Inferno

L'Inferno (1911)

*** (out of 4)

Historically important film as it stands as the first feature from Italy as well as the first film to show full frontal nudity. Dante travels to Hell where he gets to see what really goes on down there. The special effects and sets in this thing are downright beautiful and quite a sight to behold, which is the real reason to check this thing out. The pits of Hell look incredibly good and compared to what was being done in America at the time there's no question why this thing would go over well in this country. The only downside to the actual film is that it's visually rather bland. What Griffith was doing in America through editing would have certainly improved this film. Another gripe is that the DVD producer's added an electronic music score, which also features lyrics from some woman singer, which sound horrid and really doesn't add anything to the film. After the first few minutes I turned the soundtrack off and watched the film without any music. Hopefully a different version, with a new score, will be released someday.

This was made in 1911! Give me a break! When one sees what was done with primitive assets available to this filmmaker, this is an astounding effort. I did not get in on the Tangerine Dream soundtrack. I watched it cold, without music. It was wonderful. And that is from someone who has absolutely no literal belief in any of this fairy tale. The director frames each circle wonderfully, barely repeating himself and giving us a view of the Danta/Dore woodcuts in cinematic terms. One could sit her and criticize the religious bigotry that brings about this portrayal of God's wrath and all that. There are some pretty nasty jabs at some remarkable people. Nevertheless, the film never strays far from what the great Italian poet intended. I was annoyed at Dante at times tormenting the already tormented souls. Lets face it. These guys are going to be here a long time. They don't need some jackass visitor pulling out their hair or reprimanding them. But that's neither here nor there. I've always wanted to see this film and it fills in a gap in my cinematic experience.

The poet Dante Alighieri (Salvatore Papa) awakes lost in a dark and gloomy wood, and sees the light of salvation at the top of a mountain. He endeavors to ascend to it, but his way is barred by three wild beasts, symbolizing Avarice, Pride and Lust. His muse Beatrice sees his difficulty from Paradise and descends into Limbo and asks the poet Virgil to rescue and guide Dante.

Virgil guides Dante through the circles of Inferno to reach salvation in Paradise. During his journey, Dante meets poets and different sinners being punished by their transgressions.

"L'Inferno" is a must-see view of the poem of Dante Alighieri with the music of Tangerine Dream. One century later, the visual concept of Limbo and Inferno of Gustavo Doré used by directors Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan and Giuseppe de Liguoro is still impressive, giving the sensation of pictures in movement at an exhibition, specially considering that the cinema technology was in its beginning.

The original film was first screened in Naples in the Teatro Mercadante on 10 March 1911. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Inferno"

A strange beast this one; apparently the first ever Italian feature film, based on Dante (with some unacknowledged visual indebtedness to Gustav Dore) L'inferno has lately resurfaced on DVD complete with a new soundtrack, and by Tangerine Dream no less. A great film, full of early fantastical touches, L'inferno still makes for reasonably enthralling viewing, especially as the shooting style of the time - slow moving tableaux, with no close ups - is eminently suited to Dante's epic narrative based around a grand tour of horror. Some of the many special effects are reminiscent of Melies' imagination (if far less studio bound than the work of the French master), as Dante and his guide, the poet Virgil, progress through the various circles of Hell, viewing increasingly horrendous torments on display. Silent film buffs will find a chance to acquire this version, a composite, taken from a couple of archives hard to miss. But the downside is the condition of the print: understandably a bit ragged given its age, surely it could still have been digitally restored and cleaned up more than this? The film is also presented conservatively in black and white, where most silent films, especially those of this importance, would have had a degree of tinting at the time, a process which would have considerably enhanced this work. There is also the music, which is sometimes a distraction, sometimes just a pleasant undercurrent, but which never rises to the required heights of inspiration. One is reminded of the old Giorgio Moroeder version of Lang's Metropolis which, with all faults, at least offered a viable and somewhat invigorated version of a great classic. By comparison the less thoughtfully done L'inferno to some extent represents a lost opportunity, but one still worth seeing, as it is probably the only version that will be available for some time. And one can always turn the sound down.

Casting an 8/10 for "L'Inferno" was perhaps the hardest vote I've cast so far on IMDb, and it wasn't because I doubted the film's quality. Considering it was made in 1911 for approximately $2 million and had to be rebuilt almost a century later, it's a fantastic exercise in early cinema. The footage is spectacular, and the primitive special effects still evoke the same shock and emotion they must have upon its premiere.

My issue with the film is the soundtrack. Just as so many others on IMDb have noted, the Tangerine Dream music added to the DVD is terrible. Normally a bad soundtrack wouldn't be a problem, but with "L'Inferno" it's not optional. So, for my second viewing, I muted the television and played an old piece of classical music based on Dante's original epic. Needless to say, the second viewing was much better. Unfortunately, since there's no other version of "L'Inferno" to watch, I have to cast a bad vote for this film.