Kaos (1984)

Five stories by Luigi Pirandello set in turn-of-the-century Italy.

Directors:

Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani

Writers:

Luigi Pirandello (stories), Paolo Taviani (screenplay) (as Paolo)

Stars:

Margarita Lozano, Orazio Torrisi, Carlo Cartier

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Margarita Lozano	...	Mariagrazia (segment "L'altro figlio")
Orazio Torrisi	...	Comizzi (segment "L'altro figlio")
Carlo Cartier	...	Il giovane dottore (segment "L'altro figlio")
Biagio Barone	...	Salvatore (segment "Requiem")
Laura Mollica	...	La ragazza / Francesca (segments "L'altro figlio" and "Requiem")
Salvatore Rossi	...	Il patriarca (segments "L'altro figlio" and "Requiem")
Franco Scaldati	...	Don Sarso (segment "Requiem")
Pasquale Spadola	...	Il barone (segment "Requiem")
Claudio Bigagli	...	Batà (segment "Mal di luna")
Massimo Bonetti	...	Saro (segments "Mal di luna" and "Colloquio con la madre")
Enrica Maria Modugno	...	Sidora (segment "Mal di luna")
Anna Malvica	...	La madre (segment "Mal di luna")
Regina Bianchi	...	Madre di Pirandello (segment "Colloquio con la madre") (as Régina Bianchi)
Laura De Marchi	...	Nonna di Pirandello (segment "Colloquio con la madre")
Giovanna Taviani	...	Madre di Pirandello (segment "Colloquio con la madre")

Storyline

The film consists of four stories plus epilogue, set in 19th-century Sicily. THE OTHER SON - A mother spends her life waiting for news from her two sons (emigrated to America) while ignoring her third, because he is the reincarnation of the bandit who raped her. MOON SICKNESS - a newly-wed peasant girl discovers that her husband goes mad every full moon. She arranges for a male friend to protect her, but they end up in bed together just as the moon emerges from behind a cloud. THE JAR - a rich landowner hires a master craftsman to repair a giant olive jar, but the craftsman gets trapped inside. REQUIEM - villagers band together in an attempt to force their landlord to let them bury their dead. CONVERSATIONS WITH MOTHER - the writer Luigi Pirandello talks with his aged mother about a story he always wanted to write, but which he never managed to capture in words.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | moon | olive | full moon | five stories | 

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Taglines:

A Canvas of People, Politics, Passion, and Pirandello.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

14 February 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chaos

Filming Locations:

Chiaramonte Gulfi, Sicily, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,412, 17 February 1986, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$325,717

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmtre,Rai 1

Technical Specs

Runtime:

187 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Zi' Dima: It's not my hunch that's big! It's the mouth of your jar that's narrow!

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Connections

Referenced in The Runestone (1991)

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Soundtracks

Arietta 'L'ho perduta'
from opera "Le nozze di Figaro"
Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

User Reviews

A crow hovers above, with a bell around it's neck.

"Kaos" (Italian, 1984): Told are five stories, separate but woven together by location (an incredible, ancient, crumbling, sun bleached land) and other unique poetic devices. They are told over 188 minutes. I suggest a short break after each story. They are all unique. Each has separate value, and is worth absorbing. Directed by Paolo & Vittorio Taviani. These unsentimental folk tales are loaded with humanity's weakness, strength, silliness, pettiness, and plenty of important symbolic lessons ALWAYS worth chewing on. When our Old People aren't there to pass along these lessons, at least we have the film makers. The screen is our fire. The seats are our logs. The film team is our story teller. The darkened room is our night.