Tinto Brass explored by Amy R
Handler
A film critic who understands the film explains it for audience
to reciprocate or make them aware about the facts presented in the film. Amy
Handler, a film critic to walk a mile ahead to explore his films. She takes a
journalistic task to discover the facts which motivated him? What is that he
wanted to say or what is that inspired him? Amy R Handler who is a
Boston-based filmmaker, film scholar, writer and critic has done this. She
examined time, fate, coincidence and our capacity for good and evil. Apart
from Film International, her work appears at Cineaste, Film Threat,
Moving Pictures Magazine and other magazines throughout the world. She is
presently writing several chapters in the books: German Cinema: A Critical
Flexography to 1945, and World Cinema France.
The infamous Caligula (1979), starring the renowned Sir Arthur
John Gielgud, Peter O’Toole and Helen Mirren attracted the attention of Amy R
Handler. Director Giovanni ‘Tinto’ Brass is considered controversial
by most critics and spectators.
Many did not know that Tinto’ Brass disowned
Caligula after artistic disputes with one of the film’s producer Bob Guccione
(founder and publisher of adult magazine Penthouse). He did not stand with the
creative interference of them on final cut of the film and an implosion of
pornographic sequences. Gore Vidal, who wrote and developed the original
screenplay from an un-produced mini-series by Roberto Rossellini, likewise
disowned the film, teaming up with Brass to file series of lawsuits
against Guccione that stalled production for three years.
Brass directed films in a wide variety of genres, from
spaghetti western Yankee in 1966 to avant-garde. Brass’s exploration of
language, imagination, religion, relationships and the pursuit of freedom
infuse his extensive cinematic range. To mention his work like the
disturbing, avant-garde, comedy-noir The Howl/L’urlo (1970), the drama Who
Works is Lost/Chi lavora è perduto (1963), Ca ira – Il fiume della Rivolta
(1964), a montage-style documentary on twentieth-century revolutions, as well
as later erotic comedies such as Fallo! (2003) and Monamour (2005). Much like
other film-makers, Brass initially attempts to find his voice in the
creation of documentaries, historical dramas, film noirs and Italian-style
westerns. He experimented with this genre, montage, intelligent comedies to
explore subtle nuances of men, women and their fantasies.
The Howl is 1968 film
banned for several years. Tinto Brass has showcased a
very powerful, universal tale of free-spirited, young woman named Anita, who is
to be married to her boyfriend, Berto. While exchanging vows at a toxic waste
dump, Anita spies a beckoning stranger. This jester, named Coso (‘thing’, or
‘object’), entices Anita to follow him, which she does, leaving Berto at the altar.
Director used series of interconnected vignettes blurring the boundaries
between poetry, music, live theatre and film, Anita and Coso embark on an
amazing adventure, in a world of fantasy, violence, war, love and death.
Finally, Anita clad in wedding attire, drives speedily back to her fate at the
altar. After she has crashed, screaming and been pronounced dead, Coso explains
that she was beautiful but crazy. At the wedding ceremony that follows, Anita
and Berto exchange garbled, meaningless vows, while the priest looks on, clad
in a necklace with a dangling, shrunken head.
In an interview with Film International Tinto Brass agree,
his film The Howl is inspired by Allen Ginsberg’s poem ‘Howl’ (1956), “I am
indirectly a poet, though I don’t write poetry. There is definitely some poetic
emulation in my films, though not everybody understands that. I am convinced
that these films are not of violence and hatred, but rather films of love, are
poetic.”
He told his producer Dino De Laurentis, that we should make the
movie as freely as the time, in mood and spirit. The movie should feel like
change as change occurs, much like the changes taking place at that time. Yes,
The Howl is certainly about memories appearing and disappearing in a certain
rhythm. Also, my own memories appear in the film.
Tinto Brass explains the philosophical plain as
explains, cinema is a dream that becomes true. What we cannot do in reality we
try to do in movies. My scenes are not connected by logic, but by analogy. In
this way, they proceed like poetry and dreams.
Today when we try and find the inspirational director for Tinto Brass he
confesses to get motivated by Jean Renoir. Tinto has spent some
years together with Jean Renoir in Paris. He has been a close pal of him.
Renoir shared his personal experience with Tinto Brass, when Renoir
was kid his father Pierre-Auguste Renoir showed him the painting of
[Lucas] van Leyden, The Healing of the Blind Man of Jericho (1531). He asked
Jean what the painting meant. Jean answered that he could not tell him exactly
because he didn’t know the history of the painting. Pierre-Auguste (Painter)
became furious and told him that it’s not about context and meaning but how art
is expressed and if it evokes emotion. The significance comes from the way art
is made and its language. This incidence changed the life of Renoir. Tinto Brassfilms
use language or expression evokes emotion.
Tinto Brass has made so many films but his all films
focus females. He has used ally of women in his films. He always explores
the women with different role responsibility in society and her struggle with
society and with herself. When asked how you direct films which focus on women
psyche? He answers, “I try to express the thoughts of the woman because I find
the female point of view more interesting, evolving and newer than the male’s.
Women are naturally able to express feelings. I naturally react and take on the
female point of view”.
Tinto Brass is strongly against censorship. He
strongly believes, the religion and any power manipulate people, stop them
thinking for themselves. To me the word ‘erotic’ means a struggle for freedom.
If you feel free, sexually, you are able to make changes in society. Social
change takes place when one power is changed by another. Women are able to
explore their erotic feelings easier than men. At any rate, they are more
honest about these feelings. In this respect, I hope women will take charge of
the world. This is our only hope.
Tinto Brass is
a director known for his film which talks about the women and their struggle
for freedom, fantasy, sex, and life. Director strongly believes on their
freedom as a person and our freedom as a spectator. I sum up this article with
his quote on freedom.
“I don’t believe we
can ever actually acquire our dream of freedom, but we must never give up the
pursuit. True freedom is the pursuit, something we must continuously
seek.”
