Pietro Germi's last film, Alfredo, Alfredo, doesn't have a reputation or a cult following as far as I know. But I definitely think it's his best work, both his most sophisticated and the most emotionally revealing. I don't want to talk too much about it until I resee it at Film Forum on November 7. But try to catch it if you're interested in Germi at all - it doesn't screen often.
The rest of Film Forum's Germi series is worth your while as well. My overall take on Germi: the early neorealist work doesn't do that much for me; the 50s melodramas are more interesting, with The Railroad Man the best of the bunch; and the cynical comedies that made his international reputation, Divorce Italian Style and Seduced and Abandoned, are a big step forward for him, and his best work until the alleged failure of Alfredo.
excellent, thanks for the recommendations. I was curious about that series but wasn't sure if I should bother, or where to begin; this is a great help.
ReplyDeleteGreat, glad it was helpful. Divorce and Seduced are pretty much consensus picks; Alfredo is my idiosyncratic recommendation, although I feel confident that it's ready for reevaluation.
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