I spent the afternoon with my friend Sandra. We went to a movie that was not the best movie of all time, but the trailer had made it seem interesting. It is NOT! It is a tired, old movie about an old journalist who has led a very unsatisfactory life in which he has searched for the great Beauty but has not been able to find it.
But we did get to see photographs of Rome that were beautiful, things that we would never have seen had it not been for this film, but the simple truth most of those things can only be appreciated by a limited number of people. Fundamentally, it was a love story that went sour. He had had a love interest early in life who had apparently spurned him for another man who she truly did not love either. Italian women are pragmatic, and marry for security more than for romance and idealism. The ideal probably does not exist anyway.
I mean go figure. Sopia Loren and been married to Carlos Ponti for years while she was paired with any number of handsome leading men. Nobody expected that she would ever have a fling with Rock Hudson but perhaps Cary Grant, or any one of the others that she had knocked about with. I don't think that people ever questioned her reasons for marrying Carlos Ponti, a director who knew how to sell his wife well.
Anyway, the in crowd of Rome is depicted and discussed throughout the movie which naturally has to have a religious angle to it too. A line in the film jumped out at me on the screen. It is in subtitles but one was spoken English....took me to ASU years ago.
The Saint in the movie is a woman 104 years old who appears comatose for the most part most of the time, but has a strange way with birds and is willing to climb on her knees a huge stairway to some picture or statue of Jesus. It was painfully done, and the idea was to make one think of Sister Theresa I am sure, but it failed that totally.
It is subtlety mocking religious institutions which is probably quite normal in Rome.
The idea is to see the contrast of modern decadent Rome versus the invisible but ever obvious Vatican and its religious body near by. A cardinal appears in the story who commands attention but is disrespectful in his attitude towards the journalist when he tries to question him. He is easily distracted by a more important guest who needs him immediately, so he flies away. Later, he is seen a ta dinner table bragging on his culinary skills.
At a dinner party, finally the old lady labeled as a Saint gets her chance to speak. She reminds them like the current pope appears to be doing that Poverty is to be lived, not to be just a spoken vow. So she subsists on eating only roots of plants, and is also able to talk with the birds who flock to be near her. She sleeps on the floor. She is in serious contrast to all the self indulged spoiled rich who invite her to their table.
Terribly boring movie except for all the clothes, sights and sounds of the decadent rich...the misery of the poor and of tired old princesses who have nothing to do all day but be bored with one another. Lives full of emptiness needing to find ways to endure the boredom made it a boring movie as well. Jeb, our journalist, is impeccably dressed all the way through. A successful journalist should always look so good. Subliminally, many strange ideas took hold during the spinning of this tale.
Finally, I must admit that the great beauty probably refers to a great love that is requited and everlasting. Few ever find it, and those lucky enough to have even bitten into that forbidden apple know how elusive it really is.
Love fulfilled can be the greatest beauty of all, when one is so fortunate as to enjoy it...but love has so many divisions: childhood, puppy love, deep first time love that is unforgettable, comfortable, secure love that takes one for granted, as children feel towards their parents who nourish and protect them, guiding them to a successful adult life, and late love between couples who have endured hardships, trials, and trouble but grew to love one another more deeply than when first joined in marriage...so many kinds of love...the real Great Beauty!
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