Paura e amore (1988)

Director:

Margarethe von Trotta

Writers:

Anton Chekhov (play)
Dacia Maraini (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

19 April 1988 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Foreign Language Adaptation | Based On Play

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Fanny Ardant	...	Velia
Greta Scacchi	...	Maria
Valeria Golino	...	Sandra Parini
Peter Simonischek	...	Massimo
Sergio Castellitto	...	Roberto
Agnès Soral	...	Sabrina
Jan Biczycki	...	Cecchini
Paolo Hendel	...	Federico
Ralph Schicha	...	Nicole
Gila von Weitershausen	...	Erika
Giampiero Bianchi	...	Giacomo
Giovanni Colombo	...	Marco
Guido Alberti	...	Baretti
Beniamino Placido	...	Savagnoni
Sonia Gessner	...	Nun
Véronique Barrault	...	Zaira
Giovanni Grazzini

Directed by
Margarethe von Trotta

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Anton Chekhov		play "Tri sestry"
Dacia Maraini		writer
Margarethe von Trotta		writer

Produced by
Romano Cardarelli	....	executive producer
André Djaoui	....	co-producer
Marina Gefter	....	associate producer
Eberhard Junkersdorf	....	producer
Angelo Rizzoli Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Franco Piersanti

Cinematography by
Giuseppe Lanci

Film Editing by
Enzo Meniconi

Production Design by
Giantito Burchiellaro

Costume Design by
Nicoletta Ercole

Makeup Department
Mario Di Salvio	....	makeup artist
Paolo Franceschi	....	hair stylist
Maurizio Nardi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bruno Bagella	....	production manager
Gianni Sarago	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Beatrice Banfi	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Fernando Caso	....	sound effects editor
Bruno Charier	....	sound
Alvaro Gramigna	....	foley artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberta Allegrini	....	second assistant camera
Roberto Belli	....	lighting technician
Fabio Conversi	....	camera operator
Fabio De Meis	....	electrician
Giancarlo Serravalli	....	lighting technician
Riccardo Serravalli	....	grip
Fabrizio Vicari	....	assistant camera

Other crew
Francesco Merolle	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Bioskop Film
• Cinémax
• Erre Produzioni
• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Other Companies

• Cine Audio Effects  sound effects and foley design

Also Known As:

Fürchten und Lieben (West Germany)
Love and Fear
Three Sisters
Trois soeurs (France)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

France | Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian | German

Colour:

Colour (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | West Germany:12 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Pavia, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Bioskop Film

Movie Connections:

Featured in Die Neugier immer weiter treiben (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Too Slow To Flow

Again very little of Chekhov

When I recently compared "Country Life" with "Uncle Vanya", The Chekhov play from which it was loosely derived, the connection was at least tangible. Margaretha von Trotta's Italian version of "Three Sisters" contains so little of the original as to be barely recognizable. True, there are still three sisters and a brother, each unfulfilled in their various ways, but the Chekhovian leitmotiv of wanting to be somewhere else is never mentioned so that the main idea behind the play is missing. So forget Chekhov - at least there is a very fine filmed version by Laurence Olivier. Von Trotta's "Three Sisters" therefore has to stand as something completely different on its own terms. In actual fact it rather wobbles. This is one of those respectable European art-house movies with a few big names such as Fanny Ardant and Greta Scacchi to help it along. Its settings, a baroque university building and a misty flat landscape with sparsely planted trees give it a classy look. Its score, string music rather classically poised with just a hint of romanticism also contributes to the respectable aura. It all adds up to what a friend of mine delightfully dubbed "the Laura Ashley school of cinema". "Three Sisters" is worthy, nice to look at but ultimately rather dull. Only one character engaged my sympathy - the brother who is obliged to abandon his chance of a music career at the behest of his selfish wife and go into banking which he detests. I thought him a dope at first but felt like cheering when he finally rounds on her. For one brief scene this rather uninteresting film suddenly springs to life, but too late to prevent it from sinking is its inertia.