Conversation Piece (2018)

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Luchino Visconti co-wrote and also directed this from a wheel chair, after his first heart attack. The movie reminds me of playwright Henrik Ibsens style. Indeed this is very much like a play. All the action taking place in a retired Professors (Burt Lancaster) plush house in Rome. When a brash young group of mis-fits rent a room upstairs ..the Professors sedate life changes completely. The subtext is vital here, and more than one viewing is recommended. The professor has long given up on communication between humans, and the clash of the old and the new makes him even more certain. Its a brilliant piece of work--although the sound track which was added later is sometimes annoying. Lancaster is great --indeed all of the main players do a wonderful job. Visconti is credited for ushering in the neo-realist cinema. Later he departed from this style and became more melodramatic--with intense character development. This movie is from his later style.

Luchino Visconti's career is unusual compared to his companions, because he started it in his forties - by directing Ossessione (1943). Shortly after Ossessione Visconti became well known as a controversial artist. After many decades of filmmaking he met his end in 1976, but still in his latest days managed to make few masterful films. His second latest film is Conversation Piece (Passion & Violence) it's also a story about the disintegration of a family as many other films by Visconti have been; The Leopard, The Damned etc. The film was planned on the basis of the fact that Visconti was in a bad condition. He couldn't move much, so they needed to make a film that didn't require a lot of space, which was quite easy because Conversation Piece happens only in one building.A retired professor (Burt Lancaster) collects paintings from the 18th century. He likes to live a peaceful, quiet life, but one day a woman appears to his door demanding him to rent the upper part of his apartment. Quickly we find out that three other people are moving there, two of her children and a friend of them. Slowly, but eventually a bond start to build between the lonely professor and the family.The paintings the professor collects are called conversation pieces; paintings of the nobility or the bourgeoisie with their children, servants and dogs. Paintings, whose wicked backgrounds are fascinating to research. This film by Luchino Visconti is actually one of these conversation pieces. It's a portrait of a family, the most obvious scene that reveals this is the scene where the five main characters gather around the table. In this scene the characters are finally against each other and say the most cruel truths.Conversation Piece is a film about an intellectual of his own generation who collides with the new generation and who cannot live in a harmony in the modern world. A major point in the film is that; nothing good can come of it when an elderly man tries to approach younger people as his children. They are too different, they can never understand each other. The professor is an egoist, manic collector who hates noise and other people. He can't accept that the actual things that mean are the people, their problems not the products and paintings they've left behind. He rather discusses with the paintings that people have left behind than with the actual people.Luchino Visconti tells that through Burt Lancaster's character he tried to interpret the position of his generation's intellectuals. Through this character he was able to present a generation, a class which he was a part of too. Visconti's films are often stories about families about the disintegration of them. Only in Bellissima the family sticks together in the end. He says that he tells them as a requiem and the form of tragedy seems to suit him the best.In result of the choices made by the characters they end up being face to face with themselves. The safety created by the family is gone and the privileges of money and power can't save them now. They are alone, and they cannot change their situations. Luchino Visconti has always been interested in researching a rotten society and even that Conversation Place takes place in one building, it manages to create an impressive portrayal of the Italian society in the 70's.The professor never understands the events that happen around him. When Konrad (the most immoral of the youngsters) tries to reveal the fascist plot of a right-wing extremist, the professor doesn't understand it, because he doesn't think that the threat of fascism is real anymore. The scene is very touching - when Konrad actually is in need of trust, support and loyalty, the professor turns him a blind eye. When the fascists have murdered Konrad, the professor cannot believe it and he excludes in his grief.Conversation Piece is a very multidimensional film. I went to see it with high expectations, but somehow it still managed to surprise me. It's a portrayal of a family and the disintegration of it. It's also a survey of Visconti's generation's intellectuals, but it certainly isn't autobiographical, the other characters of Conversation Piece are also very well crafted. Conversation Piece is a story about loyalty, fascism, politics, loneliness, destruction of family, passion, love, the collision of young and old. It's a beautiful conversation piece.

Beautiful interiors and the detail of a picture by Arthur Davies observed through magnifying glass by an elderly Professor. The picture occurs to show a family... Can anyone realize that this painting shall soon constitute a prelude to such unpredictable events and reflections?Luchino Visconti did not make many movies in his career because he insisted on saying that his films related to the things that really captivated him. When he wanted to say something significant, he just made up his mind to commit himself to another production. And of course there are better and worse movies of his, naturally; however, I personally think that CONVERSATION PIECE (or rather the more accurate title GRUPPO DI FAMIGLIA IN UN INTERNO - group of the family within) is one of those movies that intensely reveals a desire to convey a message. Count Visconti is much different and older here than 30 years earlier in his OSSESSIONE but equally powerful.It is truly a psychologically captivating image of a communication among people who are absolutely different in their coexistence. The Professor (Burt Lancaster) is a man of clearly defined ideas, an elderly intellectual who has already set down his life and seeks to be left alone among his "mute pictures." However, a group of people intervene and insist on him to rent the elegant upper flat. These are Marchesa Bianca Brumonti (Silvana Mangano) with her lover Konrad (Helmut Berger), and her daughter Lietta (Claudia Marsani) with her boyfriend Stefano (Stefano Patrizi). Although they seem to be nice people at first sight, they occur to be a true riddle for the Professor who is gradually losing contact with reality. Their vulgar talk harms him and their open bisexuality shocks him. Things turn worse and, consequently, the suspicious events make the Professor more and more annoyed till the climax of events: emotional conversation. Then, the atmosphere gets most exciting, Marchesa drinks rare evening coffee and people harm themselves: some physically, some emotionally and some in both ways. Yet, no one can predict what this horrific climax moment will cause...Thanks to unpredictable content and good action, the film occurs to be the Visconti's production of particular impression and interest. But that is not the only aspect that talks for the movie. Art is expressed in beautiful images, excellent interiors comparable to IL GATTOPARDO and some brilliant performances. I say "some" because not everyone gives a top notch performance. Burt Lancaster does the continuation of the magnetic job he did as Prince Salina in IL GATTOPARDO: he is very convincing as the Professor portraying a man desirous of stability, a bit intolerant and maniacal as he described elderly people, but overall a warm hearted reliable character so anxious with all sorts of sudden changes (moral ones too). Silvana Mangano is appealing as Marchesa Bianca: eminent, partly decadent, very elegant and nervous. She represents the other side of the older generation escaping not to books or paintings like the Professor but rather to life of luxury and extraordinary journeys. Yet, consequently, she also loses link with reality. She is more acknowledged of the world and alleged information than real dangers within her family. Youngsters, however, do not appear that convincing. Helmut Berger, though a good actor especially after his role in LUDWIG, appears to be a bit pathetic in the role of Konrad, Claudia Marsani is rather sensual and beautiful than talented and Stefano Patrizi does not appeal to me at all. Some good job among the supporting cast is done by Elvira Cortese as Erminia, the housekeeper who has some wonderfully witty moments. But finally, I should address the most important aspect of the movie that makes it so impressive and so unique. It is the psychology of what is going on in the entire film, it is the constant attempt at communicating rather simple ideas, yet failing to do that. Why? Because the contrast is too serious: intellect vs parroting, mutual goodness vs hedonism, good will vs good fun, idealism vs materialism, the old vs the young with all specific fears and desires. That is the gist of the movie, that is what made the Professor realize and makes us realize a significant fact: it's really possible to speak one language, use the same codes, yet absolutely fail to communicate and coexist. It makes people remark the division of society, which is not a very privileged fact, but true one, unfortunately.CONVERSATION PIECE is a film I'd recommend you to see. But remember one thing: it really has to do with the theme you are not likely to find elsewhere: shallow understanding of nothing and profound understanding of everything. 8/10

Professor Lancaster leads a reclusive life in his art deco apartment, surrounded by classical paintings, books and memories. Along come new loud tenants who rent his upstairs apartment and force themselves onto the Professor who then questions his existence as a mixture of the old and new culture clash in intellectual wars and morals. Another interesting piece from Visconti's preoccupied topics of fallen aristocrats and the morality of life.