La noia

'The Empty Canvas' of Alberto Moravia's novel literally represents the emptiness of life of mediocre painter Dino. He finds solace with a tantalising but vacuous teenage girl whose lies and infidelities almost destroy his sanity until a near-fatal rendezvous with Death brings him to his senses........

As Dino's mother we have the riveting Bette Davis in the first of her two Italian films. She is adequately dubbed by character actress Rina Morelli but with Miss Davis of course, it is her looks that speak volumes. Her son, who affects to despise money but still sponges off her, is played by Horst Bucholz, not the easiest actor to get along with by all accounts. He has a definite presence and convey's well enough his character's Existential angst. Catherine Spaak is physically ideal as his female Nemesis. There are small but telling appearances by Isa Miranda, Lea Padovani and Georges Wilson whilst Daniella Rocca in a maid's outfit is actually far sexier than a naked Miss Spaak covered in bank notes!

Moravia himself referred to his novel as being about 'my kind of boredom' and in this adaptation even the sex is boring. The film itself alas is also a bit of a bore. Damiano Damiani's direction lacks the touch of a master and reminds us that Antonioni and Bolognini do this sort of thing so much better.

It's unfortunate that movies and television have become so slanted in their attempt to convey. Maybe drugs have dimmed imagination, both for the creator, and for the viewer. As a 15 year-old in 1963, it was easy for me to recognize the gist of The Empty Canvas. It was about sex, especially sexual obsession. Few films have handled this subject so effectively. Eyes wide Shut, a film snubbed by general audiences, shines light on the lower aspects of human sexuality, stunningly. The Empty Canvas is equally striking, without the budget. I strongly recommend this film as a very interesting, well-acted, sober exploration into a very important subject.

"The Empty Canvas" is based on an Italian novel titled "Boredom," which is a stroke of marketing genius - why waste time with false advertising? Our protagonist, Dino (Horst Buchholz), epitomizes first-world problems: a wealthy, healthy young man plagued by existential ennui. Instead of doing something productive, like appreciating life's many gifts, Dino spends his time pretending to paint in a studio generously funded by his ever-indulgent mother. Who wouldn't want to root for a spoiled rich kid with nothing better to do than wallow in self-inflicted misery?

Feeling understandably fed up with his "demanding" life of leisure, Dino ogles a girl visiting his neighbor (because that's what rich existentialists do) and decides it's time to visit his mother, played by Bette Davis in a role that can only be described as "unconvincing." He asks to move back to the family's grand villa, where the saucy chambermaid Rita immediately starts a not-at-all-subtle campaign to seduce him. Because nothing screams high art like a bit of casual groping in front of Mom.

As the film progresses, it becomes clear that we've veered into the cinematic equivalent of a bad joke told in a bordello. Dino learns that his neighbor died while having sex with Cecilia, the girl he had previously ogled - a development that's both tasteless and, unsurprisingly, irresistible to our hero. He promptly tracks down Cecilia, portrayed by Catherine Spaak, who once again graces us with her signature role: the precocious, highly sexualized kitten, an archetype that made her a darling of 1960s Italian cinema.

Naturally, because this story is penned by a man, Dino's mother is the predictable castrating figure, while Cecilia serves as the convenient sex object who can hop from one man to another without so much as a blink. The depth of character development here is truly staggering.

Unfortunately, watching a rich, bored man engage in increasingly tedious bouts of sex while trying to pay off his obsession isn't exactly the thrill ride one might hope for. And the so-called "dramatic" denouement? Let's just say it doesn't make up for the time you'll never get back from watching this cinematic gem.

With a German lead actor, a French lead actress, and an American second lead, you'll be surprised at the audio track when you watch The Empty Canvas. No one is speaking their own lines; they're all dubbed by Italian actors! It's quite ridiculous, but I can only think of one reason why this happened: the nudity and sexual content could only be passed by the Italian film board. Even with the demise of the Hays Code, there were some barriers Americans hadn't crossed yet.

This is one nasty movie! Horst Buchholz plays a drifting artist, a poor little rich boy without purpose. He can't stand his mother, Bette Davis, and treats her with contempt while taking her allowance. When he sees Catherine Spaak, who modeled nude for an elderly artist (recently deceased after a bedroom excursion with her), he can't control his hormones. While it may appear they can't keep their paws off each other, they actually do for long enough for Catherine to cheat on him. Why would she do that? He's such a cutie! Even with the pain of sharing her with another man, Horst can't let her go.

It's an interesting take on the romance genre, if you think about the story itself. On paper, if you reversed the genders of the characters, it would be a classic romantic storyline. A woman repeatedly hurt by her boyfriend, suffering one humiliation after another but hanging in there because her hormones make her think it's love. If you imagine Catherine's character as a man, being so callous and hurtful, it's much more familiar. Why won't Horst ever kick her to the curb? Watch this very steamy movie to find out if he ever does. After a while, you won't even notice they're speaking Italian; there are other things to pay attention to.

It is interesting that sex is often used in movies as garnish. But, when sex becomes the entrée, it is usually viewed as boring. This is exemplified in James Bond movies and in movies like The Empty Canvas. But why sex becomes drab is what makes The Empty Canvas so interesting. To those of us who believe that sex is merely a mechanical act devoid of deeper meaning, this film may be preachy. To those of us who view the act as something more, this film should be revealing. Eyes Wide Shut, Smooth Talk, and Looking for Mr. Goodbar are also films with sex as the main theme. How people respond to such films can say a lot. Playboy magazine hated Taxi Driver because Travis Bickle didn't make it with Betsy. Obviously and unfortunately, this skin deep mentality has made Hugh Heffner exceedingly rich and films like The Empty Canvas rare.