OSCAR winner as Best Foreign Film in 1971, IL GIARDINO DEI FINZI CONTINI tells about the persecution of Jews in Italy during the thirties. For this love & war drama Manuel De Sica composed what is regarded as his best score. A stunningly beautiful hebrew melody is the framework for the whole score. IL GIARDINO DEI FINZI CONTINI, aka THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS film directed by Vittorio De Sica in 1970, and starring Dominique Sanda, Lino Capolicchio, Fabio Testi, Helmut Berger, Romolo Valli, Edoardo Toniolo, Ettore Geri, Cinzia Bruno, Alessandro D'Alatri, Raffaele Curi, Franco Nebbia. Ferrara, 1938. The adult children of the Finzi-Continis, one of the leading, wealthy, aristocratic families of Jewish origin, Alberto (Helmut Berger) and Micol (Dominique Sanda), every afternoon are hosting a small group of friends to play tennis in their garden, among them steps in George (Lino Capolicchio), a young jew student from the middle class, who cultivates a secret passion and love for Micol. Meanwhile, the government promulgated the Fascist racial laws against Jews. The director Vittorio De Sica has brought to the big screen the famous novel by Giorgio Bassani IL GIARDINO DEI FINZI CONTINI, set in the city of Ferrara during the last years of the Fascist regime. Originally the author of the novel was engaged as co-writer of the script for the movie, but later distanced himself from the film production, because of artistic disagreements. Although some critics expressed their reservations, the film had a huge success with audiences worldwide. In 1971 it won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The screenplay by Vittorio Bonicelli and Ugo Pirro particularly focuses on idyll the Continis for their garden and the passionate love, not returned, of George for the charming but cool Micol that, knowing Giorgio is watching, makes love to one of his friends. The elegance of this film is given by the wonderful cinematography by Ennio Guarnieri and the beautiful music of Manuel De Sica, who composed the score when he was only 21 years old, but had already worked with his father, Vittorio, for the film AMANTI, in 1968, LO CHIAMEREMO ANDREA, in 1972, and IL VIAGGIO, in 1974, the last work of the great film director. The Symphonic OST of Maestro Manuel De Sica, masterfully directed by Carlo Savina, is characterized by a main theme for piano and orchestra and, at the same time, many romantic and dramatic variations, where sadness makes inroads into the feeling of love, well reflecting the imminent outbreak of World War II. This deluxe CD album of over 48 minutes, digitally restored and remastered, comes from the stereo master of the first album of 1970 (27:57) and the stereo master tapes of the original session, that added new music never released before. Claudio Fuiano |
