Dante's Inferno (I) (1911)
"L'inferno" (original title)

Loosely adapted from Dante's Divine Comedy and inspired by the illustrations of Gustav Doré the original silent film has been restored and has a new score by Tangerine Dream.

Directors:

Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan,

Writer:

Dante Alighieri (poem)

Stars:

Salvatore Papa, Arturo Pirovano, Giuseppe de Liguoro

Cast

Cast overview:
Salvatore Papa	...	Dante Alighieri
Arturo Pirovano	...	Virgilio
Giuseppe de Liguoro	...	Farinata degli Uberti
Pier Delle Vigne	...	Il conte Ugolino
Augusto Milla	...	Lucifer
Attilio Motta
Emilise Beretta

Storyline

The poet Dante is lost in a dark and gloomy wood. At the summit of a mountain he sees the light of salvation. He endeavors to ascend to it, but his way is barred by three wild beasts, symbolizing Avarice, Pride and Lust. Beatrice sees his predicament and descends from Paradise into Limbo, where she asks the poet Virgil to rescue and guide Dante. Virgil knows another way to go, but this leads straight through the entire Inferno, before it continues towards Paradise. Virgil leads Dante to the portals of Inferno. Charon ferries them over the river Acheron, and then they start their journey downwards through the different circles of Inferno. Dante meets all kind of sinners and sees the never-ending punishments they have to undergo. The various punishments are adjusted to the different transgressions. Among the sinners Dante recognizes many persons he has met in Florence, when they were still alive. They tell him their sad stories and why they have ended here. At last Dante and Virgil ...

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Plot Keywords:

sinner | punishment | charon | partial nudity | demon | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Horror

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Details

Country:

Italy

Release Date:

July 1911 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dante's Inferno

Company Credits

Production Co:

Milano Film, SAFFI-Comerio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to "The People's Almanac Guide to the 20th Century", this is the very first movie to ever show male front nudity, well over half a century before it turned up again in Women in Love.

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Goofs

The scene where Dante is chased by the dog and encounters Virgil. The thin wire lead which is being used to control the dog is visible at the left of the scene.

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Connections

Referenced in Dante's Inferno: Abandon All Hope (2010)

User Reviews

Incredible Film Lost to a Ridiculous Soundtrack

Casting an 8/10 for "L'Inferno" was perhaps the hardest vote I've cast so far on IMDb, and it wasn't because I doubted the film's quality. Considering it was made in 1911 for approximately $2 million and had to be rebuilt almost a century later, it's a fantastic exercise in early cinema. The footage is spectacular, and the primitive special effects still evoke the same shock and emotion they must have upon its premiere.

My issue with the film is the soundtrack. Just as so many others on IMDb have noted, the Tangerine Dream music added to the DVD is terrible. Normally a bad soundtrack wouldn't be a problem, but with "L'Inferno" it's not optional. So, for my second viewing, I muted the television and played an old piece of classical music based on Dante's original epic. Needless to say, the second viewing was much better. Unfortunately, since there's no other version of "L'Inferno" to watch, I have to cast a bad vote for this film.