Rating: 3.5/5
Do you know why [the insane] are locked up? Because, like children, the insane know the truth. And people fear the truth
Tino is living with family in Venice while attending art school. Their house, in the family for generations, has only partly been restored, some parts abandoned. In that area is a staircase that Tino is never to go up
Tino’s uncle Fabio (Vittorio Gassman) has strict, almost absurd self-discipline — he supposedly only sleeps three hours a night. He talks at length, thinking himself an intellectual, but only has money instead — you know what I mean? His aunt Sofia (Catherine Deneuve) is a nervous wreck who has resigned to a passive role, letting Fabio dictate the way the house runs
One day, when no one is around, the maid offers to take him up there and look through the peephole to see his uncle’s mentally ill brother. The brother makes films about bugs and spiders. The family also brings him a young girl to have his way with — his uncle is present the whole time to “supervise,” so he films her as well
These uncomfortable details are only the tip of the iceberg for what Tino learns in that house, but old families have deep secrets, and someone named Beba may be the key
The film moves remarkably slowly. I think every scene is necessary — it’s just that the cinematography patiently lingers and flows through the scenes
While the story has its twists and turns, all of them make relative sense. The film’s concept of mental illness is that vague movie thing that could flip to supernatural forces if the story dictates, but more than anything, it allows the actor to chew scenery
Overall, a solid Italian thriller
Stray Thoughts
- Little girl asking if a boy would die for her — I knew a girl like that in 2nd grade. She wanted me to buy her expensive jewelry. I told her I’d try
- The priest says Tino is a “cute boy,” that’s weird, right?