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spatio-temporal attachment to Primo and his thoughts, which elicit frequent and intense<br />

moments <strong>of</strong> empathy when, for example, his awareness <strong>of</strong> being perceived as a ridiculous<br />

man turns into a sombre realization that his family do not love him. Throughout the ensuing<br />

narrative, repeated reaction shots align viewers with Primo's deepening misery, which is<br />

amplified by the music score. The strongest moment <strong>of</strong> empathy towards Primo centres on<br />

his disillusionment when he learns that a plan to kidnap him had been aborted by his son only<br />

thanks to Laura. This dramatic sequence starts by showing Primo being startled by the brutal<br />

revelation. The camera follows him as he moves away from Laura and stops in a doorway: he<br />

is framed from the back as if to evoke the weight <strong>of</strong> the news on his shoulders. This shot is<br />

alternated with close-ups <strong>of</strong> Adelfo's uneasy expression, a reaction which appears designed<br />

to mirror the viewers' own response and increase the scene's affective charge; where viewers<br />

are concerned, facial close-ups can 'elicit response through the processes <strong>of</strong> affective<br />

mimicry, facial feedback and emotional contagion' (Plantinga, 1999: 240). Finally, the<br />

camera shows a close-up <strong>of</strong> Primo's anguished face as he swigs a bottle <strong>of</strong> whisky before<br />

fainting , and the take ends with a high-angle framing <strong>of</strong> Laura and Adelfo kneeling over him.<br />

Given Bertolucci's tendency to distance viewers from his protagonists, the alignment<br />

strategies in Tragedy represent a novel, one-<strong>of</strong>f experience. The consideration shown to<br />

Primo might be attributed - without undue speculation - to Bertolucci enunciating a fondness<br />

for something - the PCI - which had once been great (this being symbolized by Primo's<br />

enthusiasm in remembering the sense <strong>of</strong> hope and opportunity that characterized his youth),<br />

and melancholy at its inglorious end in terms <strong>of</strong> the younger generations" disowning the Party<br />

as an authoritative influence. This is reflected in the contempt shown by Giovanni and Laura<br />

in depriving Primo <strong>of</strong> any decision-making authority over the factory's future, and ultimately<br />

over their lives.<br />

The compassion elicited towards Primo and the viewer's engagement with the<br />

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