Re: Films depicting political transformation / end of regimes (3 responses)

From: Michael Morton <[email protected]>

The Italian adaptation of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (which =
actually preceded the first American film version of "Postman") is =
"Ossessione" (1943)--Luchino Visconti's first feature film.

Michael Morton

Duke University
Program in the Arts of the Moving Image

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From: "Frank, Michael" <[email protected]>

the movie leo refers to below is visconti's  Ossessione =
(1943<http://www.imdb.com/year/1943/?ref_=3Dtt_ov_inf>)

>=20
> There was an Italian adaptation of 'The
>=20
> Postman Always Rings Twice', the name of which escapes me and which =
was made around the time Mussolini's regime collapsed. The defiance of =
authority (specifically in respect of Roman Catholic sexual morality) =
theme in the film has been interpreted as open defiance of the regime's =
censors and thus early evidence of the writing being on the wall.
>=20
> Leo Enticknap

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From: Murray Weston <[email protected]>

Dear Marco

You might consider looking at the productions, if you have not already, =
of the Riga Film Studio Documentary Department during the 1980s - =
especially work by Yuris Podnieks and Andris Slapins.  Andris' film 'In =
Memory' (English title) or 'Fields of Hope' (Lettish and Russian title) =
was a study of folklore and the similarities between UK and Latvia - =
with underlying messages.  I understand the word 'memory' could not be =
used in the Lettish version title because Memory was the name of one of =
the ultra right wing Latvian groups which was growing in support at the =
time. =20

Yuris Podnieks' most famous film was 'Is It Easy to be Young' about =
Soviet youth (1986). He worked in co-production with Central TV during =
the 1980s and made a film called 'Homeland' on national identity and =
another called 'Hello Do You Hear Us'.

Both Yuris and Andris used metaphors and messages, through documentary, =
which needled the USSR.  The messages in these films related to =
individualism, national cultures and features of identity (as a response =
to the perceived 'dead hand' of Soviet control) - and the messages are =
so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable (now).  Most of the films were =
distributed into Soviet cinemas and some were seen in the West on =
television. =20

Andris was shot to death in Riga in 1991 while filming with Yuris =
directing (the Russian Black Berets thought they had got Yuris, and even =
issued notice of his death, when it was actually Andris who had been =
killed - along with the sound man Gvido Zvaigzne).  Later Yuris himself =
died under strange circumstances, drowned in a lake.  All three had =
worked in the same small office in the Riga Studio.=20

I spent some time in Riga for the completion of Andris Slapins film =
'Fields of Hope' and experienced sitting in front of a row of three =
suits from Goskino saying quietly during the final acceptance screening =
"this looks like another film 'for the shelf'"......  That night the =
film was radically re-edited.

The story of deaths in the Riga Film Studio Documentary Department, as =
the USSR lost its power in Latvia, is an intriguing tale worth =
investigating alongside the work they produced.  Access to content may =
be difficult, but the best route might be via Antra Cilinska, Podnieks' =
editor (http://www.latfilma.lv/c/cilinska/).

Kind regards=20

Murray

Murray Weston | Senior Advisor
British Universities Film & Video Council
77 Wells Street
LONDON
W1T 3QJ

020 7393 1500
07973 343727
[email protected]

Moving Image and Sound
Knowledge and Access

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