Abstract

Filmmakers interested in narrating History have to deal with the difficulty of showing things that no longer exist. The cinema of Paolo Benvenuti demonstrates the viability of a meeting point, originally traced by the late Roberto Rossellini, between the traditional narrative film (the betrayal of reality) and the avant-garde (the betrayal of narration). The essay discusses in depth his working method and his characteristic style as they appear in an exemplary way in his latest film: Puccini e la fanciulla (2008). In particular, the author focuses on historical fidelity and its implications on style (composition of the frame, editing, sound).