Four tales of Nobel Prize for Literature winner Luigi Pirandello brought to screen with a male raven hatching eggs with a bell tied on its neck (forcibly) connecting the tales. A fifth segment has the author conversing with his dead mother and being driven home in a horse carriage by Saro a minor character from the segment "Moon Sickness." The intertwining of the 4 tales and the real characters of the author can be owed to the directorial and screenplay writing skills of the Taviani brothers and the acclaimed screenplay writer Tonino Guerra. The opening quote of Pirandello that he was born in "Kaos" literally, the name of the forest area with Greek origins of the word, is an important bit of information provided by the directors on why they chose the title of the film. The opening helicopter shot of the geographical area of the four tales, mirroring the flight of the raven, is another highlight.
The Taviani brothers ability to film the "day-for-night" sequences in the segment "Moon Sickness" stands out. They also have a penchant to cast their favorite actors. Omero Antonutti plays the author Pirandello, after major roles in "Padre Padrone," "Good Morning. Babylon" and "The Night of the Shooting Stars." Actress Margarita Lozano's performance in the opening segment "The Other Son" is commendable: she worked with the Tavianis in "The Night of the Shooting Stars", Bunuel's "Viridiana" and Sergio Leone's western "Fistful of Dollars." The use of the comedy duo of Franco Franchi and and Ciccio Ingrassia (the Italian equivalent of Hollywood's Abbott and Costello) in the segment "The Jar" was admirable casting.
The Taviani brothers ability to film the "day-for-night" sequences in the segment "Moon Sickness" stands out. They also have a penchant to cast their favorite actors. Omero Antonutti plays the author Pirandello, after major roles in "Padre Padrone," "Good Morning. Babylon" and "The Night of the Shooting Stars." Actress Margarita Lozano's performance in the opening segment "The Other Son" is commendable: she worked with the Tavianis in "The Night of the Shooting Stars", Bunuel's "Viridiana" and Sergio Leone's western "Fistful of Dollars." The use of the comedy duo of Franco Franchi and and Ciccio Ingrassia (the Italian equivalent of Hollywood's Abbott and Costello) in the segment "The Jar" was admirable casting.