The Spider's Stratagem

Bernardo Bertolucci's "Strategia del ragno" (The Spider's Stratagem) is a labyrinthine exploration of memory, myth, and political idealism that showcases the director's burgeoning talent while occasionally getting tangled in its own complexities. Released in 1970, this film marks an important step in Bertolucci's evolution as a filmmaker, blending elements of mystery, political commentary, and surrealism into a challenging narrative tapestry.

Based on a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, the film follows Athos Magnani Jr. (played by Giulio Brogi) as he returns to his father's hometown of Tara to investigate the circumstances of his death. As Athos delves deeper into the past, the line between reality and myth becomes increasingly blurred, with the film's narrative structure mirroring this confusion.

Bertolucci's direction is both the film's greatest strength and, at times, its weakness. His visual style is undeniably impressive, with carefully composed shots that often carry more narrative weight than the dialogue. The use of color is particularly noteworthy, with the golden hues of the Italian countryside contrasting sharply with the shadowy interiors where secrets lurk. However, Bertolucci's penchant for ambiguity sometimes crosses the line from intriguing to frustrating, leaving viewers struggling to piece together the fractured narrative.

Giulio Brogi delivers a nuanced performance in the dual role of Athos Jr. And his father, Athos Sr. His ability to subtly differentiate between the two characters while maintaining a sense of their shared identity is crucial to the film's exploration of generational legacy and the weight of the past. Alida Valli, as Draifa, one of Athos Sr.'s former lovers, brings a haunting quality to her role, her performance embodying the town's inability to move beyond its mythologized past.

One of the film's standout scenes occurs when Athos Jr. Attends an outdoor opera performance. The merging of the operatic drama with the unfolding mystery of Athos Sr.'s death creates a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere that encapsulates the film's themes of performance, reality, and historical narrative. This scene exemplifies Bertolucci's skill in creating visually striking set pieces that resonate on multiple levels.

The film's exploration of fascism and anti-fascist resistance in Italy is both timely and timeless. Bertolucci deftly weaves these political themes into the fabric of the mystery, using them to comment on the nature of heroism and the way societies construct their historical narratives. However, the film's political commentary sometimes feels overly oblique, potentially limiting its impact on viewers not well-versed in Italian history.

Vittorio Storaro's cinematography is a highlight, capturing both the sun-drenched exteriors and the shadowy interiors of Tara with equal skill. His work significantly contributes to the film's dreamlike quality, enhancing the sense of a town trapped in time.

The pacing of "Strategia del ragno" may test the patience of some viewers. Bertolucci takes a deliberately measured approach, allowing scenes to unfold slowly and often prioritizing mood and atmosphere over narrative clarity. While this approach yields some beautifully crafted moments, it can also lead to periods where the film feels somewhat static.

For cinephiles and those interested in the evolution of European art cinema, "Strategia del ragno" offers a fascinating glimpse into Bertolucci's developing style. Its exploration of memory, myth, and political idealism remains relevant, even if its execution is not always entirely successful. While not Bertolucci's most accessible work, it stands as an important and intriguing entry in his filmography, showcasing his willingness to experiment with form and narrative in ways that would influence his later, more widely acclaimed films.

After having searched high & low for this ridiculously hard to find film by Bernardo Bertolucci, I finally got a watchable VHS print recently (thanx, Scott). It has been praised by many a critic & film scholar, and deservedly so. Leonard Maltin may not know much, but he was right on the money when he said that this film contains some of the most staggeringly beautiful cinematography ever put on screen. If only somebody would get this on a proper DVD (Criterion, if you're not too busy considering another re-release of The Rock...). The story is, on the surface, a sort of 'search for the truth' mystery/quest that quickly turns into a complex examination of 'the nature of truth'. The pace is slow, and there isn't much in the way of action, mostly just dialog scenes and gorgeous location shots. But I for one was totally engrossed (my wife seemed to dig it as well). Speaking of pace, this struck me as being quite Tarkovsky-esquire a film (barring a few odd cutaway shots), especially with that last scene that puts the whole film into a different spin. Fascinating, heady stuff, but not for all tastes and will be rewarding more to those who are patient and attentive.

La Strategia del ragno is a beautifully shot, superbly acted movie with a lot of twists. At fist glance the story depicts a man, Athos Jr, who has to solve the murder on his father, Athos Sr. This is asked of him by his father's mistress. Later it becomes clear that that story is the strategy of the mistress to get him to replace his father (the two are identical). The third story that runs through the movie is why Athos Sr was in fact killed. It seems he's a traitor, but it's my guess that he staged his own death from the beginning (including his treason), without his friends knowing. The only one who finds out the whole truth is Athos Jr. The way these stories are told and how they interact is magnificent. There's nothing in the movie that shouldn't be there. Don't try to understand my very short summary, just watch the movie. The Last Emperor is not Bertolucci's best, although I like that one, too. This movie should be in the top of the top 250.

I found interesting to watch this movie since I noticed in it some characteristics that were to be strongly noticed in later films, such as the pleasure for the beauty of the composition (every image caught by the camera is very carefully thought before, considering all the elements in it, from a mirror to a chair, to a flower pot; and also studying its position, wheter the person speaking should be in the center or not, distances, etc.). Bertolucci has also put, I think so at least, a lot of time in this details (which marks a difference from other filming methodes such as those of, let's say, Godard, even though both are worth watching), which grant the film a great artistic quality, since it is very beautiful. I also see in this film the tendency for mixing stories in different times (remember the last emperor?).

A part from this observations, this film has a story to be followed, not as intriguing or as fascinating as others... but still worthy to reflect on. Even though this is a political film, that's not even subtle or hidden, the main theme of this one is, in my point of view, the creation of myths, the creation of heros, idols... Fernando Pessoa, a portuguese poet, said that a myth is "a nothing which is everything". This film confirms it. Athos Magnani, the father, is an absolute nothing, despite his pseudo idealism, he made nothing in concrete except... becoming the hero of those people, except becoming one more reason for the fight. Even though he was admired for that, he wasn't particularly smart... just a bit more educated, and he just saw the chance of immortality... in his death. This is a myth, and myths, at least like this, only exist if people believe them.

Beautiful landscapes, not spectacular acting (the actor who plays both athos Magnani is not exceptionaly convincing as the son but gives an interesting performance as the father). Also a good use of the non original music especially the excerpts from Il Rigolletto. I too enjoyed that the director resisted to the temptation of showing exactly the murdering; he did it in a better way. All this and a Bernardo Bertolucci starting to reveal all he would become.

A young man named Athos Magnani (Giulio Brogi) arrives at the small Italian town of Tara. Magnani's aim is to discover who killed his father, a local hero and anti-fascist, decades earlier. The script makes many references to Mussolini, the Italian fascist leader of the 1930s.

An essentially political film, "The Spider's Stratagem" contains deep themes related to personal identity, the definition of heroes, as well as perceptions of, and the truth about, others. Events and people are not always what they seem to be. The thematic depth is enhanced by competent cinematography, with some clever compositional camera shots.

And yet, I found this film hard to like. There is an overall sense of gloom, with a drab landscape and bleak characters that seem more symbolic of ideas vis-à-vis real people with personal lives. Direction trends theatrical and stagy. And some plot elements seem either unnecessary or deliberately opaque.

Acting also seems stagy and contrived, which may have been the director's intent. Alida Valli's performance is terrible. I dislike the way she smiles at the most inappropriate times. Further, the viewer must endure periodic outbursts of grand opera.

I am thus ambivalent toward "The Spider's Stratagem". It has adequate thematic depth, for viewers wanting a thought-provoking film. But the slow-moving plot is something of a trial to sit through, with irksome characters and gloomy visuals. I found it not entertaining.

Maybe a second viewing, when I have more time to digest the film's political themes, will render an impression that is not so alien and forbidding.