L'amore (1948)

Second viewing; first seen on June 23, 1994.

U.S. release title: Ways of Love
Title translation: Love

First episode is based on the play The Human Voice, by Jean Cocteau, first performed in 1930.
Second episode is loosely based on the novel Flower of Sanctity, by Ramón María del Valle-Inclán, first published in 1904.

(1) A woman speaks on the phone, presumably for the last time, with the lover she is parting with.
(2) A shepherdess meets a stranger whom she thinks is Saint Joseph, and he takes advantage of her.

(1) If you are not a recluse, you must have noticed how young people of today walk in the streets with their eyes on their smart phones. This segment, called A Human Voice (yes, with the indefinite article), provides a prehistory of sorts of the phenomena associated with the effects of technology on human relations. However, whereas today's youth seems benumbed by technology, here we see the reverse, namely, a woman turned hysterical by her telephone. It is a fine idea, well executed.

(2) Perhaps conscious that it would be impossible to continue on the same level of tension of the first episode, this second segment, named The Miracle, abandons hysteria in favor of madness, a much more amusing subject. I think one of the sure signs of civilization is how well mad persons are treated. Here she is not treated well enough, and the film shows this with art, although the narrative seems a little too terse at times, to the point of being a little vague.

Rating: 51 (up from 20)