La fumeria d'oppio

Although there are elements of melodrama (the sister who tries to save her poor brother, a junkie in jail),this Matarazzo film does not belong to the genre of which he was a brilliant representative (see "Tormento" "Catene" "Il Figli Del Nessuno" "La Nave Delle Donne Maledette");it's closer to Film Noir ,and it features a famous dispenser of justice Za-La-Mort ,an Italian equivalent of French Arsene Lupin and British Raffle.

The best of this extravaganza ,the events of which remind you of the serials of the silent age , is the central part ,when Lina enters the enchanted palace ,where many of her brother's "friends" welcome her.She's like Alice who discovers her maleficent wonderland where all is "so strangely sweet , tea and cigarettes ".The depiction of the opium den where everybody becomes a slave to their dose,with the head aptly called the Master,is still impressive today.

The rest of the movie is more derivative : the police are rather dumb (they arrest the wrong woman ,in an implausible scene ) and the heroine on the rails with a train coming is worthy of "the perils of Pauline" or "Les Vampires " .

Here's is an italian film noir from 1947 (the film noir year) that was directed by a melo director, so all the action are very poorly shot in large shots, nothing inventive, the worst scene being the girl fainted on the railway with the train arriving, real bad editing, you don't believe a second of the danger. The best part is of course the opium den with his Maestro (which could have been much more impressive, he's rather dull), with these rooms with exotic settings and people real stoned. Quite unique, but Decoin will do much better with heroin. And Gabin.