The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982)

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Also know as The Night of the Shooting Stars in some cases, this Italian film I found in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die was one had knew nothing about in terms of the concept, but I was very much looking forward to crack into. Basically, set during the end of World War II, 1944 in Italy it seems that defeat is certain for the Germans invading the country, they may be retreating but have left a path of destruction behind them, and there is rumour that they plan to bomb several buildings in small town. The villagers of this town are told that they should gather in the church, while half listen to this and trust the safety of the church with this threat is coming, the other half of the people dress in dark clothing and leave to seek the Americans who are rumoured to be near and liberating towns that they come to. Of course on the journey to find salvation the villagers cannot escape the pain, exhaustion and of course potential threat of incoming attacks around them, but they all stay close together to get through this and find the Americans and whatever hope for the future. Starring Paolo Hendel as Dilvo, Omero Antonutti as Galvano, Margarita Lozano as Concetta, Claudio Bigagli as Corrado, Massimo Bonetti as Nicola, Norma Martelli as Ivana, Enrica Maria Modugno as Mara, Sabina Vannucchi as Rosanna, Dario Cantarelli as Priest, Sergi Dagliana as Olinto and Giuseppe Furia as Requiem. I admit that on occasion this was a little hard to follow, but I understand the story well enough, there were some interesting moments of surrealism and humanity, the feeling of unity is good and obviously the fear of war is terrific, all in all it is a worthwhile Second World War drama. Very good!

The fraternal filmmaking team of Paolo and Vittorio Taviani recall the closing days of World War II with mingled affection and pain, looking back at the fate of one small northern Italian village (ostensibly their own childhood home) set in the path of opposing armies. Combining their typically lyrical approach to storytelling with a remarkable feel for setting, the two directors follow a small group of villagers as they steal through enemy lines one night in an attempt to meet the advancing Allied troops. Seen through the rose-colored lens of memory, the Taviani brothers' episodic reminiscences take the horror (but not the hurt) out of battle, reducing all the bloodshed and rage to a poignant and distinctly recalled tragedy.

My romance with Italian cinema dates from my childhood. Maybe it has a subliminal link with my mother's name from Calabria (Torchia), but I remember all those cinematic images and sounds as things very far yet familiar, and I identified with the passion, the laughter, and the cadence in the voices of all the characters I saw and heard on the screen. This drama by the Taviani brothers is from a latter date, but it had the same resonance on me, and I remember leaving the movie house in tears. Furthermore, it dealt with peasants in a situation of conflict that reaches an extreme level of violence, leading to death: it takes place during World War II, as in Pasolini's "Salò", but instead of powerful, rich and decadent men murdering young prisoners, "La notte di San Lorenzo" unfolds in open spaces, dealing with people closer to nature, with simpler and perennial values, revealing love among the old, ideological struggle between families, and hope. Framed by a scene in which a mother tells her child the story of what happened on the night of San Lorenzo, the film also deals with memory, with a touch of magic and poetry, as the events are seen through the child's eyes. With a most beautiful score by Nicola Piovani, this unsung masterpiece is a film not to be missed.

The night of August 10th, when the feast of St. Lawrence is observed, is the time of the year when meteor showers can be observed in the sky. It has been a tradition in the western culture that wishing for a favor when watching the falling stars in the sky is a way to ask for love, riches and luck. The sky watchers can expect a spectacle like no other because of the way those distant lights are seen falling, fast and furious.The brothers Taviani, Paolo and Vittorio, have always come out with interesting films that involve simple people, usually connected to the land. In "La Notte di San Lorenzo", the Tavianis take the viewer to witness a group of people from Tuscany during the last days of WWII. The story is told by a 6 years old girl who was too young to realize the horrors around her in those final days of the conflict.In spite of the approaching American liberating army, there are still the horrible local Fascists, who knowing they were fighting a losing battle, terrorized their neighbors into submission. These misguided people, having mined most of the houses in the town, are feared by the local population. Some flee into the countryside, but some remain in the town, convinced that being in the big church will protect them against evil.Things go from bad to worse. We see different vignettes involving some of the people, as they cope with the situation. There is Galvano, who has loved Concetta in silence and is finally, as in a miracle, gets his wish granted in the way that she acknowledges that she has always love him, even after both have been married to different people. There's the young pregnant young bride, who is expecting and who gets married at the beginning of the film, only to be separated from her husband in an ironic twist.The Tavianis painted a huge canvas in which they situated the action. Tuscany in the summer is a lovely place to be, but one can't even comprehend that it was also the scene for the tragedy lived in Italy in those tragic years. The music by Nicola Piovani is effective in the background. Franco DiGiacomo's photography does wonders to make the film a great experience. The large cast does an excellent job for the Tavianis, who are ultimately, the ones to thank for their courage in presenting us this lyrical movie of beauty and death.