Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta + A New Doc About Taste + Lina Wertmüller Interview
An interview with a dearly departed filmmaker + podcasts and picks
The latest edition of The Last Thing I Saw has many goodies: two new podcast episodes, an interview with the late director Lina Wertmüller, and the usual array of streaming suggestions, handpicked by your locally sourced, farm-raised critic.
On the podcast front, I spoke with two delightful critics, Margaret Barton-Fumo and Adam Nayman, about all things Paul Verhoeven but especially Benedetta, his newest and nunniest movie. I also chatted with director Penny Lane about Listening to Kenny G, a sharp piece of cultural critique that’s not the music documentary you might expect.
My Lina Wertmüller interview attempts to reckon, in a short space, with her loose-cannon filmmaking and enduring legacy as a pioneer. Some people were interested in reading it so here you go, people.
Thanks for reading, listening to, or even just thinking about The Last Thing I Saw while staring out the window with a rueful sigh. You can support this madcap independent endeavor by tapping the button below.
Nic
NEW PODCAST NOTES
Episode 88: Paul Verhoeven's Benedetta with Margaret Barton-Fumo and Adam Nayman
Margaret Barton-Fumo is the host of “No Pussyfooting” on KPISS.fm and the editor of Paul Verhoeven: Interviews.
Adam Nayman is a critic, lecturer, and author in Toronto. He writes on film for the Ringer and Cinema Scope, and has written books on Showgirls, the Coen brothers, and Paul Thomas Anderson. His new book, David Fincher: Mind Games, is now available.
Episode 89: Penny Lane on Listening to Kenny G
Penny Lane is the director of Listening to Kenny G, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, opened DOC NYC, and recently screened at IDFA. She also directed Hail Satan? and Sundance award-winning Nuts!.
You can watch Listening to Kenny G here.
For more information on the podcast’s opening music by The Minarets (gratefully used with permission), follow the band on Instagram
@theminaretsmusic
MY RECENT WRITING
The New York Times asked me to write about the subtle ending of The Power of the Dog, the new Jane Campion film starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Jesse Plemons. I try to explain what’s going on and gave a little context from Campion’s work.
WRITING FROM THE VAULT
An Interview with Lina Wertmüller (1928-2021)
The Italian director of Swept Away was a force in the 1970s and for a long time was the only woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director (until Jane Campion). Her films took a no-holds-barred approach to social critique that ruffled more than a few feathers. I interviewed Wertmüller briefly but memorably a few years back. Here’s the unabridged text.
An early write-up of your work called you “the Italian Aristophanes.” Do you feel a connection to that tradition of comedy, or another one?
Thank you for the fine comparison. I’m not used to reflecting about myself, but I can say that art in general should always renew that tradition. Hard times have always inspired works of art. From Aristophanes’ comedies during the Peloponnesian War, to Italian Neorealism after World War II. In my movies I’m always inspired by social issues, and this is also very typical for Italian cinema in general and for Italian comedy in particular. In that sense I feel connected to the tradition you are referring to. My movies are not really comedies; indeed, they are grotesque portraits of the human being.
Swept Away (1974) features vibrant performances by Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato. What direction did you give them, and how much did you talk about the film’s political analysis?
The story is about the battle of the sexes that reflects contrasts between social classes. Political analysis was so evident in the story that it was not a topic while shooting. We were more concentrated on bringing characters to life using irony and humor. Swept Away was my third movie with Giancarlo and Mariangela. We knew each other very well and they were ready for the adventurous shoot. They were very talented stage actors and we were open to improvisation. I remember we decided to repeat one scene eliminating the dialogue, so that they could speak just through their expressive eyes. During the editing I decided to use this second version.
Your 1970s films are a sustained bravura body of work engaging with the senses and with ideology. Looking back, have your thoughts on the efficacy of Marxist and feminist critiques changed?
I’ve never been feminist indeed. I remember feminists were furious about the portrait of women in my Swept Away. I didn’t agree with them. I recognize that my movies recall Marxism, due to social conflicts they express between classes, rich and poor, capitalism and communism. During the ‘70s those conflicts were hot topics perhaps, but my thoughts have not changed so much after 40 years. I think contrasts of that kind are still part of our time.
What led you to embrace anarchy or disorder as such a regenerative force in your stories?
Disorder is the essence of my soul. I could not live with order around me, with rules, laws... Too boring! I believe in disorder, and that’s so evident in Seven Beauties (1975) where I wrote a monologue about "men in disorder," delivered by the anarchist in the Nazi concentration camp. Disorder means creativity and freedom to me.
Could you talk about your visual scheme for Love & Anarchy (1973)?
Sets and costumes were by my husband, Enrico Job, a very ingenious artist. We were looking to re-create the atmosphere of the ‘30s. Enrico designed beautiful interiors with an exaggerated and vulgar elegance that was perfect for the brothel. Giuseppe Rotunno was the director of photography. We worked together in order to create a nostalgic atmosphere. Costumes, makeup, lights, and Nino Rota’s music were thought to compose that melancholic feeling. I was interested in relating the apparent cheerfulness of that world where broken dreams, solitudes, and sorrows are just hidden underneath.
In your opinion, which film of yours feels most vital for our current historical moment?
I’d say All Screwed Up (1974). It talks about the immigration by a group of young people from south to north Italy with all the hard consequences implied. Immigration is the human problem of our time. If I were to adapt the story nowadays, it would perhaps involve people from different countries, it would be more dramatic and desperate, but the substance remains the same. It’s a story about the difficulties of integration into society.
Many filmmakers cite you as a formative influence. Which filmmakers or artists from younger generations do you see as inheritors?
I’m happy and grateful to know that my work inspires younger generations of filmmakers. That’s very fulfilling to me. I think there are many talented artists but I would not say one or two names in particular. I would just thank Jodie Foster by the way. One or two years ago, while she was accepting a lifetime achievement award, she said my movies inspired her to make movies as director too. The Italian press reported her speech. I was surprised and moved by her words. That means so much to me.
THIS CRITIC’S PICKS
Delectable selections for home viewing.
Maps to the Stars (Netflix) – directed by David Cronenberg, starring Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, and Julianne Moore
Assault on Precinct 13 (HBO MAX)
THE END
Here I may end with a song.
ABOUT ME
Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw!
Besides hosting a podcast, I’m a writer and an editor. My features, interviews, festival dispatches, and reviews have been published in The New York Times, Sight & Sound, Artforum, Filmmaker, and W Magazine (as well as dearly departed publications such as The Village Voice, Stop Smiling, The New York Sun, and The L Magazine).
I worked as editor-in-chief of Film Comment, where I was for 15 years. I assigned and edited both the web and print editorial, hosted its podcast and talks and screenings, learned from brilliant writers, curated Film Comment Selects, and wrote a lot, including interviews with Spike Lee, Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, and Frederick Wiseman.
Film Comment was subsequently awarded the Film Heritage Award by the National Society of Film Critics (an honor historically awarded to the Museum of Modern Art and other institutions).
Feel free to get in touch re: writing, editing, moderating, programming, podcasting, etc.
nicolas.rapold@gmail.com