L'ultimo amante

Of the handful of film directors who have remade their original versions, the name of Mario Mattoli does not immediately spring to mind! In 1942 he directed 'Stasera niente di nuovo' from a screenplay by the prolific Aldo de Benedetti which concerns the poignant relationship between a boozy journalist named Cesare and Maria, a prostitute he tries to redeem. In the original Cesare is played by Carlo Ninchi and Maria by the ravishing 21 year old Alida Valli. Fast forward to 1955 and we have Amadeo Nazzari as the journalist and as the prostitute the equally ravishing 21 year old Mai Britt.

In terms of the excellent performances and overall direction both films are evenly matched and again Benedetti contributes the screenplay. The striking difference is that the earlier version is very much influenced by French poetic realism whereas this later one is in the style of the 'tear-jerker' that proved extremely popular with post-war Italian film-goers and which film historians have since labelled as 'appendix neo-realism'!

Nazzari and Britt work wonderfully together and have a definite 'simpatico' which aids the film considerably. All of the characters are well drawn and Maria's 'protector' is played by well-dubbed American Frank Latimore. Miss Britt has the voice of the ubiquitous Lydia Simoneschi.

The final scene cannot fail to jerk a tear or three with a little help of course from Verdi's prelude to Act 111 of 'La Traviata'. Tissues at the ready!

There are some very memorable scenes in this film that you will not be likely to forget. The first is the magnificent flashback to Tunis during the war at a joint where Maria appears as a young brilliant irresistible beauty on the leash by her procurer, who uses her to entice rich gamblers to lose their fortunes at the illegal gaming table. He will be at her all her life. From this life the journalist Amedeo Nazzari appears as a rescuer, but to begin with she is the one who saves his life after a bombing attack in Tunis. When he rises again from the bed she is gone, and when she reappears in his life many years later he has completely forgotten her, while she has not forgotten him. She is then a prostitute in Milan, and when reminded of her, he decides to save her from her state of life. He brings her to a home for fallen women, a kind of rehabilitation centre, neither a prison nor convent which provides the chance for fallen women to begin a new life, and they are free to stay there or go as they choose. When Nazzari gets too serious in his increasing affection for her and starts planning a regular life for them together, she revolts, leaves the establishment and returns to her old life, as her old pimp has found her again. He is prepared to leave for a rich life in South America with her, when a conclusion sets in with a surprise that is devastating in its resolution.

The second memorable scene is the amazing insight into the establishment for fallen women, their life together, their conditions, (they have almost all come out of prison,) and how they even find some pleasure and leisure in their secluded existence. Mario Mattoli made this same film 13 years earlier with Alida Valli, then a young girl, but the Swedish Mai Britt as a blonde is also perfect in the role with almost a Garboesque detachment. She later married Sammy Davis Jr and had some children with him, which brought her out of the cinema.

It is in many ways a perfect film, reminiscent of other films of the same character like "Waterloo Bridge" and of course "Camille", but this is more realistic, less romanticised and more genuine in its human intimacy, particularly in the scenes from the girls' establishment.