Mille, I Sicilian Heroine, A (1912) Director: Alberto Degli Abbati –
Director of photography: Giovanni Vitrotti –
Production: Società Anonima Ambrosio, Torino –
Original lenght: 921m –
Lenght: 920m –
Intertitles: Italian –
Censorship certificate: 8728, 21/4/1915 –
Availability date: 12/1912
Cast: Mary Cléo Tarlarini (Rosalia), Vitale De Stefano, Oreste Grandi, Cesare Zocchi, Maria Bay, Ercole Vaser
The film:
In the film I Mille, historical events and private life of the characters interlace and influence each other. Private and political life are wisely measured by a rhythm aimed to amplify the suspense for the appearance of the general, who only shows off in the second part of the film.
The plot starts with a love story, performed by one of the best Italian actress of the silent era, Mary Cléo Tartanini. As the film progresses, military and politic sequences are first showed through the details, then they become the centerpiece of the story.
Alberto Degli Abbati skillfully makes the most of the contrast between the airy outdoor sets and the rustic interiors reconstructed in studio. Thanks to the technical solutions taken each time, the attempt of returning the person of Garibaldi with an indefinite representation is really successful: the hero shows off, but on the back or to the side of the scene, from behind, while the cheering crowd visually prevails.
The film restoration:
The preservation of the film, which was carried out by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino and the Fondazione Cineteca Italiana of Milano, is part of the project to valorize Torino’s silent films that is promoted by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino in collaboration with Italian and foreign film libraries. The restoration was based on a 921-meter-long tinted nitrate print with original Italian intertitles belonging to the “Ambrosio collection” conserved at the Cineteca of Milano. A dupe negative was printed - using the wetgate option - from a nitrate print. Positive prints were made from the dupe negative. The colors were reproduced using the Desmet method. The restoration of the film was conducted in collaboration with the Fondazione Cineteca Italiana of Milano, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino, Brescia Musei and the Cineteca D. W. Griffith of Genova.
The restoration work was carried out in 2007 at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna.
The Fondazione Cineteca Italiana published a DVD of the restored film.
