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Unlike Before the Revolution in which Fabrizio's criticisms are followed by a form of individual political withdrawal, here Bertolucci stimulates reflection on the political perspectives implied in the film, that of Italy's political Left being trapped by its past, without any fissure being created, this being signified by Athos jr. s participation in the umpteenth memorial ceremony for his father. The film's viewpoint still resonates in Bertolucci's recent affirmation about the necessity of superseding the word 'communism' because 'it has kept the political movement at a standstill for many years' and also because it 'made many people suffer and perhaps we didn't want to see what was happening on the other side' (Fantoni Minnella, 2004: 233). With regard to the film's style, Stratagem maintains the essence of Bertolucci's earlier work, through the cryptic, symbolic form of the narration; but it also opens up a strategy aiming for a slightly increased degree of affective engagement and greater thematic intelligibility. On this point, Bertolucci's revelation that he felt the need to return to the film after six months, (in the meantime he had finished Tlie Conformist, the making of which - as is discussed in a later chapter - had been marked by changes in the director's editing techniques under Franco Arcalli's influence) because he was dissatisfied "with the initial montage' (Chalujia, Schadhauser and Mingrone, 1970: 59) is significant. Bertolucci recalls how, although he sensed the risk of didacticism, he considered the insertion of images of key earlier scenes from the film in the sequence of the memorial speech, as 'a generous gesture to the TV audience, which wasn't used to seeing a film as elliptical as this one' (Chalujia, Schadhauser and Mingrone, 1970: 59). This broadening of his audience was something that Bertolucci developed further with the release of The Confonnist; but in 1981 he returned to the moods and resonances evoked in Stratagem with T)je Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, which again features sombre, pessimistic perspectives on the Italian Communist Party's politics during the period of Red Brigade terrorism. 102
Notes References Regarding the failure of Partner Bertolucci said 'It is a film in which you see above all this desire to be [...] "revolutionary" at a cinematic level. And just for this reason, it is a film that had no distribution at all, because nobody wanted to see it, it interested nobody' (Fantoni Minnella, 2004: 230). As regards his subsequent period of forced inactivity he recalls: 'It was difficult for me, if not impossible, to find financing', and about his unrealized projects he states: 'it has always caused me pain and frustration' (Ungari, 1982: 43). The impact of this professional disappointment was still dramatically visible in 1973, as, in comparing Bertolucci's appearance with that of their first meeting ten years earlier, Gideon Bachmann couldn't help remarking: 'The changes in the man are notable. The few years of inactivity and analysis seem to have left a mark' (Bachmann, 1973: 92). Bachmann, G. (1973) "Every Sexual Relationship Is Condemned: An Interview with Bernardo Bertolucci', in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000) Bernardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Beckerman, B. (1990) Tlie Tlieatrical Presentation, Performer, Audience and Act, ed. by Beckerman G.B., and Coco W., New York and London: Routledge. Bordwell, D. (1995) Narration in the Fiction Film, London: Routledge. Bragin, J. (1966) 'A Conversation with Bernardo Bertolucci", in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000) Beniardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Casetti, F. (1978) Bernardo Bertolucci, Florence: "La Nuova Italia" Editrice. Chaluiaja, E., Schadhauser, S. and Mingrone, G. (1970) 'A Conversation with Bertolucci'. in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000) Bernardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Cousins, M. (1999) Scene by Scene with Bemardo Bertolucci, BBC Scotland. Fisher, B. 'Vittorio Storaro Maestro of Light' in Scribd., September 26th 2008, [Online] available: http://www.scribd.corn/doc/6233739/Maestro-of-Light-Vittorio-Storaro [July 2011]. Georgakas, D. and Rubenstein, L. (ed.) (1985) Art Politics Cinema: Tlie Cineaste Interviews, London and Sydney: Pluto Press. Goldin, M (1972) 'Bertolucci on The Conformist', in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000) Bemardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. 103
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Notes<br />
References<br />
Regarding the failure <strong>of</strong> Partner Bertolucci said 'It is a film in which you see above all this desire to be<br />
[...] "revolutionary" at a cinematic level. And just for this reason, it is a film that had no distribution at<br />
all, because nobody wanted to see it, it interested nobody' (Fantoni Minnella, 2004: 230). As regards<br />
his subsequent period <strong>of</strong> forced inactivity he recalls: 'It was difficult for me, if not impossible, to find<br />
financing', and about his unrealized projects he states: 'it has always caused me pain and frustration'<br />
(Ungari, 1982: 43).<br />
The impact <strong>of</strong> this pr<strong>of</strong>essional disappointment was still dramatically visible in 1973, as, in comparing<br />
Bertolucci's appearance with that <strong>of</strong> their first meeting ten years earlier, Gideon Bachmann couldn't<br />
help remarking: 'The changes in the man are notable. The few years <strong>of</strong> inactivity and analysis seem to<br />
have left a mark' (Bachmann, 1973: 92).<br />
Bachmann, G. (1973) "Every Sexual Relationship Is Condemned: An Interview with<br />
Bernardo Bertolucci', in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000)<br />
Bernardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: <strong>University</strong> Press <strong>of</strong> Mississippi.<br />
Beckerman, B. (1990) Tlie Tlieatrical Presentation, Performer, Audience and Act, ed. by<br />
Beckerman G.B., and Coco W., New York and London: Routledge.<br />
Bordwell, D. (1995) Narration in the Fiction Film, London: Routledge.<br />
Bragin, J. (1966) 'A Conversation with Bernardo Bertolucci", in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and<br />
Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000) Beniardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: <strong>University</strong> Press <strong>of</strong><br />
Mississippi.<br />
Casetti, F. (1978) Bernardo Bertolucci, Florence: "La Nuova Italia" Editrice.<br />
Chaluiaja, E., Schadhauser, S. and Mingrone, G. (1970) 'A Conversation with Bertolucci'. in<br />
Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew, B. (ed.) (2000) Bernardo Bertolucci<br />
Interviews, Jackson: <strong>University</strong> Press <strong>of</strong> Mississippi.<br />
Cousins, M. (1999) Scene by Scene with Bemardo Bertolucci, BBC Scotland.<br />
Fisher, B. 'Vittorio Storaro Maestro <strong>of</strong> Light' in Scribd., September 26th 2008, [Online]<br />
available: http://www.scribd.corn/doc/6233739/Maestro-<strong>of</strong>-Light-Vittorio-Storaro<br />
[July 2011].<br />
Georgakas, D. and Rubenstein, L. (ed.) (1985) Art Politics Cinema: Tlie Cineaste Interviews,<br />
London and Sydney: Pluto Press.<br />
Goldin, M (1972) 'Bertolucci on The Conformist', in Gerard, F.S., Kline, T.J., and Sklarew,<br />
B. (ed.) (2000) Bemardo Bertolucci Interviews, Jackson: <strong>University</strong> Press <strong>of</strong><br />
Mississippi.<br />
103
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