280. Russian maestro Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky’s 24th feature film “Sin“ (Il Peccato) (2019), in Italian: A fascinating study on Michelangelo’s thoughts and actions while leading a near hermitic life and creating monumental works of art
“Arrogance is sin” “I wanted to find God; I only found Man” “Money always rubs elbows with infamy” --key lines spoken in Sin--co-scripted by Andrei Konchalovsky and Elena KisalevaAndrei Konchalovsky’s Sin is a film more on the thoughts of the amazingly gifted painter, sculptor and writer Michelangelo (1465-1564) and less on his famous works and how he created those masterpieces of art. The film presents a frenetic individual at the time of his life when he was sculpting night and day, more than he was painting or writing, often in imaginary conversation with the dead poet Dante Alighieri whose works he knew by rote, even while walking alone. The more we delve into Konchalovsky’s film Sin, one appreciates the dogged research that went into the making of the film to connect the dots between Dante’s The Divine Comedy, the historical battles between two rich Roman families--the Della Povere and the Medicis--to install Popes, and the effect of both Dante’s works and the two Roman families that controlled and influenced the creative outputs of Michelangelo, which included the final design of the existing St Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, apart from fresco paintings and sculptures admired to date. At a different level, the film is a perfect example of the importance of original co-scriptwriters—in this case, the gifted team of Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva-- in creating a feature film, than other facets, as is often perceived in good cinema. Alberto Testone, a dentist in real life, who resembles Michelangelo, plays the lead part in the filmIt is therefore important to know some basic details about Konchalovsky and Kiseleva in order to appreciate Sin, the film, in its totality. Andrei Konchalovsky has been overlooked by many film critics and cinephiles for his outstanding contribution to the medium over several decades. As a Russian, the western world ignored him, possibly because his films were either not easily accessible nor well assessed by prominent western film critics. Most Tarkovsky fans do not realize that three of Tarkovsky’s early films (Andrei Rublev, Ivan’s Childhood, and The Steamroller and the Violin) were co-scripted by Konchalovsky (who incidentally was Tarkovsky’s classmate at film school). While Konchalovsky made a mark collaborating first with Tarkovsky, he later improved his credibility of his own worth by moving from scriptwriting to direction (five films he directed: Asya; The First Teacher; A Nest of the Gentry; Siberiade; and a superb film version of Uncle Vanya) in Russia during his pre-Hollywood phase, which saw these films winning a Golden Lion award at Venice film festival (for Asya), a Silver Lion for Best Actress at Venice (for The First Teacher), and the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes festival (for Siberiade). When he left Russia in 1980 to make films in Hollywood, one of his films (Runaway Train) got nominated for an Oscar and the Golden Palm at the Cannes film festival; another (Duet for One) got nominated for a Golden Globe; another (Maria’s Lovers) got nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival; another (Homer and Eddie) won the Golden Seashell for the best film at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, while yet another of his films from his Hollywood period (Shy People) won the Best Actress award for Barbara Hershey at Cannes. These accolades strung together are more impressive global honors than the works of most other directors working in Hollywood and would make any one of them envious. After he returned to Russia, disillusioned with the Hollywood studio system disagreeing with his artistic non-commercial concepts and eventually ending up being fired midway while trying to make Tango and Cash the way he conceived it, Konchalovsky struck gold by teaming up with co-scriptwriter Elena Kiseleva. His four films with her have won even better accolades than ever before in his career—The Postman’s White Nights (2014, Silver Lion For Best Director at Venice film festival); Paradise (2016, Silver Lion For Best Director at Venice film festival 2017, once again; Best Actor (Actress) award at the Munich film Festival,2017); Sin (2019, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the Nika awards, 2020); and Dear Comrades (2020, Special Jury Prize at the Venice film festival, Best Director at the Chicago international film festival, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Sound awards at the Nika awards). The magic weaved by the duo is comparable to the similar director-scriptwriter magic woven by Kieslowski and Piesiewicz in Poland, by Loach and Laverty, by Lean and Bolt, and by Losey and Pinter in UK-- all fine examples of directors peaking at the evening of their careers by teaming up with the right co-scriptwriter. The more you know of Konchalovsky's films you realize the director is a thinker and immensely well read compared to his peers globally and can arguably
“Arrogance is sin”
“I wanted to find God; I only found Man”
“Money always rubs elbows with infamy”
Andrei
Konchalovsky’s Sin is a film more on the thoughts of the amazingly gifted painter,
sculptor and writer Michelangelo (1465-1564) and less on his famous works and
how he created those masterpieces of art. The film presents a frenetic individual at the time of his life when he was sculpting night and day, more than he was painting or writing, often in imaginary conversation with the dead poet Dante Alighieri whose works he knew by rote, even while walking alone. The more we delve into Konchalovsky’s
film Sin, one appreciates the dogged research that went into the
making of the film to connect the dots between Dante’s The Divine Comedy, the historical battles between two rich Roman
families--the Della Povere and the Medicis--to install Popes, and the
effect of both Dante’s works and the two
Roman families that controlled and influenced the creative outputs of Michelangelo,
which included the final design of the
existing St Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican
City, apart from fresco paintings and sculptures admired to date. At a different level, the film is a perfect example of
the importance of original co-scriptwriters—in this case, the gifted team
of Konchalovsky and Elena Kiseleva-- in
creating a feature film, than other facets, as is often perceived in
good cinema.
Alberto Testone, a dentist in real life, who resembles Michelangelo, plays the lead part in the film |
While
Konchalovsky made a mark collaborating first with Tarkovsky, he later
improved his credibility of his own worth by moving from scriptwriting to
direction (five films he directed: Asya;
The First Teacher; A Nest of the Gentry; Siberiade; and a superb film
version of Uncle Vanya) in Russia
during his pre-Hollywood phase, which
saw these films winning a Golden Lion award at Venice film festival (for
Asya), a Silver Lion for Best Actress at Venice (for The First Teacher), and the Grand Prize
of the Jury at the Cannes festival (for Siberiade).
The repentant Michelangelo in conversation with Dante (in red), after he finds the newly married couple, whose marriage he had financially supported inexplicably killed and... |
Alighieri.
Transporting the 10-ton marble block from Carrera mountains to the city reminiscent of Herzog's Fitzcarraldo |
A silent cameo of Mrs Konchalovsky (actress Yulia Vyotskaya) in Sin |
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