Film: "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" (1970)

[Bob Pr.]

"The Garden of the Finzi-Continis" (1970) 94 min., color, Italian (English subtitles). Won an Oscar for best foreign film (+ other awards). 7.7/10 on IMDb: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) - IMDb Roger Ebert gives it 4/4 stars: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews

This is a parable (& a wake-up call) to all those who feel sufficiently insulated from global pressures so that they feel immune to the effects to which most other people are subject.

The Finzi-Continis are an aristocratic, wealthy, "connected" Jewish family in Italy in the 1930s. Mussolini's Fascist party, following the lead of Germany's Hitler/Nazis' anti-Semitism and purging of Jews, slowy (denial of Jewish library use was among the earlier, then denying university graduation for Jews, then forbidding marriage between Jews and non-Jews, then denying any possibility of non-Jews working for Jews), etc., etc., tightens the noose on this ethnic group.

When, early on, Jews were prohibited from using the public tennis courts, young Jews flocked to the gardens of the aristocratic Finzi-Continis, which does have tennis courts. Because of such an easy replacement and substitution, at first they have little concern with the gradual tightening and restrictions and the mounting anti-Semitism -- and no sense of the final gathering tide.

But it kept tightening much further.

There were a number of hankies daubing eyes at the conclusion.

I'll rate it 8/10.

My reasons for less than a 10/10: I had problems keeping the 20-ish male characters distinguished from each other. Also, some of the elisions and flashbacks to earlier years were (to me), at times, a bit confusing. And the English subtitles sometimes disappeared before I'd completely read them.

BUT, all in all, a VERY important, consequential film that I'd wanted to see for years. This showing was at the society for KU retired faculty/associates/alums monthly 'important film' series.


"No man is an island, entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's
or of thine own were.
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind;
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee..."

-- John Donne

[tismom]

Bob, it is a very powerful film. Thanks for posting about it. It's one of my favorites.