The Spider's Stratagem (1970)
"Strategia del ragno" (original title)

Athos Magnani, a young researcher, returns to Tara, where his father was killed before his birth, at the request of Draifa. The father, also named Athos Magnani and looking exactly like the... See full summary »

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Jorge Luis Borges (story), Bernardo Bertolucci,

Stars:

Giulio Brogi, Alida Valli, Pippo Campanini

Cast

Credited cast:
Giulio Brogi	...	Athos Magnani, father and son
Alida Valli	...	Draifa
Pippo Campanini	...	Gaibazzi
Franco Giovanelli	...	Rasori
Tino Scotti	...	Costa
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Allen Midgette	...	Sailor

Storyline

Athos Magnani, a young researcher, returns to Tara, where his father was killed before his birth, at the request of Draifa. The father, also named Athos Magnani and looking exactly like the son, was killed by a fascist in 1936 -- or so says Draifa (his mistress), the town statue, and everyone in town. As the son untangles the web of lies this story is constructed from, he finds himself ensnared in the same web.

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Plot Keywords:

mistress | train | painting | italian history | punch | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

4 October 1972 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Spider's Stratagem

Filming Locations:

Sabbioneta, Mantua, Lombardia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), Red Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie makes extensive reference to two famous Italian artists: several shots of Tara are based on Giorgio De Chirico's paintings, while the opening credits show some paintings of Antonio Ligabue's.

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Connections

Referenced in Giornata nera (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Attila"
Written by Giuseppe Verdi

User Reviews

Fascinating, lyrical, memorable.

After having searched high & low for this ridiculously hard to find film by Bernardo Bertolucci, I finally got a watchable VHS print recently (thanx, Scott). It has been praised by many a critic & film scholar, and deservedly so. Leonard Maltin may not know much, but he was right on the money when he said that this film contains some of the most staggeringly beautiful cinematography ever put on screen. If only somebody would get this on a proper DVD (Criterion, if you're not too busy considering another re-release of The Rock...). The story is, on the surface, a sort of 'search for the truth' mystery/quest that quickly turns into a complex examination of 'the nature of truth'. The pace is slow, and there isn't much in the way of action, mostly just dialog scenes and gorgeous location shots. But I for one was totally engrossed (my wife seemed to dig it as well). Speaking of pace, this struck me as being quite Tarkovsky-esquire a film (barring a few odd cutaway shots), especially with that last scene that puts the whole film into a different spin. Fascinating, heady stuff, but not for all tastes and will be rewarding more to those who are patient and attentive.