There is a problem about the English language version. For some odd reason, there are captions throughout the film--even when there is an English language narration. In these small parts, the narration and the dubbing are NOT at all the same and it's confusing and obvious that the translation is rather broad--like they are paraphrasing of the film. Plus, in the dubbing it's in the first person--and the narration is in the third! It's sloppy and confusing and I wonder about the quality of the rest of the movie--is it all this poorly done? One part, in particular, I wondered about was the death of Perrin's mother. In the translation I saw, the dubbing said she died from a combination of Spanish flu and meningitis--and they acted like the meningitis was something to be ashamed of and his this from the boy. This makes no sense--why would meningitis be something to be ashamed of or hide from a child?!? Could the original version have been about something like syphilis or some other disease?! I'd love to know, as this portion near the beginning made no sense. There are also some lines in the film that simply aren't translated and a part towards the end at the hospital that is confusing--due to the translation problems.
This is a rather sad and slow-moving story about two very, very different brothers--Marcello Mastroianni and Jacques Perrin. They look absolutely nothing alike, have totally different temperaments and were raised completely apart. It seems that when the youngest (Perrin) was born, their mother died and he was subsequently raised by another family. Mastroianni grew up extremely poor and struggled through like, whereas Perrin grew up privileged but as he reached adulthood, his adoptive father became progressively poorer. And, because he was essentially a well-mannered but spoiled young man, he was unemployable--without a diploma or job skills. For Mastroianni, struggling was the norm--for Perrin, he simply didn't have the internal strength--spending much of the time feeling sorry for himself and languishing. And, as Perrin starts to begin his slow spiral downward, he reconnects with his brother and this film is about their periodic meetings.
All in all, this is certainly NOT a fun or enjoyable film. As one reviewer said, it's like a fairy tale going backwards--it starts with a rich young man and you watch him slowly waste away to nothingness. It's also apparently about connectedness--or the lack of connectedness within this family. Unpleasant but also strangely interesting, as this certainly is NOT a typical movie in any sense! And, the direction and acting are very good--tough the choice of actors to play brothers was just bizarre--a French-born red-head and the very Italian and darker complected Mastroianni.
Overall, it's worth watching. However, if possible, watch it with an Italian friend who can wade through the sloppiness of the English version and explain what's REALLY happening in the film.
This is a rather sad and slow-moving story about two very, very different brothers--Marcello Mastroianni and Jacques Perrin. They look absolutely nothing alike, have totally different temperaments and were raised completely apart. It seems that when the youngest (Perrin) was born, their mother died and he was subsequently raised by another family. Mastroianni grew up extremely poor and struggled through like, whereas Perrin grew up privileged but as he reached adulthood, his adoptive father became progressively poorer. And, because he was essentially a well-mannered but spoiled young man, he was unemployable--without a diploma or job skills. For Mastroianni, struggling was the norm--for Perrin, he simply didn't have the internal strength--spending much of the time feeling sorry for himself and languishing. And, as Perrin starts to begin his slow spiral downward, he reconnects with his brother and this film is about their periodic meetings.
All in all, this is certainly NOT a fun or enjoyable film. As one reviewer said, it's like a fairy tale going backwards--it starts with a rich young man and you watch him slowly waste away to nothingness. It's also apparently about connectedness--or the lack of connectedness within this family. Unpleasant but also strangely interesting, as this certainly is NOT a typical movie in any sense! And, the direction and acting are very good--tough the choice of actors to play brothers was just bizarre--a French-born red-head and the very Italian and darker complected Mastroianni.
Overall, it's worth watching. However, if possible, watch it with an Italian friend who can wade through the sloppiness of the English version and explain what's REALLY happening in the film.