The Lovemakers

Mauro Bolognini has often been regarded as a sophisticated illustrator of literary classics and has been associated with an idealized vision of the past, but behind the elegance of his style, his vision is very raw, focused on class and gender oppression. This film, adapted from a 19th-century novel with a screenplay by the writer Vasco Pratolini, tells the story of a young son of small Tuscan landowners who falls in love with a sex worker in Florence: drawing on the work of his extraordinary collaborators (cinematographer Leonida Barboni, production designer Flavio Mogherini, and Oscar-winning production designer Piero Tosi) and referencing the Tuscan painting of the era, he depicts a narrow-minded and greedy world, and the contrast between city and countryside. The presence of two newly discovered stars in Jean-Paul Belmondo and Claudia Cardinale adds a touch of contemporary unease, and the protagonist’s father is played by the director Pietro Germi. 4K DCP restored by CSC-Cineteca Nazionale in collaboration with Titanus and Societé Cinématographique Lyre.