc....No wonder that an article In the "sight and sound" magazine of United States appears such wording: "Whenever the camera swings toward Malena, the lenses just like dropping hormone"

But in fact, Tornatore exceeded "level restriction" set by by official censorship in countries in his this allegorical work, in order face to the ancient eternal topic--"human instinct" in the screen for the first time in the world , it is needs rather courage. Italian film person's unrestrained and romantic by nature in relation to "sex" issue, always surpasses their counterparts in France, it is very evident only from Constantly issued of master of softcore eroticism-Tinto Brass' works that is "Sound , Light and color" all-round elegant film. Although the proportion that the contents between plot of the two themes for the interpretation is imbalance (This is especially severe in the full version), but Tornatore boldly explored adolescent experience that are preserved by each one adult male, and pictured the secret, dirty corner of each modern heart with the Freudian lens of language. The context of the outspoken and straightforward tactics reminiscent that perhaps everything from memory of sexual repression in the childhood and adolescence suffered by screenwriter Vincenzoni and director self who also is part-time screenwriter, from a kind of thirst for to frankly face to human instinct and made the experience on this instinctive to clear in the world.

To see of the lover in the hearts finally was embraced by others, Renato apart from grieving, also completed his exceeding of so-called "love",into a kind of level of spiritual experience, he began to mature from originally passionate and precocious. Renato out of the peeping stage that is wretched and only to meet the sexual, after Malena subjected to unfair treatment and was brutally beaten, he produced a new kind of emotional
to this weak women, sympathy and compassion are far greater than the narrow-minded in his heart "love". The last track their own goddess, Renato is far from looking at Malena's cheek that full of scars covered with a black turban ,
through bustling flow in the open-air platform, boarded a crowded compartment.Renato also saw, through the glass on the window,Malena is woodenly stareing out with beautiful eyes exposed in the scarves outside, that familiar land out window , original is her hometown. At the moment, it is tearjerker that music full of sympathy and compassion and ringing in the ears of the audience ... ...
(2) Music participation
As analysis the works of Sergio Leone who passed away, analysis of Tornatore's film do not involve the music is impossible. Because the composer of two directors is same person - one of world's last remaining masters of music, Ennio Morricone.People familiar with Morricone works all knows that his music that constitutes one of the many elements of one film always occupied a special status

The music of "Malena" obtained Oscar nominated for best original music soundtrack, Prior it has received the Golden Globe Award for Best Musical.This is that 72-year-old Morricone received fifth Oscar nomination in his life(The first four were in 1978's "Days of Heaven", 1986's "mission" in 1987's "The Untouchables" and the 1991's "Bugsy").Ultimately the ones who long enjoyed a good reputation lost a young novice--To Tan Dun who is composer for Ang Lee's that Hollow martial arts film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". This gimmick reminiscent of a few years ago the Brazilian film "Central Station" (1998). In the fierce competition for the Best Actress Award, Increasingly focus on business effectiveness of the juries,ultimately gave the gold awards to the "Shakespeare in Love," of starring women whocan be said as to the young and beautiful romance but mediocre acting. The Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro who was born in 1929, even if her acting reached a pinnacle, it will not be much of Oscar's appeal,especially for the people of so-called "future prospects" and a variety of business opportunities. The Oscar voters lack of understanding on the world of film music's top personalities Ennio Morricone. First of all, his outstanding contribution to the history of film music is that no one can achieve. After a little research some of the representative works of Morricone's more than 400 works, John Williams who has won no fewer than 40 Oscar nominations and six times award, has just discovered that Morricone's achievements in the field in film music is incomparable with the other composers, so not to mention inexperienced person!

As can be seen, composer of "Malena" soundtrack again demonstrated innovation and self-transcendence.Morricone works in the past has never been lack of humor.This Italian-style humor was played to the extreme particularly in the music of the 1970s Leone's works "A Fistful of Dynamite" and the same is the Leone-style Italian Franco-German co-production film "My Name Is Nobody"( 1974). Now, just view from the overwhelming "Walking on the streets" (Passeggiata in Paese) theme in the movie "Malena", appears to depict the heroine's graceful melody of walking in the street in the eyes, it has been most vividly the development and sublimation as a fuse between humor that is one of human special taste and unparalleled biting satire. In the pizzicato 4 / 4 beat uniform rhythm in the strings,Mandolin (Italy of a civil plucked instrument) and the synthesizer,piano and other instruments together playing in Unison a "Walk" motive in the first and third phrases,the different instrumental timbre in the second and fourth phrases composed an answer sentence, salient features of this theme just is its richness of content.Morricone works in the past has been known as multi-faceted and rich of the image of his music. The most notable example is the theme of "Man With A Harmonica " that is implies more motivation in the film "Once upon a time in the west"(See my another writing: "a volume grand symphonic poem of movie"). Now, the "walking street" theme also covers a large number of image. It not only depicts the women's graceful gait, more importantly, it is same as are the well-known subjective lens of the film, also from the subjective perspective of music, make a vivid sketch to the kinds of passions excited persons, full of features and demeanor Jealousy, therefore, the composer made the second, third and fourth respectively of the theme, emerged all living creatures gestos that was copied by way of the mandolin, violin and trumpet solo. This topic (Soundtrack CD track 3)in the film (full version) appeared before and after up to 10 times as a relatively complete form or in fragments, only last time is the focus on the that pictured demeanor and the inner world of the heroine, but which still have many perspective of spectator. The last occurrence of "walking the streets" should be seen as the first variation of theme (Soundtrack CD Track 1): Weather-beaten Malena snuggle with their husbands, again across the street and lane. The overture part is same as the beginning of Orchestration of theme, but soon afterwards appeared the melody played by relatively gentle electric guitar solo, a heart view changes of the composer can be felt. Variation of the second paragraph in the music, electric guitar solo then being replaced by a gradually strong Strings Ensemble. It apparently is a new Malena who has experienced of the inconstancy of human relationships that occured in front of people and depicted by that simple but profound, moving melody with a sense of desolate mournful.
Variations on this theme and the film's second theme that is "Malena theme" (Soundtrack CD track 2) together, it revealed that the director and composer sent to the deep sympathy for the hostess, Also revealed the hidden profound meaning under that plot structure relied by the seemingly superficial story and characters form
(3) The film structure and characterization
Film "Malena" is used in a linear narrative, or more precisely the traditional chronological and spatial structure.
For Tornatore, maybe this relatively single narrative structure, than that he in his masterpiece "Cinema Paradiso" and "The legend of 1900" used structure in the flashback in time and space is more conducive to convey his "past feeling". there is only a few Renato's narration in the development process of the story,but until the last, adult Renato's last memories is still that was told by the juvenile actor Sulfaro in its fledgling voice:"I have loved many women, but I can not forget unique that only Malena". In the film, bathed in warm sunlight of the lens is always with the "gold" tag, seem the boy never grow up is wasting the golden age in the life day after day
The lucky youth Giuseppe Sulfaro who are initial board screen figured Renato. His a pair simple transparent and sophistication of large eyes, make people to recall the small cast Salvatore Cascio who acted Toto of "Cinema Paradiso". But because Sulfaro year older than Salvatore Cascio, Sulfaro carrying more several times pressure. This pressure mainly from performance of those "Lust psycholagny scene". At the same time all the audience understanding of the life of the heroine can only be through the eyes of this youth. Although some reluctance, but Sulfaro's performance fairly is accurate.
Truly controversial in the film also is this heroine Malena .

Same article in "Sight and sound" magazine also pointed out: "Undeniably, the heroine Malena acted by former fashion model Monica Bellucci is a striking presence. but Tornatore almost refuse to let his heroine do anything, Causing her to look beautiful believers, but there is not depth of performance. The article also commented that all local men love her, and all the women resented her. Malena became a mystery and perplexing characters and a target aimed by all....These comments is accurate to say, but also is inevitably some biased. Some fans named the film as "The beautiful legend of Sicily". Maybe they took note of the director tells the romantic story of a legendary and also is take their hometown as the background. It is precisely in such a story as the basis, Tornatore re-examine the he disgraceful role played by the country in the history of World War II: The "victory" of colonial war in Ethiopia in 1930s mid brings the imperialist ambitions of expansion, Lead to escalation of international tensions; In giving up the soul and perfunctory seek temporary peace of the people connivance, clown-style dictator Mussolini to control state power, Eventually Collusion with the Nazi Germany, set up a "Rome - Berlin axis", As well as the prevalence of fascism, the die out of Italian people's good nature and conscience....Perhaps some problems in the original script has led to increase of "reality" in the narrative process and the "Fable" signed a grade level of story taste was weakened, but the director's intention is that set up Malena as a visual symbol and a symbolic figure,It is come dowm in one line with Tornatore's film style and form means. An article in the United States "box office" issued in March 2001 said: "Tornatore "targeted" symbolized Italy as this character Malena. The suffering experienced by Malena is the history of flogging given Italy's hypocritical, and this hypocrisy has historically allowed the Italians cannibalism. autophagy the best of them , most beautiful figure". So Tornatore make their favorite heroine is only a small amount of dialogue,let her to cover up the inner world of loneliness used only beautiful coat, Trying to build a thought-provoking enigmatic image in the front of audience under screen. To be fair, although it is not too successful that the figures compared to other actors shaped by Tornatore, but Malena do not represent the Bellucci's acting who has entered the movie in early 1990s Bellucci. More than 10 years ago, the performance in the French film "Apartment" (L'Appartement, 1996) has won the most promising actress nominations of Cesar Award for Monica Bellucci. In the film "Malena" , after a long forbear and taciturn, The battered Malena Issued hoarse, angry, desperate roar to those cruel female compatriots and fellow, to those despicable, vulgar and full of lust of the philistine, Will reverberate among the hearts of the audience in the world for long time ... ...Feb.1,2005

Below are added information
001-About the director Giuseppe Tornatore
Giuseppe Tornatore
Born March 27, 1956 (1956-03-27) (age 53)
Bagheria, Sicily, Italy
Occupation Film director, producer and screenwriter
Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 March 1956) is an Italian film director

Biography

Born in Bagheria near Palermo, Tornatore developed an interest in acting and the theatre from at least the age of 16 and put on works by Luigi Pirandello and Eduardo De Filippo.

He worked initially as a freelance photographer. Then, switching to cinema, he made his debut with Le minoranze etniche in Sicilia (The Ethnic Minorities in Sicily), a collaborative documentary which won a Salerno Festival prize. He then worked for RAI before releasing his first full-length film, Il Camorrista, in 1985. This evoked a positive response from audience and critics alike and Tornatore was awarded the Silver Ribbon for best new director.

Tornatore's best known screen work was released in 1989: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, a film about the return of a successful film director to his native town in Sicily for the funeral of an old friend. This obtained worldwide success and won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Subsequently Tornatore released several other films cementing his place in film history.

Filmography

Director

Writer

External links

 

----------------------------------------------------
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------
Giuseppe Tornatore
by Michele Parisi (From Best of Sicily magazine)
吉赛贝·托纳多雷(朱斯佩 托那托雷) Giuseppe Tornatore
 
His films touch the soul of Sicily, transcending the ordinary, the conventional, the stereotypical. Giuseppe Tornatore was born and raised in Bagheria (outside Palermo). He started working very young as a photographer, publishing in various photographic magazines. At the age of sixteen he staged two plays by Pirandello and De Filippo. For the cinema he has made various documentaries, including Il Carretto, highly acclaimed at several regional and national film festivals in Italy.

In 1979 be began a long collaboration with RAI (Italy's national television network), for which he directed several programs. From 1978 to 1985, he was chairman of the CLCT Cooperative, which produced Giuseppe Ferrara's film 100 Days in Palermo, with Lino Ventura. Tornatore also co-wrote the screenplay and directed the second unit. In 1986 he made his debut in feature films with Il Cammorrista ("The Gangster"), starring Ben Gazzara. Freely adapted from the book by Giuseppe Marrazzo, this singular motion picture won Tornatore a Golden Globe for best new director.

Rural life is a hallmark of Tornatore's "Sicilian" movies. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, which took place in small-town Sicily, was the film that put Tornatore on the map with international audiences. It won the Oscar for best foreign film in 1990. The Star Maker, set in post-war Sicily, was released in 1995, followed by Malèna in 2000. The social statements of Malèna, an emotional story which takes place in a fictional Sicilian town during the war, are powerfully thought-provoking.

Americans as well as Italians have found Sicily fertile cinematic territory. The eccentric Milanese director Roberta Torre comes to mind. It's difficult to overlook the fact that Tornatore's movies, compared to Francis Ford Coppola's Mafia tales (The Godfather) and Michael Cimino's stories (The Sicilian), depict the real Sicily and real Sicilians. Luchino Visconti's The Leopard, starring Burt Lancaster (based on the di Lampedusa novel), was directed exceptionally well. But Tornatore, a younger director, is not afraid to confront, in a serious way, difficult historical and social issues that most Sicilians themselves rarely discuss --including Fascism and the Second World War-- through the eyes of individual characters and situations. With time, he is earning respect as that rarest of cinematic talents --a "Director's Director."

He rarely gives interviews, preferring to let his work speak for itself. Artistically, that's a solid position. Giuseppe Tornatore's work speaks well of its creator.

Tornatore has never been timid about casting inexperienced actors or even non-professional ones. Here's what he had to say about the subject when The Star Maker (filmed in places like old Poggioreale) opened to rave reviews:

"Deciding to cast a non-professional, or worse still, someone who you don't even know if and where you'll find him or her, is like asking the first person you come across to hold onto your savings. You never know if you'll ever get your money back. The search for non-professional actors has no rule. It can be a question of feeling, or simply luck. It can be fun or excruciating. During the shooting of The Star Maker, one morning we were stuck because an actress hadn't turned up on the set. We thought something had happened to her and that she was delayed but would eventually arrive. We didn't have an alternative shooting schedule. We were in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and it was impossible to find another actress that could take her place. The missing actress finally called. In tears, she told us that she had unexpectedly been called by the Education Ministry for a teaching job --I don't know where-- and if she missed the interview, she would lose the opportunity of a permanent position. She was terribly sorry but, between taking part in a Tornatore film and a 'stable job' she had no doubt which one to choose!"

About the Author: Michele Parisi, who presently resides in Rome, has written for various magazines and newspapers in Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

2001 Michele Parisi

 
002-Intercepted 3 film clips of "walking street" theme as Mr.Yang Dalin and Miss Yang Dong's article
Film clips of "walking street" theme 3-1 (Place 00'21'26" - 00'24'54")
3'42"(Potato site)
...Now, just view from the overwhelming "Walking on the streets" (Passeggiata in Paese) theme in the movie "Malena", appears to depict the heroine's graceful melody of walking in the street in the eyes, it has been most vividly the development and sublimation as a fuse between humor that is one of human special taste and unparalleled biting satire....
Film clips of "walking street" theme 3-2 (Place 00'45'20" - 00'47'51")
2'35"(Potato site)
...Now, the "walking street" theme also covers a large number of image. It not only depicts the women's graceful gait, more importantly, it is same as are the well-known subjective lens of the film, also from the subjective perspective of music, make a vivid sketch to the kinds of passions excited persons, full of features and demeanor Jealousy, therefore, the composer made the second, third and fourth respectively of the theme, emerged all living creatures gestos that was copied by way of the mandolin, violin and trumpet solo....
Film clips of "walking street" theme 3-3 (Place 01'34'02" - 01'35'54")
1'47"(Potato site)
...this topic (Soundtrack CD track 3)in the film (full version) appeared before and after up to 10 times as a relatively complete form or in fragments, only last time is the focus on the that pictured demeanor and the inner world of the heroine, but which still have many perspective of spectator. The last occurrence of "walking the streets" should be seen as the first variation of theme (Soundtrack CD Track 1): Weather-beaten Malena snuggle with their husbands, again across the street and lane. The overture part is same as the beginning of Orchestration of theme, but soon afterwards appeared the melody played by relatively gentle electric guitar solo, a heart view changes of the composer can be felt. Variation of the second paragraph in the music, electric guitar solo then being replaced by a gradually strong Strings Ensemble. It apparently is a new Malena who has experienced of the inconstancy of human relationships that occured in front of people and depicted by that simple but profound, moving melody with a sense of desolate mournful...
003 - Reference page in the site
 
The movie page of "Malena" >>>>
The music page of "Malena" >>>>
 
Previous page   Next Page
Nov.11, 2009
Some important page in the old area
The old chronology edited in 2009
The Films
Music Audition
A special column of China Morricone Fans Association
A column of general music counselor of Morriunion
A column of Morricone's music sung by songsters
Morricone's music played by the famous artists
All updated webpage for 10 years
Free resources in the world
About"Chi Mai"
A study on Morricone 2002-2010 six concerts in Europe,USA and Asia
The formal 20 sheets music of "The legend of 1900"
A exchange page for friends of requesting score music
Friends who are practicing piano
The webmaster's talk
Morricone news in China
About mobile WAP site
Morricone's MIDI music and download of its ring for your mobile
The important web sites of Morricone's work in the world
BBC-HVF A interview to Morricone
Ennio Morricone 2009 Beijing concert
Ennio Morricone 2010 Shanghai EXPO concert
Allonsanfan research
La Califfa research
Death rides a horse research
Metello research
Morricone's 100 famous music
Visiting Imola again after 13 years
Sacco e Vanzetti research
Philatelic exploration round the world
Philatelic matters for transfer
Site Map
Review my favorite western music of last 30 years
Look back the past by way of the satllite map
About Us
Add to Google
Mobile Site (CN-EN)
Home Page (ENG)
Philately (ENG)
Dual-use Guestbook for PC and mobile phone
put on record: 苏ICP备11039856号 Start from August 8,2003 All right reserved
Contact Us  qilingren@hotmail.com   webmaster@morricone.cn    
All pages are only for visitor's personal enjoy and study