Amore rosso (Marianna Sirca)

The author of the novel was Grazia Deledda who was a native of Sardinia and wrote a number of novels of her island, famous for their passion and dramatic qualities, like the best Italian operas, for which literary output she was awarded the Nobel prize of literature. This is such a story. Marianna is a rich proprietairess with thousands of sheep, whose property and riches her cousin Sebastiano covets, desiring to marry her by any means. However, she loves another man, who is a brigand who once saved her life, which is the beginning of the film. The passionate story that follows is extremely down-to-earth all the way, the realism is consistent getting stronger all the time and offering blinding panoramas and views of the Sardinian landscape with its rugged mountains. Martina Berti is ideal as the protagonist Marianna, and all the other actors are prominent as well. This film should have been in colour for the sake of the scenery, but the black-and-white character enhances the drama and the effect of the wonderful costumes. This is another kind of Italian neo-realism, taking place in 1910 but absolutely faithful to that age and those circumstances.