Illuminata is not to everyone's taste, though it's a beautiful film to look at with a terrific cast who do a great job. It has a rather loose construction, as it concerns the on-stage and offstage antics of actors, as well as a writer, a theater owner, and a critic. The stars are John Turturro, who directed it, Katherine Borowitz, Susan Sarandon, Beverly D'Angelo, Rufus Sewell, Aida Turturro, Christopher Walken, Ben Gazzara, and Bill Irwin.
Illuminata takes place in the early part of the century. The film begins with Tuccio (Turturro) and Borowitz (Rachel) rehearsing - though at first it's not clear that they are - and that really sets up the rest of the film. These people are in love and act in love on and off stage all the time, and often, you're not really sure if they're saying lines or are being sincere. "I act all the time," Celimine (Sarandon) says. "I act when I ask for more bread at a restaurant, I act when I tell my mother I love her." That's part of the fun. The actors invest their lives with the same histrionics, passion, and illusion/delusion that they do their stage roles. When Sarandon sees a young actress, she says, "See, that's the way I will look in about ten years. I'm getting to the point where I can play ingénues." She was about 50 at the time.
Illuminata is set at the turn of the century. Tuccio is rehearsing his new play, Illuminata, at a theater owned by Astergourd (D'Angelo), but she hasn't committed to putting it on yet. Tonight it's the play version of Cavalleria Rusticana. One of the lead actors, Dominique (Sewell) has been relegated to just being a presence on stage, and he's very unhappy about it. Earlier we see Marta (Aida Turturro) practicing her scream. The critic, Bevelaqua (Walken) has come to see it. When the Turridu collapses, Tuccio announces that his play will be presented the next evening.
The actors jump in and out of bed and go through one crisis or seduction or rejection after another. All the characters are vividly portrayed, but Christopher Walken as the outrageous critic Bevelaqua stands out. He goes through a list of all the kinds of plays he hates - I don't think he missed one kind.
Truly glorious looking (and you can't go wrong looking at Rufus Sewell) with some lovely prose and a mood fitting for the time period and the type of play Illuminata is. But as I say, it's not for everyone.
Illuminata takes place in the early part of the century. The film begins with Tuccio (Turturro) and Borowitz (Rachel) rehearsing - though at first it's not clear that they are - and that really sets up the rest of the film. These people are in love and act in love on and off stage all the time, and often, you're not really sure if they're saying lines or are being sincere. "I act all the time," Celimine (Sarandon) says. "I act when I ask for more bread at a restaurant, I act when I tell my mother I love her." That's part of the fun. The actors invest their lives with the same histrionics, passion, and illusion/delusion that they do their stage roles. When Sarandon sees a young actress, she says, "See, that's the way I will look in about ten years. I'm getting to the point where I can play ingénues." She was about 50 at the time.
Illuminata is set at the turn of the century. Tuccio is rehearsing his new play, Illuminata, at a theater owned by Astergourd (D'Angelo), but she hasn't committed to putting it on yet. Tonight it's the play version of Cavalleria Rusticana. One of the lead actors, Dominique (Sewell) has been relegated to just being a presence on stage, and he's very unhappy about it. Earlier we see Marta (Aida Turturro) practicing her scream. The critic, Bevelaqua (Walken) has come to see it. When the Turridu collapses, Tuccio announces that his play will be presented the next evening.
The actors jump in and out of bed and go through one crisis or seduction or rejection after another. All the characters are vividly portrayed, but Christopher Walken as the outrageous critic Bevelaqua stands out. He goes through a list of all the kinds of plays he hates - I don't think he missed one kind.
Truly glorious looking (and you can't go wrong looking at Rufus Sewell) with some lovely prose and a mood fitting for the time period and the type of play Illuminata is. But as I say, it's not for everyone.