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Has anyone ever heard of an Italian movie from 1977 by the name of Al di là del bene e del male (or Beyond Good and Evil)? It was directed by Liliana Cavani, who is probably most famous for having directed 1974's The Night Porter, with Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling. (She also directed the 2002 adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley's Game with John Malkovich.)
Anyway, Beyond Good and Evil is a period film set toward the end of the 19th century. Its international cast features Swedish actor (and Ingmar Bergman regular) Erland Josephson as the rebel philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, with French actress Dominique Sanda as Lou von Salomé and British actor Robert Powell as Paul Rée. The story deals with the intense relationship that develops between the three philosophers, and how they attempted to live together in a kind of intellectual ménage à trois. But this relationship is vehemently disapproved of by Nietzsche's neurotic sister Elizabeth, who is played by Italian actress Virna Lisi. The group's attempts to live together in a kind of "Unholy Trinity" ultimately fail, as jealousy over Lou drives a wedge between Fritz (Nietzsche) and Paul. The second half of the movie deals with the aftermath of the relationship, as Lou is eventually coerced into marriage with Karl Andreas (played by Michael Degen), Nietzsche experiences bizarre hallucinations and gradually descends into madness as a result of syphilis, and Paul will experience a personal and sexual epiphany which will eventually lead to violent results.
I first found out about this movie when I read a book about the director called The Gaze and the Labyrinth: The Cinema of Liliana Cavani by Gaetana Marrone. I had read the author's essay in the booklet of the Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition of The Night Porter, and mention was made of Beyond Good and Evil, which I had never heard of before. Eventually I borrowed the book via the interlibrary loan system, and I found that The Night Porter was the first film in what was to be called Liliana Cavani's "German Trilogy," the others of which were Beyond Good and Evil and 1985's The Berlin Affair. (In a way, you could consider this trilogy a sort of complement or continuation to Luchino Visconti's "German Trilogy" - 1969's The Damned, 1971's Death in Venice and 1973's Ludwig.)
Anyway, when I found out about Beyond Good and Evil, I had this weird feeling of almost being offended that I had not heard of it before! Does that make sense? Reading about the film, looking at the photos, and reading the plot summary, I felt like it would be either the greatest biopic that Ken Russell never directed, or perhaps the greatest sketch that Monty Python's Flying Circus never made. ("There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya 'bout the raising of the wrist...") Either way, it sounded like it was right up my street! But it's not surprising that the average American viewer would be unfamiliar with Beyond Good and Evil since it has never ever been properly, officially released on VHS, DVD or Blu-ray in the States. One hell of an oversight, I must say! I actually own a copy of the uncut, uncensored 126-minute edition on a bootleg DVD, which I currently consider one of my prized possessions. There have been shorter, censored cuts of the film that have turned up on video and DVD in Europe and Japan over the years, but the full-length version has rarely been seen in the States. (It must also be said that this film is perhaps a bit more explicit and frank in matters of sexuality and nudity than American audiences are generally used to.)
Anyway, the movie was quite recently the subject of a revival in Cavani's native Italy late last year, restored as part of an exhibition in Carpi dedicated to Cavani's work, where the film was shown, along with The Night Porter and her biopic Galileo from 1969. I'm certainly hoping that more and more people find out about this film, because it's really quite imaginative, moving and audacious. There are precious few films quite like it, certainly within the rather staid and respectful biopic genre. (I think my earlier comparison with Russell is quite apt in that respect.)
So if anybody else has seen this very special film, please post and let me know! I'd like to know what other people think.
Anyway, Beyond Good and Evil is a period film set toward the end of the 19th century. Its international cast features Swedish actor (and Ingmar Bergman regular) Erland Josephson as the rebel philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, with French actress Dominique Sanda as Lou von Salomé and British actor Robert Powell as Paul Rée. The story deals with the intense relationship that develops between the three philosophers, and how they attempted to live together in a kind of intellectual ménage à trois. But this relationship is vehemently disapproved of by Nietzsche's neurotic sister Elizabeth, who is played by Italian actress Virna Lisi. The group's attempts to live together in a kind of "Unholy Trinity" ultimately fail, as jealousy over Lou drives a wedge between Fritz (Nietzsche) and Paul. The second half of the movie deals with the aftermath of the relationship, as Lou is eventually coerced into marriage with Karl Andreas (played by Michael Degen), Nietzsche experiences bizarre hallucinations and gradually descends into madness as a result of syphilis, and Paul will experience a personal and sexual epiphany which will eventually lead to violent results.
I first found out about this movie when I read a book about the director called The Gaze and the Labyrinth: The Cinema of Liliana Cavani by Gaetana Marrone. I had read the author's essay in the booklet of the Criterion Collection Blu-ray edition of The Night Porter, and mention was made of Beyond Good and Evil, which I had never heard of before. Eventually I borrowed the book via the interlibrary loan system, and I found that The Night Porter was the first film in what was to be called Liliana Cavani's "German Trilogy," the others of which were Beyond Good and Evil and 1985's The Berlin Affair. (In a way, you could consider this trilogy a sort of complement or continuation to Luchino Visconti's "German Trilogy" - 1969's The Damned, 1971's Death in Venice and 1973's Ludwig.)
Anyway, when I found out about Beyond Good and Evil, I had this weird feeling of almost being offended that I had not heard of it before! Does that make sense? Reading about the film, looking at the photos, and reading the plot summary, I felt like it would be either the greatest biopic that Ken Russell never directed, or perhaps the greatest sketch that Monty Python's Flying Circus never made. ("There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya 'bout the raising of the wrist...") Either way, it sounded like it was right up my street! But it's not surprising that the average American viewer would be unfamiliar with Beyond Good and Evil since it has never ever been properly, officially released on VHS, DVD or Blu-ray in the States. One hell of an oversight, I must say! I actually own a copy of the uncut, uncensored 126-minute edition on a bootleg DVD, which I currently consider one of my prized possessions. There have been shorter, censored cuts of the film that have turned up on video and DVD in Europe and Japan over the years, but the full-length version has rarely been seen in the States. (It must also be said that this film is perhaps a bit more explicit and frank in matters of sexuality and nudity than American audiences are generally used to.)
Anyway, the movie was quite recently the subject of a revival in Cavani's native Italy late last year, restored as part of an exhibition in Carpi dedicated to Cavani's work, where the film was shown, along with The Night Porter and her biopic Galileo from 1969. I'm certainly hoping that more and more people find out about this film, because it's really quite imaginative, moving and audacious. There are precious few films quite like it, certainly within the rather staid and respectful biopic genre. (I think my earlier comparison with Russell is quite apt in that respect.)
So if anybody else has seen this very special film, please post and let me know! I'd like to know what other people think.
Last edited by Darth Pazuzu; 01-10-23 at 08:50 PM.