Tinto Brass explored by Amy R Handler

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.”