John Turturro's "Passione", shown recently at New York's Film Forum, is a loving tribute to a city that is evidently dear to this talented man. He decided to share his boundless love for a place that is beautiful, as well as chaotic, with us the lucky viewers that sat in the darkness enjoying the music that has come from Naples.
It is almost impossible to conceive a Naples without song. The director sets out to make sure his audience does not forget it. As the opening credits begin to roll, we hear one of the great Mina, an Italian popular singer, even when she is not identified with the city, to set the tone for what will follow.
We hear Misia, a Portuguese singer, paying tribute to love in a haunting song standing alone in one of the plazas. Then there is Genaro Cosmo Parlato given his rendition of "Maruzzella", a woman he cannot have. There is a great sequence in which three singers Peppe Barra, M'Barka Ben Taleb and Max Casella do a few verse of "Tamurrieta Nera".
Perhaps no other song like "Malafemmena" is more emblematic of Naples. Massimo Ranieri, an idol in his homeland, does a wonderful interpretation of the song. Others seen in the film include performers of the caliber of James Senese, a saxophonist of mixed race living in the city, Raiz, Pietra Montecorvino, Lina Sastri, and Angela Luce, just to name a few.
Mr. Turturro takes us on a tour throughout the city telling us about the diversity in a rich culture that is untypical of Italy, as a whole. Marco Pontecorvo, the excellent cinematographer does an extraordinary job following the director as he explores out of the way places where there is always music in the air.
It is almost impossible to conceive a Naples without song. The director sets out to make sure his audience does not forget it. As the opening credits begin to roll, we hear one of the great Mina, an Italian popular singer, even when she is not identified with the city, to set the tone for what will follow.
We hear Misia, a Portuguese singer, paying tribute to love in a haunting song standing alone in one of the plazas. Then there is Genaro Cosmo Parlato given his rendition of "Maruzzella", a woman he cannot have. There is a great sequence in which three singers Peppe Barra, M'Barka Ben Taleb and Max Casella do a few verse of "Tamurrieta Nera".
Perhaps no other song like "Malafemmena" is more emblematic of Naples. Massimo Ranieri, an idol in his homeland, does a wonderful interpretation of the song. Others seen in the film include performers of the caliber of James Senese, a saxophonist of mixed race living in the city, Raiz, Pietra Montecorvino, Lina Sastri, and Angela Luce, just to name a few.
Mr. Turturro takes us on a tour throughout the city telling us about the diversity in a rich culture that is untypical of Italy, as a whole. Marco Pontecorvo, the excellent cinematographer does an extraordinary job following the director as he explores out of the way places where there is always music in the air.