La Paura
Encyclopedia
La Paura is a 1954 drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini
and starring his wife Ingrid Bergman
. It is based on the Stefan Zweig
novel Angst. It was filmed in Munich and was shot simultaneously in German
and English
. Rossellini created it because he wanted to explore the reconstruction of Germany from both a material and moral standpoint ten years after making his previous German film Germany Year Zero
. The film is noirish with aspects reminiscent of Hitchcock and German expressionism.
The daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini
, is working on buying the rights to this film and others made by her father and featuring her mother. The films will then be edited and rereleased on DVD. This is a long term project.
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
and starring his wife Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
. It is based on the Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :...
novel Angst. It was filmed in Munich and was shot simultaneously in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Rossellini created it because he wanted to explore the reconstruction of Germany from both a material and moral standpoint ten years after making his previous German film Germany Year Zero
Germany Year Zero
Germany Year Zero is a 1948 film directed by Roberto Rossellini. It is the final film in Rossellini's war film trilogy . Germany Year Zero takes place in post-war Germany, unlike the others, which take place in German-occupied Rome and post-war Italy, respectively...
. The film is noirish with aspects reminiscent of Hitchcock and German expressionism.
Summary
Irene Wagner (Bergman), the wife of the prominent German scientist Professor Albert Wagner (Wieman), had been having an affair with Erich Baumann (Kreuger). She does not disclose this to her husband, hoping to preserve his innocence and their "perfect marriage". This fills her with anxiety and guilt. However, Johann Schultze (Mannhardt), Erich's jealous ex-girlfriend, learns about the affair and begins to blackmail Irene, turning Irene's psychological torture into a harsh reality. When Irene finds out that the extortion plot is truly an experiment in fear, she is driven into a homicidal/suicidal rage. The story is told in flashback by Irene after her death.Cast
- Ingrid BergmanIngrid BergmanIngrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
- Irene Wagner - Mathias WiemanMathias WiemanMathias Wieman was a German stage-performer, silent-and-sound motion picture actor.-Early life:...
- Professor Albert Wagner - Renate Mannhardt - Luisa Vidor, alias Johann Schultze
- Kurt KreugerKurt KreugerKurt Kreuger was a Swiss-reared German actor. Kreuger once was the third most requested male actor at 20th Century Fox. He starred with, among others, Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart.-Life and career:...
- Erich Baumann - Elise AulingerElise Aulinger-Selected filmography:* Martin Luther * Krambambuli * Wunschkonzert * Das sündige Dorf * Hanna Amon * Fear * Das sündige Dorf -External links:...
- Haushaelterin - Edith Schultze-WestrumEdith Schultze-WestrumEdith Schultze-Westrum was a German film actress. She appeared in 64 films between 1932 and 1979.-Selected filmography:* Derrick - Season 3, Episode 06: "Kalkutta"...
- Steffi Stroux - (as Steffie Struck)
- Annelore Wied
- Klaus KinskiKlaus KinskiKlaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
- Cabaret Performer (uncredited)
Reception
The film did not do well when it was released in Italy and Germany. Consequently, the Italian distributor edited the film and re-released it as Non credo più all'amore. In this edited version, a fishing scene is shortened and an explanatory narration is added to two silent scenes. In addition, the ending was changed from a scene showing Bergman attempting suicide to a scene showing her family in the countryside, after Bergman had left her husband, living on for the sake of her children.The daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Rossellini
Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini is an Italian actress, filmmaker, author, philanthropist, and model. Rossellini is noted for her 14-year tenure as a Lancôme model, and for her roles in films such as Blue Velvet and Death Becomes Her.-Background and early life:Rossellini is a...
, is working on buying the rights to this film and others made by her father and featuring her mother. The films will then be edited and rereleased on DVD. This is a long term project.