Dark Eyes (Russia-Italy, 1987) 118 min color DIR: Nikita Mikhalkov. SCR: Alexander Adabashyan, Nikita Mikhalkov, Suso Cecchi d’Amico. MUSIC: Francis Lai. DOP: Franco Di Giacomo. CAST: Marcello Mastroianni, Silvana Mangano, Marthe Keller, Yelena Safonova. (Island Pictures)
Marcello Mastroianni has a field day in a tailor-made role as Romano, a tireless ladies man, dapper vulgarian, romantic buffoon, a fool who means no harm but damages everybody (including himself), and who tries to swagger his way out of embarrassing situations. It’s as marvellous as a star vehicle can be, but it’s much more than that. This wonderful comedy-drama seamlessly combines several short stories by Anton Chekov (particularly “Lady and a Dog”). Mastroianni regales the other sole patron of an empty ship restaurant about his misadventures in bed-hopping. Even though his wife tries to tie him down, it isn’t long before he’s on the prowl again. This time he is so smitten by a young lady with dark eyes, that he pursues her to her native Russia and blunders his way in and out of attempts to woo her. This is a beautifully layered story which gives the satisfaction of seeing the worm slowly turn, as his alleged conquest is always just out of his grasp. Most significantly, the film ends just before a would-be riotous confrontation. Dark Eyes is visually spell-binding, also thought-provoking, entertaining, and with epic proportions (its scope includes peasant villages, garden parties, and misty meadows). Mastroianni does not dominate this film, however; there are also generous showcases for international stars Marthe Keller and Sylvana Mangano (who came out of retirement for her role as Romano’s wife)… to say nothing of the captivating Yelena Safonova, as the lady with the dark exotic eyes.
Originally published in “Short Takes”, Vol. #1, Issue #11. This column, which randomly collected capsule reviews of films, for once had a theme: all the movies were previously broadcast on Jay Scott’s Film International program.
Greg Woods
Greg Woods has been a film enthusiast since his teens, and began his writing "career" at the same time- prolific in capsule reviews of everything he had watched, first on index cards, then those hardcover dollar store black journals, then an old Mac IIsi. He founded The Eclectic Screening Room in 2001, as a portal to share his film love with the world, and find some like-minded enthusiasts along the way. In addition to having worked in the film industry for over two decades, he has been a co-programmer of films at Trash Palace, and a programmer/co-founder of the Toronto Film Noir Syndicate. He has also written for Broken Pencil, CU-Confidential, Micro-Film, and is currently working on his first novel. His secret desire is for someone to interview him for a podcast or a DVD extra.