*** (out of ****)
Bernardo Bertolucci, the famed Italian auteur, was not afraid of tackling controversial subject matters as seen in films "Before the Revolution" (1964) and "Last Tango in Paris" (1972) but his drama "La Luna" (1979) may have been the most controversial film of his career.
Featuring Jill Clayburgh as a desperate mother driven to extreme means and drawing inspiration from Freud's Oedipus complex, Bertolucci's examination of fathers and sons, parental love, and boundaries, has often been maligned by audiences and sheep ("movie critics") not willing to look beyond the surface.
Immediately establishing its central themes in the opening sequence - a mother and baby playing together (with mildly suggestive behavior of her licking honey off of the baby's knee) as the mother's lover disrupts the moment (so they can dance) leaving a crying baby running to the waiting arms of his paternal grandmother - "La Luna" is the story of fathers and sons and the power struggle that ensues with each fighting for the mother's attention and affection and her inability to handle the situation.
Caterina Silveri (Clayburgh) is an American Opera soprano and mother of teenage son Joe (Matthew Barry) whose husband (Fred Gwynne) suddenly dies, resulting in their heading to Italy, where Caterina has a role in an Opera. Unfortunately, it is in Italy Joe picks up a heroine addiction and now Caterina must help him break the habit.
I imagine that description alone doesn't make "La Luna" sound terribly scandalous or controversial however it is the means by which Caterina aids Joe that has led to public condemnation labeling the film "laughable", "depraved", and "disgusting". In a moment of sheer desperation Caterina begins an incestuous relationship with her son. This makes it easy to dismiss the film and simply refer to it as "Bertolucci's incest movie".
Bernardo Bertolucci is not interested in making pornography and "La Luna" is not schlock. Merely viewing the film as an "incest movie" misses the dramatic tension and psychological undercurrent at play. Walking into this film expecting to be titillated will leave one sorely disappointed.
The baby from the opening scene grows up to be Joe, who is forever caught in the middle between his mother and the men in her life. Pay attention to an early sequence involving the power play dynamics between Joe, Caterina, and Douglas (Gwynne). Joe is upset Caterina and Douglas are going to Europe without him. He pleads his case to his mother on why she should take him along instead of Douglas (the man Joe believes to be his father). Joe tells his mother he can do everything Douglas does but he can do it better. Caterina of course enforces Joe can't come along because Douglas is needed. Seeing he has reached a dead end he then attempts to butter up Douglas and presents a scenario where Douglas doesn't go to Europe but instead stays behind with him. They could have a lot of fun and go to a ball game.
It is also interesting to study them while sitting at the dinning room table. Pay attention to Douglas' eyes and the way he stares at Joe. Looking at any actor's eyes during a performance tells you so much about the character. Douglas looks at Joe with distain. And Douglas isn't above playing his own games like when he walks in on Caterina packing and mentions he had a strange dream but then doesn't tell her because she is busy. Of course, why mention anything in an attempt to start a conversation when you can see someone is busy? Things like this are usually done for attention and when the individual senses they haven't gotten the attention they seek they backpedal.
Another interesting sequence takes place on Caterina's opening night Opera performance (the scenes we see position her between two men, a reoccurring theme) after the performance, while in her dressing room, Caterina begins to scold Joe, asking where was he? He was supposed to be in the audience. She tells him she needed him. She doesn't know how she got through the performance without him. What she doesn't know is Joe was in the audience. What is interesting however is the automatic assumption Joe wasn't there and the automatic assumption the current man in her life, Edward (Peter Eyre) was. He wasn't due to a flight delay. Adding to this undercurrent is the fact Caterina forgot Joe's birthday is the next day. Joe reminds her, people who love me don't forget my birthday. After apologizing for missing the performance Edward tells Caterina he adores her. Caterina reminds him, people that adore me don't miss my opening nights. There is a lot of power dynamics going on here.
Once establishing Caterina is always placed between two men (her lover & baby, Joe & Douglas, Joe & Edward, the two male performers...etc) it is telling the only other female we see Joe display a romantic interest in is Arianna (Elisabetta Campeti), a young girl around his age, who partakes in his heroine habit. When we first see these two together there is another young boy following Arianna. The relationship isn't made clear but we assume he loves Arianna. Yet again another female placed between two males. The difference is this time Joe is the preference.
When the infamous incest happens Joe is having severe withdrawal. He is the one that guides his mother's hand toward his genitalia. The camera captures her facial expression which to me suggest a light bulb has went off and utter desperation. She then proceeds to massage Joe's genitals to climax. I noticed many of the sheep (critics) falsely describe this scene as if it was the mother who initiated this action. As if it was her intention all along. One more reason not to like critics!
But Bertolucci doesn't present the sequence as sexy or titillating. We are not meant to be aroused by this action but rather feel pity and empathy for Caterina. However watching "La Luna" again a thought occurred to me. I don't believe Caterina has any idea how to stop her son from taking drugs. She is in a situation where she is completely over her head. As a grown woman her only dealing with men have revolved around sex and the games couples play concerning it. Caterina is responding to the situation the only way she knows how - using sex as a weapon. As a means to gain power and take control of a situation. Pay attention to later scenes when Caterina tries to make Joe jealous commenting on the muscles of another man. These are games a woman plays with her lover. Caterina's inability to deal with the situation has caused a blurry line disrupting parental boundaries.
Jill Clayburgh's performance in "La Luna" is the kind some refer to as "bold" and "daring". Despite some mixed reviews, Clayburgh would win a Golden Globe nomination in the best actress drama category. She lost that year to Sally Fields and her performance in "Norma Rae" (1979). Fields would go on to win the Academy Award as well that year. Clayburgh does give her all and seems committed to the role. Not many American actresses would have accepted this role and fewer would have played it as Clayburgh does.
"La Luna" was Bertolucci's eight feature film coming off of great successes such as "The Conformist" (1970, my choice for his best film) and "Spider's Stratagem" (1970) as well as disappointments like "1900" (1977). Sadly the remainder of Bertolucci's career would be rough sailing. He wouldn't direct a film of "critical importance" until the Oscar winner "The Last Emperor" (1987) and not again until "The Dreamers" (2004). In between these films he directed "The Sheltering Sky" (1990), "Stealing Beauty" (1996), and "Besieged" (1998). Among these films "Stealing Beauty" would have the distinction of being nominated for the Palm d'or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Many people may read a review for "La Luna" and simply not care about the psychology at play. They may only see what is on the surface and object to the movie. There's nothing anyone can do about that. I have described the plot and the controversy behind it. Only you will know if it is for you. I see it as a challenging film but one with rewards. There is something of substance here if you are willing to meet the movie halfway.
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