(aka "Krasnaya palatka" or "La Tenda rossa" or "Tsiteli karavi")
directed
by Mikheil Kalatozishvili ( Mikhail Kalatozov )
Italy / Soviet Union 1971
Asked to give his assessment of Umberto Nobile's leadership in the Italia
airship disaster of 1927, his friend and colleague, Samoilovich, offers this
sage advice, "Men are judged by their actions and their actions by their
success". What exactly are the qualities needed for leadership? "The Red Tent"
is a wonderful meditation on that question. At the time Nobile was disgraced,
he was accused of abandoning his men, and made a scapegoat for the disaster by
Benito Mussolini's Fascist government. Forty years after the event his rest is
still disturbed by doubts he has about the leadership he exercised. Could the
tragedy have been averted? Was it his vanity to be the first to cross the pole
by air, that led to the calamity? These and other questions are tackled in
this thoughtful film.
The entire film actually takes place in the General's mind. He calls back
various participants to the event, to re-live what happened, and ultimately to
pass judgment on him. It is this framing device that makes the film unique,
for it examines Nobile's leadership from a divergent points of view, allowing
the viewers to make their own judgment as well. It is a theatrical device to
be sure, but it works in this film. In time we come to learn that truth often
walks on two legs and has a left and right hand. "Yet we must have judgment",
says one of the participants, and so they do. These scenes which all take
place in Nobile's apartment in Rome with it's warmth and comfort, provide a
wonderful contrast to the stark reality of the struggle for survival at the
Arctic Pole.
The film is beautifully written and the acting is of a high level throughout.
Sean Connery, ridding himself of his Bond image, plays Roald Amundsen, the
great Arctic explorer at the end of his days. It is Amundsen who exemplifies
the qualities a great leader should have. It is the first and in some ways
still the best of Connery's wise old man performances. He is also the one
participant Nobile has most conspicuously not brought back. After intruding on
the proceedings like some force of nature, he describes how he had reached the
wreak of the Italia, only to crash land and be stranded. With nothing to do
but wait to freeze to death he finds solace in his final moments of life with
a book he has found strewn among the wreckage. The cynical Lundborg scornfully
rejects this "final touch" as "theatrical" "But who would I be acting for?"
Amundsen asks. "Yourself" Lundborg replies. "But that isn't acting," Connery
wisely replies, "That's necessary. The trick is to choose the right part." The
film is filled with great lines like this. Claudia Cardinale, as Nurse Valaria,
provides the emotional center of the film. She resents the good people of
King's Bay capitalizing on the disaster, yet she has no misgivings whatever in
playing on Amundsen's sense of guilt to get him to mount a rescue attempt.
After all he had introduced her lover, the Meteorologist, Finn Malgrem to
Arctic exploration. She is also willing to offer herself to Lundborg if he
will risk his life to fly in unsafe weather conditions. It is her bitter
confrontation with Nobile after he has been safely brought back to King's Bay
while the others were left freezing on the ice, that is the beginning of his
sleepless nights. His inability to stop Zampi, his ambitious second in command
from leaving the red tent with Mariano and Malgrem in a vain attempt to reach
help, would result in the Meteorologist being lost on the ice. "You cracked
like the ice." she tells the General. "We shall never meet again I hope. And I
hope you never forget." He doesn't.
Lastly, Ennio Morricone's lush score captures both the romance of a great
endeavor being undertaken and the desolate, ethereal beauty of the Arctic.
This film deserves to be seen and heard, and one can only hope that one day it
will be restored.
Excerpt taken from GulyJimson review on IMdb located HERE
Posters
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Theatrical Release: 29 July 1971 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC
Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for the Review!
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
Paramount Region 1 - NTSC |
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| Runtime | 2:01:08 | |
| Video |
1.77:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | Russian / Italian / English (Dolby 2.0) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Paramount Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 16 |
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| Comments |
The DVD image is anamorphic but it's about all you can say in regards to positive-ness. The image is quite heavy, has had some digital manipulation to cover the weak print and there are unusual damage marks (see last capture). The film need a full restoration, which, in all probability, will not happen. This is certainly tube-watchable and I believe there is no Russian DVD available for us to compare (the Russian cut is 30 minutes longer and has a different score plus it's dubbed in Russian. ). I am not crazy about the yellow subtitles either, or the menus, or the complete lack of extras - On the cover they have the wrong star's name under his graphic portrait. So, a bad DVD all around, but it may possibly be the best you'll get if you want to see this film. NOTE: For those interested HERE is an mp3 of the Russian music theme for the film for people to compare it to Morriconne's excellent score. - Gary Tooze |
DVD Menus
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Screen Captures
Subtitle sample
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Damaged frame
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| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
Paramount Region 1 - NTSC |
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Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
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Gary Tooze
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Thank You!
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