El fuego

Poetess Pia Menichelli has her chauffeur drive her to the swamp so she can write a poem about the sunset. There she finds unknown painter Febo Mari, capturing the sunset in his own medium. He gives her the painting. The next day he returns to find her. She scoffs at him, and leaves. Then she shows up at his place and offers him a choice: a steady love like a lamp, or smash the lamp and enjoy the brief blaze. He chooses the latter. She takes him to her palatial castle, and poses in her nightie for him. His painting of her is proclaimed a masterpiece and bought by a rich American. Then she receives word her husband is coming home.

This example of the vamp genre is way over the top for me, and I kept thinking of ridiculous things while looking at it. Nonetheless, director Giovanni Pastrone had a sound reason for making it. It is based on a novel by D'Annunzio, then at the height of his regard, and Segundo de Chomon was the cinematographer; any visual excellence is ruined by ridiculous acting-by-posing, a soft print, and an overwhelming red tint for most of it. I'm sure it has its fans. I am not one.