Review of La corruzione

Bolognini was a great director, shamefully under-valued both now and in his lifetime. I've seen many of his films, but this is the best I've seen so far. Apart from the obvious quality of the direction, photography and music, each part is perfectly cast: I think it was Hitchcock who said casting is half the battle. I've never been a fan of Alain Cuny, but as the manipulative, heartless father he makes a seductive Devil, and puts his arguments in favour of capitalist greed, paternalism and selfishness convincingly. Jacques Perrin had a remarkable ability to make young, naïve idealists very sympathetic rather than dull or wet, and had already done so in two films by Valerio Zurlini, another neglected master, while Rosanna Schiaffino would make any would-be priest fall from grace, unless he was gay. It was a little sad to see Isa Miranda, Italy's great female star during the Fascist period, playing the unflattering role of Perrin's neurotic, insomniac mother, but the state she's in tells us how toxic her husband is.

Bolognini was, like several of Italy's best directors, a Marxist, but the film is never dogmatic or schematic. Just as Cuny subtly engineers his son's seduction and corruption on the yacht, Bolognini subtly exposes the corruption of Italian society. Pace the headmaster's speech in the opening scene, when Perrin and his school year graduate, it isn't a straight choice between Marxism and Catholicism (Bolognini treats the latter with respect.) There's also materialism, consumerism and conformity. The latter is summed up in the brilliant, dialogue-free final scene, with a host of blank-faced young people robotically performing the same dance steps. A perfect film.