The Eyes, the Mouth (Italian: Gli occhi, la bocca, French: Les yeux, la bouche) is a 1982 Italian–French drama film directed by Marco Bellocchio.[1][2]

The Eyes, the Mouth
Film poster
Directed byMarco Bellocchio
Written by
Produced byEnzo Porcelli
StarringLou Castel
CinematographyGiuseppe Lanci
Edited bySergio Nuti
Music byNicola Piovani
Production
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Distributed byGaumont Distribution
Release dates
  • 1982 (1982) (Italy)
  • 1984 (1984) (France)
Running time
93/101 minutes
Countries
  • Italy
  • France
LanguageItalian

Plot

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After the suicide of his twin brother Pippo, Giovanni, an actor past his prime, returns to his provincial hometown in Emilia-Romagna. Giovanni's brother Agostino and his uncle try to convince the mother that the death of her son was not self-inflicted but accidental. To the family's consternation, Pippo's former lover Wanda, a South American immigrant who lives in an apartment which he paid for her, shows no sign of grief. Giovanni learns that Pippo lamented that Wanda didn't love him and that she regularly meets with a young doctor. Although he blames her for his brother's death, Giovanni starts an affair with her.

Cast

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Background

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Like many of Bellocchio's films, The Eyes, the Mouth contains autobiographical parallels to the director's life, here the death of his twin brother who committed suicide in 1968.[3]

Release

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The Eyes, the Mouth was shown in competition at the 39th Venice International Film Festival.[4]

Legacy

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A restored version of the film was screened at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 2014.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Laura Morandini; Luisa Morandini; Morando Morandini (2010). Il Morandini 2011. Dizionario dei film. Zanichelli. ISBN 8808227227.
  2. ^ Chiti, Roberto; Poppi, Roberto (1991). Dizionario del cinema. Vol. 5, Issue 2. Gremese. p. 96.
  3. ^ Brook, Clodagh J. (2010). Marco Bellocchio: The Cinematic I in the Political Sphere. p. 21.
  4. ^ Reggiani, Stefano (3 September 1982). "Bellocchio, i pugni nel passato". La Stampa. No. 187.
  5. ^ "Gli Occhi, la Bocca (The Eyes, the Mouth). 1982. Directed by Marco Bellocchio". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
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