User reviews

Mario Soldati, one of the most artistic of directors and one of the chief exponents of 'calligrafismo', is probably best known for his superlative 'trilogy' based upon the novels of Fogazzaro. Her performance in the first of these, 'Piccolo Mondo Antico', had proved a turning point in the career of lovely Alida Valli and here she plays the title role in this splendid adaptation of one of Honoré de Balzac's greatest novels which forms part of his monumental cycle 'La Comédie Humaine.'

The character of Eugénie is certainly one of Balzac's most appealing but the novel's real claim to posterity is the portrait of miserliness in the shape of her father Félix, unmatched until that of George Eliot's 'Silas Marner'.

Félix Grandet, with all his avarice and cunning, is a gift of a part and here it is relished by Gualtiero Tumiati. The scene where he cheats his rather passive daughter out of her mother's inheritance lingers long in the memory as does that in which, about to breathe his last, he is dazzled by the gold of the crucifix held over his head.

Eugénie has nobility of soul and although Plato valued virtue over gold, this characteristic can often make for a one-dimensional character but not as played by Alida Valli who is magnificent. She is fully deserving of the Nastro d'Argento she received for her portrayal.

She waits seven years for her first and only love Charles to return only to discover that this shallow, selfish character is to marry someone else for social advancement. Giorgio de Lullo, who mainly worked in the theatre, is perfectly cast in the role. Grandet's long-suffering wife, a thankless role on paper, is brought to life by Giudetta Rissone whilst Pina Gallini impresses as Nanon who is so much more that just a housekeeper.

All of Soldati's hallmarks as a director are here in terms of fidelity to the spirit of the original, his eye for detail and his classical restraint. Art direction, cinematography and score are exceptional.

Apart from his literary gifts, Balzac is a master of characterisation, possessing an uncanny understanding of the human heart, especially in relation to money. He himself did not pen the words 'Gold cannot be pure and people cannot be perfect' but this old proverb suits his works admirably.

Balzac,as a writer who was able to write more than 90 novels in 20 years, is one of those great realist writers whom you could read with enthusiasm. In Eugenia Grandet, there is a stingy father whose birthday present to his daughter is a different gold coin every year . He takes account of every penny and he is suffocating the people around him with his greedy and chintzy nature.One day when the family(the father,daughter,the mother etc..) and the important people in town are having some sort of poker party Eugenia's cousin comes to his uncle's home. His father(Eugenia's uncle) sends his son to his brother with a hope of borrowing a huge amount of money but the stingy man doesn't help his brother. While Eugenia falls in love with her cousin the man has to leave for India to make money.Like in all of the novels of Balzac the characters and the plot is fully realized in this novel. The movie portrays the setting and the sets of events in the novel by keeping loyal to the original realist version.Gualtiero Tumiati's performance as the stingy father is really amazing while the famous star Alida Valli is not that amazing.Mario Soldati as both a writer and director himself has got the world of Blazac I guess. I have not seen the other adaptations of the same book yet but I did not find this one bad though I feel it could be better.

The film sticks with meticulous fidelity to the realism of the novel, which couldn't be more exact and consistent in its absolute veracity, and that's what's wrong with it, which isn't actually any wrong at all, but the fault of Balzac. Almost all his novels are about greed and the fallacy of man in his weakness for crass materialism, and all his good characters become victims of the pettiness and greed of others. Eugenie Grandet is something else. She does not fall a victim to the grotesque cruelty of greed of her father, of which he isn't even aware himself, but she survives by her fidelity and faith to the obedience of a good daughter. She is his only child, and although she survives well in her patient piety, the victim instead becomes her mother, who has nothing to say against her hopelessly narrow-minded husband. The book and the film is more than the anatomy of the cruelty of greed because of Eugenie's higher character, who never utters a sound of objection to her father's monstrosity. Unfortunately her cousin, the gallant and dashing Charles Grandet is more related with her father than with her in his mentality, and he becomes a fortune-hunter in India and South America and returns a rtich man - to find himself the perfect loser, since Eugenie hasn't forgot him and hasn't been unfaithful to him, but because his vanity has taken the better of him, and he doesn't realize the folly he is committing. As always in Italian films, it is masterful craftswork all through, the cinematography is always exquisite without boasting its quality, and the actors are all splendid. To this comes the very appropriate music by Renzo Rosselllini. It is a perfect Balzac picture dressed up in an Italian costume that only enhances the Balzachian qualities of realism above all. It is long but fascinating and captivating all the way through, and you will never lose interest, as Balzac never dísappoints a reader.