The Embalmer (2002) L'imbalsamatore (original title)

Director:

Matteo Garrone

Writers:

Ugo Chiti (story) &
Massimo Gaudioso (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 September 2002 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Peppino is an aging taxidermist constantly ridiculed for being short and somewhat creepy. He meets Valerio...

Plot Keywords:

Nudity | Based On Fact | Gay | Female Nudity | Oral Sex

Awards:

6 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Ernesto Mahieux	...	Peppino Profeta
Valerio Foglia Manzillo	...	Valerio
Elisabetta Rocchetti	...	Deborah
Lina Bernardi	...	Deborah's Mother
Pietro Biondi	...	Deborah's Father
Bernardino Terracciano	...	Boss
Marcella Granito	...	Manuela
Giuseppe Arena	...	Workshop's Owner
Vincenzo Puocci	...	Gangbanger #1
Renato Puocci	...	Gangbanger #2
Valentino Puocci	...	Gangbanger #3
Antonella Lori	...	Boss's Wife
Aldo Leonardi	...	Deborah's Boss
Nadia Carlomagno	...	Peppino's Friend #1
Rita Brugnoli	...	Peppino's Friend #2
Livia Rasetti	...	Peppino's Friend #3
Salvatore Felaco	...	Dead #1
Ferdinando Iannucci	...	Dead #2
Rosario J. Gnolo	...	Entrepreneur
Carlo Del Sorbo	...	Undertaker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Francesco Apolloni	...	Mechanic (uncredited)

Directed by
Matteo Garrone

Writing credits
Ugo Chiti		(story and screenplay) &
Massimo Gaudioso		(story and screenplay) &
Matteo Garrone		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Domenico Procacci	....	producer

Original Music by
Banda Osiris

Cinematography by
Marco Onorato

Film Editing by
Marco Spoletini

Production Design by
Paolo Bonfini

Costume Design by
Francesca Leondeff

Makeup Department
Rudia Cascione	....	makeup artist
Bruno Conzadori	....	hair stylist
Claudia Marini	....	hair stylist
Isabella Morelli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sandra Bonacchi	....	unit manager
Gianluca Chiaretti	....	unit manager
Luigi Lagrasta	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adriano Chiarelli	....	first assistant director
Salvatore Sansone	....	assistant director

Art Department
Sergio Cuvato	....	propman

Sound Department
Paolo Amici	....	sound effects editor
Marta Billingsley	....	sound editor
Elena Denti	....	boom operator
Alessandro Feletti	....	sound editor
Maricetta Lombardo	....	sound
Danilo Moroni	....	sound mixer
Daniele Quadroli	....	sound designer
Daniele Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
David Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Fabrizio Quadroli	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Paolo Ricci	....	special effects
Sergio Stivaletti	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Fabrizio Pistone	....	digital artist
Gian Luca Rizzo	....	visual effects producer
Fabrizio Storaro	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Giovanni Angeletti	....	generator operator
Antonio Celeste	....	second camera operator
Fabio Clemente	....	key grip
Amerigo Crispi	....	grip
Regine de Lazarris	....	assistant camera
Massimo Dechellis	....	electrician (as Massimo De Chellis)
Matteo Garrone	....	camera operator
Alessandro Gelmini	....	grip
Giampiero Manea	....	generator operator
Michele Mattone	....	electrician
Marco Metaglini	....	grip
Claudio Nardi	....	electrician
Simone Pierini	....	assistant camera
Emiliano Pilliu	....	electrician
Claudio Serantoni	....	grip
Marcello Tallone	....	chief electrician

Editorial Department
Mario Cinotti	....	assistant editor
Paola Traverso	....	assistant editor
Neri Nazzareno	....	final colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Gianluigi Carlone	....	musician: sax, keyboard
Roberto Carlone	....	musician: trombone
Carlo Macrì	....	musician: tuba, drums
Enrico Rava	....	musician: trumpet
Roberto Vernetti	....	programming

Other crew
Fabio Boccoli	....	assistant production secretary
Sandra Bonacchi	....	assistant unit manager
Barbara Cirulli	....	cashier
Gianni Di Gregorio	....	continuity
Salvatore Giliberto	....	cashier
Gaia Narcisi	....	production secretary
Alessandro Sogliuzzo	....	assistant unit manager
Daniela Staffa	....	press agent
Claudio Zampetti	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Fandango
• Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali (MiBAC) (support)

Distributors

• Fandango (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Ciné Classic (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• First Run Features (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Four Ways Features (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fandango (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• First Run Features (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Proxima

Other Companies

• Film Sales Company, The  US and Canadian sales
• Natur Art  taxidermy
• Officine Meccaniche  music recorded at
• Orange Studios  studios

Also Known As:

"L'imbalsamatore" - Italy (original title)
"The Taxidermist" - USA (subtitle)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Italy:T | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Castel Volturno, Caserta, Campania, Italy

Company:

Fandango

Soundtrack:

Peppino torna a Cremona

Under the skin

Definitely not a movie for everyone. I looked for this movie immediately after seeing the most recent Garrone feature, Primo Amore (First Love) currently in the Festival circuit.

The structure of the movies is non surprisingly very similar: a love story that transcends understanding and plays with common notions of relationship and sexuality, eventually trespassing into obsession. Again Garrone starts from a true story, but tries to make something universal, abstracting it from time (no modern technology) and space. The geography of the action is clear (well, at least to Italian) but the beautiful photography transforms the landscape into chiaroscuro paintings of foggy uncertainty. Ernesto Mahieux is the perfect choice for the central character-- a strong although somewhat physically stunted, madly in love protagonist.

This is one movie that is difficult to classify: it's not a thriller, and very few will consider this a love story, although it borrows elements from both genres to construct something unique that gets under the skin of the spectator. Think Fellini and Lynch, but without the gratuitous weirdness. A little gem, for the few who will get it.