Il segreto del bosco vecchio

This movie is a little, forgotten masterpiece. Produced in 1993 it contains many elements of the old golden era of the italian cinema. Like the book by Buzzati it's a movie about the mountains, the forest, about the old stories and legends of this part of Italy, about animism in Europe It has a strong ecological message, but not only.

This Ecological Fairy Tale, with live actors and talking animals tells the story of a colonel (Paolo Villaggio) who is entrusted with a large estate of woodlands until his schoolboy nephew comes of age. Disregarding local tradition and the practice of his esteemed deceased brother, the military man decides to selectively cut the old growth timber. He is confronted with the protestations of the tree spirits (Giulio Brogi) and the local townsfolk, to no avail. Over their objection he releases the unpredictable wind from the cave to which it has been confined, and even wishes for the early demise of his nephew so he can own the woods outright. But he comes to value human contact more, starts to come to terms with most of the spirits, and reverses some plots to get rid of his nephew. A bit like a live action Hayan Miyazaki tale such as Princess Mononoke, but not so violent.

Film taken from a fairytale, and therefore suitable for a very young audience. There are captivating elements, such as an evolution of the protagonist and a strong environmental theme. However, the film, at least for me, fails to arouse a general appeal, remaining limited to its role as a fairy tale.