«Una questione privata»

Cinema Wednesdays - Hélène Lavoyer

Torn between memories of Fulvia’s face—whose eyes alone inspired far more romance in him than the tattered pages of the books he was translating—and the oppressive reality of the war against the fascists, Miton pierces the unfathomable fog that now makes up his daily life.

Committed and determined, he will never stop searching for one of those «cockroaches» in order to trade it for his lifelong friend. But is it friendship or the pain born of betrayal that drives the dandy to want «his» Giorgio back so badly? For despite the love and loyalty he feels for him, finding him again would also mean discovering: did Giorgio love Fulvia, too? And to what extent? Were their nighttime escapades—of which Milton was unaware—as innocent as the fierce Fulvia herself?

Exhausted by his search, by his hopes of finding her again, and by the love he had never been able to express to the fair maiden except through letters, Milton collapses on the mountainside; his cries are lost within it, and the only force still keeping him going is that unshakable, ineffable determination born of his passion for her. In this gloomy, greenish atmosphere, his only comfort still lies in the memories of those moments spent watching the beautiful woman.

One Constant: Inconsistency

There are stories we carry with us our whole lives. Words and images we grow attached to and return to time and again. The adaptation of’A Private Matter, A novel by Beppe Fenoglio, it failed to leave a lasting impression on us in terms of substance. Between the rivalry between the two friends, which becomes apparent too early on, and the limited time allotted to get to know Fulvia, all we’re left with is Milton.

His flashbacks, all imbued with the innocence of her love, draw us into the intimacy of intellectual moments shared tenderly and honestly, within this household of two—or sometimes three. Yet such a scenario struggles to stand on such a flimsy foundation: we share only a few moments with the couple—too few for their love to seem genuine.

When the Visuals Save the Script

Nevertheless, it is with tenderness that we recognize the passion and near-madness of first love—that unconditional possibility—which, since time immemorial, has led young people to behave in the most unexpected, irrational, and, at times, selfish ways. Milton’s character, radiating sincerity, touches the hearts of the audience thanks to the closeness between the camera’s gaze and that of the actor—a blue that pierces the soul.

In addition to the close-ups, numerous beautifully orchestrated camera movements enliven the film’s rather flat plot. Whenever Milton’s eyes rest on the beautiful Fulvia, the camera takes their place, and it is then our gaze that meets hers as she performs a few dance steps on the old floorboards of the Italian villa.

The Art of Construction

Ultimately, two moments in life overlap on the screen. From the atmosphere, with its blue and greenish hues, of the hills shrouded in a thick layer of mist, we journey back to the bygone days of Milton and Fulvia’s shared life, colored by summer days and bathed in sunlight that perfectly reflects the joy and carefree spirit that were gradually eroded by the war.

Some scenes blend into one another, with the first gradually giving way to the second, the sun’s brilliance breaking through the winter gloom and the banality of the plot; a few words will linger in our hearts as the screen fades to black to the tremolo of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Write to the author : helene.lavoyer@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Trigon Film