La vocce de la luna

The Voice of the Moon (1990)

Synopsis

“The elfin, irrepressible and very popular Italian comic Roberto Benigni and the similarly popular Paolo Villaggio star in this, the last of celebrated director Federico Fellini’s films. The film’s dreamlike story follows the meanderings of the moon-struck (or lunatic) Salvini (Benigni). As it opens, Salvini is out in a local wood near his village, appreciating nature, when he spies a group of men standing around looking intently at something. They are watching the window of a house where a portly woman is putting on a striptease for their pleasure. While he watches this, he has a memory of his grandmother. One adventure follows another, but Salvini is never crushed by events which would leave anyone less in love with life in the madhouse – because he is already slightly mad.”

Source: Clarke Fountain via New York Times

Genre

Surrealist, Melodrama, Adaptation

Format / Medium

Colour film

Duration

118 min

Production

Mario and Vittorio Cecchi Gori, for C.G. Group Tiger-Cinemax, in collaboration with RAI (Rome)

Story

Based on the novel, “The Poem of Lunatiques” by Ermanno Cavazzoni

Screenplay

Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ermanno Cavazzoni

Main Cast

Roberto Benigni, Paolo Villagio, Nadia Ottavioni, Marisa Tomasi, Sim, Suzy Blady and Angelo Orlando

Music

Nicola Piovani

Image Credits

Private collection of Federico Grandesso