Wir von der Straße

"La Notte Brava" (aka: The Big Night, although it means more something like actually 'The Brave' or 'The Wild Night') is an excellent film, that may be not very well known out of Europe, but it's still considered one of great director Mauro Bolognini's greatest efforts, and a film that generally stands successfully the test of time: Its script is exceptionally cohesive, sad and melancholic, daring and extremely sexually charged, and it comes from a short novel by unforgettable poet, writer and director Pier Paolo Pasolini who wrote the powerful screenplay with irony and passion, along with the French,and,at that time (1959) more experienced, Brost. It's almost impossible to believe this was produced and presented in 1959! It is so wildly modern, and the biting dialog, alienated, yet always seducing and ultimately even romantic atmosphere and situations (happening just during one Roman night facing the economic boom) are always brilliantly intriguing and breathlessly following up one another with great momentum. This is an astonishing ensemble piece, with refined cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi, exquisite costumes and looks by Marcel Escoffier who keeps away from fashion and stays on the character's development following the director's strict structure, sets by Carlo Egidi, and jazzy score by the awesome Piero Piccioni. The cast is so powerful, they all shine, even Mylene Demongeot in a 5 minutes segment manages to remind of Marilyn Monroe who could have also made that character as brilliantly sexy and mysteriously unnerving. The best and most attractive is Laurent Terzieff, Elsa Martinelli and Antonella Lualdi are so modern and gorgeous, while, if Brialy is at times a bit mannered, all others give unforgettable performances. Watch for a young and handsome Tomas Milian as the wealthy rebel without a cause hosting a "Dolce Vita" alike party over this wild night of brave and sad learnings. Great movie.

This is an amazingly erotic film, and Pasolini who had a lot to do with this film including the screenplay included a lot of homoeroticism in this film. Why are we always praising the looks of the women and not the men ? In France they knew a thing or two by calling this film ' Les Garcons ' ( The Boys ) and with the help of Brialy and Terzieff plus others it truly lives up to the French title. Not noted on the Internet Movie Database is the English title ' Night Heat ' and it had an X certificate on release in the UK. Why does this matter pointing out the attraction of the male ? In films that cry out for it there has to be some pointing out of it, unwelcome though that may be to the heterosexual male and all the same sex haters who are out there. Pasolini was homosexual and there are incidents in the film that show quite clearly the happy eye of one male looking at another. I also have stopped giving spoilers but please viewers watch the male chemistry for once. It is not always just the women, beautiful though some of them are.

"La notte brava" is a daring film for its time, as it deals —according to the permissiveness of the time in European film industries— with prostitution, pimping, black market, homosexuality, pedophilia, bourgeois decadence. It is also an impressive showcase of young talent in Italian and French cinemas, and of the beautiful faces of almost the entire cast, with special emphasis on Lualdi, Milian, Martinelli, Terzieff, Ferrero, Brialy and Schiaffino. Its scripwriter Pasolini would later "correct" this glamorous surface in his own films, populated by people from the streets of Rome and other cities, people's faces, the faces Pasolini speaks of in his work; and being more explicit when dealing with the subjects that are touched in this fine production.

In Rome, the smalltime thieves Scinttilone (Jean-Claude Brialy) and Ruggeretto (Laurent Terzieff) steal four rifles and catch the prostitutes Anna (Elsa Martinelli) and Supplizia (Antonella Lualdi) on the street to mislead the police. They seek the jobber Mosciarella (Mario Meniconi), but he is in funeral and does no give much attention to them. However, a man called Gino "Bellabella" overhears the conversation and offers to deal the merchandise with another contact. He fails and the whores present a deaf-and-dumb acquaintance that lives in the outskirts of Rome that buys the guns. The prostitute Nicoletta (Anna-Maria Ferrero) that was with the man returns to Rome with the quintet. When the youngsters propose to have sex in the middle of nowhere, the prostitutes believe that they have the intention of leaving them in the spot. Scinttilone, Ruggeretto and Bellabella sneak out to the car and leave the women in the countryside. Later they discover that the women had robbed their money. They seek them out on the streets and they fight against another gang. However, when the police arrive, the six youngsters leave the place together and they head to the house of one of them. Ruggeretto meets the sister of the host and he falls for her. However, Bellabella steals the wallet of the host with a large amount and Ruggeretto fights against him to get the wallet back and return it to the host. While they are fighting, Scinttilone flees with the wallet to the house of his girlfriend Rossana (Rosanna Schiaffino). Ruggeretto chases Scinttilone along a night of alienation, illusions and adventures.

"La Notte Brava" is an early unknown work of the director Mauro Bolognini, based on a novel and a screenplay of Pier Paolo Pasolini also in beginning of career. The story shows a group of alienated youngsters without any perspective in life but having some money to spend during a night of illusions and adventures. The beauty of the actresses is very impressive and the acting is very realistic. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Longa Noite de Loucuras" ("The Long Night of Madness")

'La note brava' is a tale of prostitutes and thieves in Rome, loosely based on Pier Paolo Pasolini's famous 1955 novel 'Ragazzi di vita'. Premiered in 1959 director Mauro Bolognini's feature film is a rambling, episodic, unevenly paced crime drama about one money-grubbing day and night in the lives of assorted prostitutes and thieves, which begins with two prostitutes fighting, and ends with the cause being thrown off a bridge at the symbolic end. As this is Italian what we witness during the course of the story is spontaneity, rambling, raw emotion, and a little humour and violence, featuring characters you may look on with some amusement. Featuring a good cast, this is a film whose overriding themes are of economic desperation, betrayal, and both the corruption and limits of money.