Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (Conversation Piece) 1974 MA15+
When
6.00pm, Fri 21 Jun 2019 (121 mins)Where
Gallery of Modern Art & Cinema A
About
Conversation Piece will screen from an imported 35mm film print.
Conversation Piece is a late career portrait of wealth and insalubriousness from a director who spent much of his career ruminating on both subjects. Reuniting with several actors with whom he had worked in the past – including Burt Lancaster (The Leopard 1963), Helmut Berger (The Damned 1969, Ludwig 1973), and Silvana Mangano (The Witches 1967, Death in Venice 1971) – Visconti’s film is an intimate drama set entirely within the Roman palazzo of Lancaster’s unnamed professor. He finds his life of peaceful solitude disturbed by the arrival of new young tenants on the upper floor of his apartment. This newfound tumult quickly drives him to breaking point as he attempts to reconcile with the libidinous decadence of their behaviour.
At the time of filming, Visconti was recovering from a debilitating stroke that left him in poor health and consequently eager to make a film smaller in scope than his grandest epics. Nevertheless, Conversation Piece is a sharp and pointed treat brought to life by its vivacious cast and Technicolor cinematography. The director makes the most of the confined space of the sets, leaning on his skill in the world of theatre to make this a dynamic and absorbing dramatic satire.
MA15+
Production Credits
- Director: Luchino Visconti
- Script: Luchino Visconti, Enrico Mediola, Suso Cecchi d'Amico
- Cinematographer: Pasqualino de Santis
- Editors: Eliane Katz, Ruggero Mastroianni
- Production Companies: Rusconi Film, Gaumont International
- Screening Format: 35mm
- Year: 1974
- Runtime: 121 minutes
- Countries: Italy, France
- Languages: English, Italian, (with English subtitles)
- Sound: Mono
- Colour: Colour