6.5/10
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Luna (1979)

La luna (original title)
R | | Drama | 30 September 1979 (USA)
Luna Poster
While touring in Italy, a recently-widowed American opera singer has an incestuous relationship with her 15-year-old son to help him overcome his heroin addiction.

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Franco Arcalli (story), Bernardo Bertolucci (story) | 4 more credits »

Stars:

Jill Clayburgh, Matthew Barry, Veronica Lazar | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win. See more awards »

Videos

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Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jill Clayburgh ... Caterina Silveri
Matthew Barry ... Joe Silveri
Veronica Lazar ... Marina
Renato Salvatori ... Communist
Fred Gwynne ... Douglas Winter
Alida Valli ... Giuseppe's Mother
Elisabetta Campeti Elisabetta Campeti ... Arianna
Franco Citti ... Man in Bar
Roberto Benigni ... Upholsterer
Carlo Verdone ... Director of Caracalla
Peter Eyre ... Edward
Mustapha Barat Mustapha Barat ... Mustafa (as Stéphane Barat)
Pippo Campanini Pippo Campanini ... Innkeeper
Rodolfo Lodi Rodolfo Lodi ... Maestro Giancarlo Calo
Sara Di Nepi Sara Di Nepi ... Concetta (as Shara Di Nepi)
See full cast »
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Storyline

Recently widowed American opera diva Caterina takes her teenaged son Joe with her on a long singing tour to Italy. Absorbed in her hectic work in various Verdi operas around Rome, Caterina is soon shocked to discover that her troubled and lonely son has become a heroin addict. Her desperate attempts to wean the youth off the drug result in an incestuous relationship, but also in a possibility to reunite Joe--maybe even herself--with his real father, whose existence she has kept a secret from him. Written by Markku Kuoppamäki

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

female pubic hair | bare butt | bare breasts | mother son incest | incest | See All (51) »

Taglines:

Catherine & her son share a desire that will shock you. See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The picture was the opening night film at the 1979 New York Film Festival. See more »

Quotes

Caterina Silveri: [at the entrance to Giuseppe Verdi's home] Doesn't this mean anything to you?
Joe Silveri: [indifferent] Not particularly.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in In the Shade of the Conformist (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

Tutte le feste al tempio' from 'Rigoletto'
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Soprano Maria Callas
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala (as Orchestra and Chorus of "Teatro alla Scala")
Conducted by Tullio Serafin
See more »

User Reviews

Heavy-duty incestuous involvement of mother and son.
23 May 2001 | by vic-12 – See all my reviews

Jill Clayburg's acting was powerful and melodramatic as she attempts to use sex and herself to lure this disturbed son away from cocaine addiction. It gets almost pornographic and thereby uncomfortable to watch as the boy was only about 14. One could argue that he was an under-age actor who was being sexually exploited while Bertolucci was acting out some of his own problems while in psychoanalysis.

On the other hand, such movie-makers do the audience a service in bringing incestuous behavior and psychology to consciousness, where it lurks unconsciously in most people. Mother-son seductiveness is not that rare but is mostly denied and rationalized.
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Details

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

Italian | English

Release Date:

30 September 1979 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Luna See more »

Filming Locations:

Del Vascello cinema, Montverde Vecchio, Rome See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fiction Cinematografica S.p.a., Twentieth Century Fox See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »
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