A troubled and neurotic Italian Countess betrays her entire country for a self-destructive love affair with an Austrian Lieutenant.
Cinematography
Every shot looks like a stolen Renaissance painting
Direction
Visconti turns a soap opera into tragic opera
Costume
Those gowns cost more than most films' entire budget
Director
Luchino Visconti
Farley Granger
Il Tenente Franz Mahler
Alida Valli
La Contessa Livia Serpieri
Massimo Girotti
Il Marchese Roberto Ussoni
Heinz Moog
Il Conte Serpieri
Rina Morelli
Laura, la Governante
Christian Marquand
Un Ufficiale Boemo
Sergio Fantoni
Luca
Tino Bianchi
Il Capitano Meucci
Ernst Nadherny
Il Comandante della Piazza di Verona
Tonio Selwart
Il Colonello Kleist
Franco Arcalli
Un Soldato (uncredited)
Nando Cicero
Un Soldato (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The original ending was censored; Visconti wanted even darker. What we got still destroyed audiences.
This launched Visconti's 'historical decadence' period—basically invented the aesthetic of beautiful people destroying themselves in period costumes.
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