House
House

Movie spotlight

House

1958
Movie
12 min
Polish

An experimental short film.

Insights

IMDb7.3/10
Director: Luchino ViscontiGenres: Drama

Plot Summary

A wealthy, aging widow lives a solitary existence in her grand Roman palazzo. Her isolation is disrupted by the arrival of her estranged son and his wife, who are seeking financial assistance. As they navigate their strained relationships and the protagonist grapples with her past and declining health, the opulent setting becomes a symbol of her fading world.

Critical Reception

Luchino Visconti's "House" (original title: "Le donne di Roma") is a somber and psychologically intense character study, praised for its meticulous set design and Alida Valli's powerful performance. While some found its pacing deliberate, critics largely lauded its exploration of isolation, memory, and the decay of aristocratic life, marking it as a significant work in Visconti's filmography.

What Reviewers Say

  • Visually stunning with masterful cinematography and set design.

  • Alida Valli delivers a compelling and nuanced performance.

  • The film offers a profound exploration of aging, memory, and isolation.

Google audience: N/A

Fun Fact

The film's original Italian title, "Le donne di Roma" (The Women of Rome), reflects its focus on the female characters and their experiences within the Roman setting, though it is often known internationally by its simpler title, "House."

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

This is quite a curious compendium of features loosely connected by a woman’s face used as a living interstitial between a series of sequences that illustrate a range of styles of animation, photography, even the odd contribution from an ac...