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esolve it; and a predominantly unrestricted form. In La luna, patterns of similarity emerge
from physical and psychological elements, all of which are linked to Caterina's personality.
Physical elements include the mise-en-scene of the house in Rome whose imposing decor
evokes a theatrical backdrop rather than domestic furnishings, and Caterina's dress sense
which indicates little difference between her everyday outfits and her theatrical costumes.
Similar psychological elements involve a correspondence between the physical settings and
the characters' stylized performances to enhance the sense of Caterina's self-referential
world, in which she is perceived and treated as an idol. In cognitive terms, these identifiable
thematic features facilitate the viewers' activity of hypothesis-making, while simplifying
their expectations regarding the evolution of the plot.
One minor variation occurring in the second half of the film, with Caterina
temporarily abandoning her self-centredness to give Joe attention, does not add thematic
intricacy; instead, the narrative's uniform nature is continued, as no change in Caterina's
prima donna attitude is presented. These characteristics (over)simplify the viewer's task of
constructing the story by constantly confirming their assumptions regarding the development
of plot and characters. Finally, unlike Bertolucci's prior films which do not offer clear-cut
denouements, La luna closes with every loose end tied up. This is achieved through the film s
final sequences reprising the prologue, adding more contextual information regarding Joe's
relations to achieve narrative circularity. Joe returns to the beach house where everything is
unchanged, and the identities of the two adults - his father and grandmother - are confirmed.
The viewer's uncomplicated cognitive engagement with the film is facilitated by the
unrestricted narration, during which spectators constantly know more than diegetic
characters. The only exception occurs in the prologue sequences which have no clear origin,
but which indicate how Joe's association of his mother with the beautiful, unreachable moon
evolved from his childhood.
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