"Il Quadro Di Osvaldo Mars" is a very interesting and remarkable film directed by Herr Guido Brignone, an Italian director with a long and extensive career. The star is Dame Mercedes Brignone, an Italian diva of the early days; that is to say, one of those actresses with a hieratic glance and a special likeness for black veils.
The film depicts the story of the Countess of San Giusto, an idle woman (standard for aristocrats, even the Italian ones ) who likes to celebrate soirées at home. She is, however, not happy at being used as the model for a portrait of Salome made by the artist Osvaldo Mars . Evil rumors in aristocratic Italian circles whisper the Countess has had an affair with Herr Mars but she not actually met him personally. Distressed at this rumor, the Countess decides to pay a visit to Herr Mars who later will be found dead and our heroine is subsequently accused of his murder.
The film is a mixture of early "giallo" ( Italian police film genre ) and melodrama ( The quintessential Italian film genre of those early days ) that develops the story in a very remarkable way. This German count was impressed with the film continuity, excellent and very modern, and which includes such technical aspects as camera tricks, animated scenes, flashbacks ( many of them, probably repetitive at the end of the story when the murder mystery is being solved ) and close-ups that emphasize and dramatize the story "in crescendo". There's also a final twist The set design is also remarkable ( not to mention the evocative external shots ) and Herr Anchise Brizzi;s cinematography includes delicate "chiaroscuro" shots which go well with the mystery. The different atmospheres depicted in the film are achieved, on the whole, very well by Herr Brignone. It's an excellent oeuvre with great artistic interest and highly superior to many Italian film productions of those early days.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must be portrayed as a Prussian on horseback.
Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/