Fiorile (1993) was co-written and co-directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The Taviani brothers are great directors, and their genius comes through in this unusual film. The plot starts off innocuously enough, with a young couple and their two children traveling in Italy to meet the husband's father. The family apparently live in France, and the husband has not seen his father for over ten years. The children are both under ten years old, so they don't know what to expect of their grandfather.The father tells his children about a curse placed on their family because of an incident during the Napoleonic wars in Italy 200 years earlier. Gold is involved, and the subject of gold and the curse continues throughout the film. There's another episode in the early 20th Century, and a third during World War II.Galatea Ranzi plays two roles--Elisabette in the Napoleonic episode, and Elisa in the early 20th Century episode. The two characters are quite different in temperament, but Ranzi is a good actor, and you believe her in both roles. (She is also very, very beautiful. You can see how a young French officer would forget his official military obligations in her presence.) We saw this film on VHS, and it worked well on the small screen. Most of the action takes place indoors, or in small outdoor spaces, so a large screen isn't really required. This isn't a movie that you must seek out and see at all costs. However, if you can find it, it's worth watching.

The Tavianis astonished me with Kaos (1984) and The Night Sun (1990). With Fiorile they have stolen my heart.I cannot approach the statement I have just made logically. I can't tell you why I yearn to hear my mother play Grieg's Waltz (from his Lyric Pieces) more than any great player play one of the complicated masterpieces. There is something about ingenuity and virtuosity and flawlessness that is besides the point.Fiorile is cosmic and sweet.Its flaws are what makes it beautiful.The story is about a family who curse themselves down through the generations themselves by stealing treasure and causing an intolerable injustice. But the wealth of the film is in the Tavianis ability to create heightened moments, full of nostalgia for times and places you never knew.

When you have several hundred films in your queue, sometimes you forget just why it is there. I am not familiar with the work of Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, and I don't recognize any of the stars. I haven't even seen Chiara Caselli before. She gives us a glimpse of her beauty late in the film, but I am told there are better films to see her.So, did I just make a mistake and now regret it? No, the film was a beautiful fantasy drama that told how money can come to be looked upon as a curse. Even knowing that, the curse lives on in the children. Once you touch gold, you cannot let go.It was a nice film, with brilliant cinematography, and not a waste of time.

Driving to visit his ill father in Italian countryside, a father recalls the story of his family for his daughter and son...this unforgettable story of human greed and dishonesty and how wealth can taint the spirit is one of the most intense and moving stories i've ever come across with... juxtaposition of present and past in the same sets and the multiple roles characters play is as precious as the script and photography.... don't miss this one even if you're too busy.