Passione (2010)

A look at the musical roots and traditions of Naples, Italy, as well as its influence on the rest of the world.

Director:

John Turturro

Stars:

John Turturro, Max Casella, Lina Sastri

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
John Turturro	...	Himself
Max Casella	...	Soldier / Jailor / Lover
Lina Sastri
Loredana Simioli
Angela Luce	...	(archive footage)
Fiorello
Massimo Ranieri	...	Himself
Mina
Peppe Barra	...	Himself
Pietra Montecorvino	...	Herself
Mísia	...	Herself
Avion Travel	...	Themselves
Fausto Cigliano
M'Barka Ben Taleb	...	Herself
Sergio Bruni	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

A look at the musical roots and traditions of Naples, Italy, as well as its influence on the rest of the world.

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Plot Keywords:

naples italy | italy | cityscape | narrator | singing group | 

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Genres:

History | Music

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

Italian English Neapolitan Arabic

Release Date:

22 October 2010 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A zene szenvedélye

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$15,377 (USA) (24 June 2011)

Gross:

$258,222 (USA) (18 November 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Skydancers, Squeezed Heart Production, Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.23 (2011)

User Reviews

Aptly titled film is a colorful celebration of Neapolitan Music!

This film will inevitably be compared to Wim Wenders' & Ry Cooder's 'Buena Vista Social Club,' and that's a good thing (and perhaps a not-so-good thing). The comparison gets to the heart of the matter like bright staccato phrase, pointing the reader to an awakening of an older (and sleeping) musical tradition, one influenced by numerous other traditions. The not-so-good? Some viewers will remember the fuzzy focus and the hand-held chaos of parts of BVSC, the parts that made some people sea-sick. Worry not - 'Passione' is a film that benefited from much more planning than Cooder & Wenders had time for, so there will be no nausea in the aisles.

Using the many-faced city of Naples as a whole other character, John Turturro shows his love of the many styles of music found there with sweeping vistas and color-drenched intimate closeups of dancers and lovers and people on the street.

The audience is introduced to the sons of Naples' original recorder of music, who captured sounds around the turn of the 19th century on wax cylinders. Along the way through an almost-aimless dance in the cobbled streets of Napoli, we learn of the many influences benefiting old Neapolitan music - African, Spanish, French, and even jazz. It will be all you can do to keep yourself from leaping out of your seat to dance...

I can't wait for this to come out on DVD - what a blast it was to see it opening night at CineQuest this year!