| The Mill on the Po | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Alberto Lattuada |
| Written by | Federico Fellini Tullio Pinelli Mario Bonfantini Luigi Comencini Alberto Lattuada Carlo Musso Sergio Romano |
| Based on | The Mill on the Po byRiccardo Bacchelli |
| Produced by | Carlo Ponti |
| Starring | Carla Del Poggio Jacques Sernas Mario Besesti |
| Cinematography | Aldo Tonti |
| Edited by | Mario Bonotti |
| Music by | Ildebrando Pizzetti |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Lux Film |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
The Mill on the Po (Italian:Il mulino del Po) is a 1949 Italianhistorical drama film directed byAlberto Lattuada and starringCarla Del Poggio,Jacques Sernas andMario Besesti.[1][2] It is based on the third part of the novel of the same name byRiccardo Bacchelli.[3][4] It premiered at the1949 Venice Film Festival. The films was produced and distributed byLux Film, one of Italy's leading companies of the postwar years. Extensivelocation shooting took place aroundLombardy including atBagnolo San Vito,Porto Mantovano andCurtatone. The films sets were designed by theart directorLuigi Gervasi.
In nineteenth-century Lombardy the Scacerni family own their ownfloating mill on theRiver Po, using thewatermill to grind crops harvested in the area. Berta Scacerni is engaged to Orbino Verginesi from a family of rural labourers. But following theUnification of Italy they are now under the control ofPiedmontese authorities who rigorously enforce new taxes on the mills of the river. During a raid, to avoid being caught cheating the authorities, Berta's hot-headed brother Princivalle sets fire to mill causing damage. He serves a time in prison and, while the mill is repaired, Berta goes to work for Orbino's family on the land.
Her relationship with Orbino becomes complicated by the ongoing battle between the landowners, led by the domineering Clapassòn who wishes to modernise his holdings, and thesocialist movement organising the labourers andtenant farmers to demand better terms. The labour leader Raibolini calls a strike and the country people cease work. As the Scacerni refuse to stop milling the wheat, they are ostracised by their neighbours and Berta receives the hostility of her fiancée's family. Raibolini pressures him to break off his engagement with her but he refuses and considersemigrating to America.
TheItalian Army arrive to complete the harvest and a confrontation begins with the local woman. Many are arrested for assaulting the troops, before a deal is brokered to end the strike. However in the heated atmosphere malicious gossip reaches Princivalle, recently released from prison, that Orbino has made love to his sister Berta multiple times and tiring of his fiancée, now wishes to abandon her. During a confrontation between the two Princivalle knocks down Orbino, killing him.
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