The spider’s stratagem directed by famed Italian filmmaker, Bernardo Bertolucci, is a surprisingly a good movie. Of course Bertolucci is a varied Italian director, if not the most varied of Italian directors. He has indeed lasted through the several stages of film and movie making and has directed movies that we could even consider ancient. This is not to poke fun at one of Italian cinemas greatest director, but the man has been making movies for quite a while. Inspired by the shortest story ever written by Jorge Luis Borges’s, ‘Theme of the Traitor and Hero’ is a story that causes us to rethink everything that has been told to us by our fathers and forefathers. Bernardo Bertolucci style of directing help bring the suspense to life, maybe not in an aggressive manner, a suspense that is as delectable as a mystery dish forging to ones palate that makes us want seconds in order to truly enjoy it.
The various flashback sequences, though crucial to the narration of the fathers story line, I found to be annoying and sometime even irritating. It is not until later on in the film that we realize that these sequences are in fact flashbacks with Athos father as the protagonist. Both father and son portrayed by the same actor; the only way that Bertolucci differentiates the two characters is by a red handkerchief around the fathers neck. Though this similarity between father and son is justified early on in the movie, I found the flashback sequences to be lacking; the flashbacks could have been executed in a different way with more of an emphasis. Though comical at some points these scenes are dry and do not inspire any reaction until the very end, and even then it remains dry.
As I said the flashbacks felt out of place at times and in all honestly felt like it was not a flashback but a continuation of Athos story line not his fathers. At the same time this confusion I mention could have been made with all intention, as justified in the beginning of the movie, Athos is his fathers spiting image. Regardless of its minor flaws, the movie the spider’s stratagem is a successful film adaptation. A very entertaining film, that leads us through a path of self-discovery on Athos part, our protagonist. Even if the flashbacks are somewhat confusing, that is were the mystery dish aspect of the movie comes into play, just simply trying the food once is not good enough to really enjoy it, you have to go for seconds of the same dish in order to appreciate it. The film the spider’s stratagem should be watched more than ones in order to understand it all the way.
I think an Italian audience would have easily identified the flashbacks as such, given the explicit references to the fascist historical period.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it's a bit unfair to call Bertolucci "ancient." He's 64, much younger than Desnoes, any of the boom writers, etc.