The Spider's Stratagem (1970)

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 "Tema del traidor y del héroe") (as J.L. Borges), 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 | partisan | picture | painting | italian partisan | 

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Taglines:

From Bernardo Bertolucci, the creator of "Before the Revolution," "The Conformist" and "Last Tango in Paris"

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

27 March 1973 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Spider's Stratagem

Filming Locations:

Sabbioneta, Mantua, Lombardia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana,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 character Athos Magnani, Sr - played by Giulio Brogi - was born on 1900. The director Bernardo Bertolucci would go on to make a film set around the very same era with 1900 (1976)

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Quotes

Athos Magnani, father and son: You will not kill me. Even a dead traitor is damaging. A hero is more useful. A hero, whom people can love. I shall be basely murdered by a Fascist. We'll offer the spectacle of a dramatic death to seize people's imagination so they will continue to hate more and more Fascism.

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Connections

References The Last Sunset (1961)

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Soundtracks

Rigoletto
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.