Cronaca di un amore [Story of a Love Affair] **** (1950, Lucia Bosé, Massimo Girotti, Ferdinando Sarmi, Gino Rossi) – Classic Movie Review 6282

Michelangelo Antonioni’s hugely promising and satisfying 1950 romantic crime drama Cronaca di un amore [Story of a Love Affair] is his first full-length feature film, after making highly regarded documentaries, and stars Massimo Girotti (as Guido Garroni) and Lucia Bosè (as attractive young Paola Fontana), along with fashion designer Ferdinando Sarmi (as Paola’s wealthy industrialist husband, Enrico Fontana).

With an emotionally intense story that was inspired by the James M Cain’s novel The Postman Always Rings Twice, it mixes film noir and neo-realism to become Antonioni’s own stylish thing, though this naturally upset the neo-realist movement since it features upper-class characters played by professional actors. In the story, jealous shady factory owner Enrico hires a private detective to keep tabs on his younger wife married Paola, who again meets her former lover Guido after seven years, kindling their old passion, and then the trouble starts as they plot Enrico’s demise.

Also in the cast are Gino Rossi as the detective Carloni, Marika Rowsky as the model Joy, Rosi Mirafiore as the barmaid, Rubi D’Alma as Paola’s friend, Vittoria Mondello as Matilde and Franco Fabrizi as the fashion show presenter.

Cronaca di un amore [Story of a Love Affair] is directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, runs 98 minutes, is made by Villani Film, is released by Fincine, is written by Michelangelo Antonioni, Daniele D’Anza, Silvio Giovannetti, Francesco Maselli and Piero Tellini, based on a story by Michelangelo Antonioni, is shot in black and white by Enzo Serafin, is produced by Franco Villani, is scored by Giovanni Fusco.

It is also known as Chronicle of a Love in the United Kingdom.

The original negative was destroyed in a fire in 1989.

Story of a Love Affair is available on Region 2 DVD (Mr Bongo Films).

Other versions of the Cain book are: Ossessione (1943), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981).

Lucia Bosé was born on 28 January 1931 in Milan.

Lucia Bosé, here making her second film in her first year of film-making, was born on January 28, 1931 in Milan. The 19-year-old former Miss Italy 1947 was Antonioni’s girlfriend at that time.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6282

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