A Commentary : The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

A Commentary : The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

This is in many ways a very engaging film. It is moving and sometimes painful but always penetrating and lucid in its astounding honesty. It is honest first and foremost about the predicament of Helen Mirren, our heroine. She is a woman who can evoke pathos and sympathy in her pursuit as a widow for some kind of late love or romance. She needs something in her life she seems unable to procure. But on meeting the Contessa things are set to change, a string of boyfriends are now on the way. When Mrs. Stone meets Paolo (Olivier Martinez) it looks like things are on the up. The Contessa (Anne Bancroft) is impatient with him when things get off to a slow start but eventually Paolo does his job. But this is all a sham surely; it is not about real love. Eventually however, we do wonder if in fact he feels something for Mrs. Stone if just not enough. Mrs. Stone asks him if he loves her but the answer is diappointing. In fact Mrs. Stone, her career on the rocks, faces much disappointment in the film.

Helen Mirren is suitably mature and faded for the part, not beautiful but having the necessary charm to capture the character and essential pathos of Karen Stone perfectly. Anne Bancroft too, as the old Contessa, is convincing in the part; something of a harridan behind the scenes who only slates the unfortunate Karen Stone. The Contessa has little heart either for her or even Paolo, who she sees as a marchetta i.e. a man who lives on his looks and gets by in society without working and lives on very little as well as possible. Paolo is degraded by this term for he says he is of a noble family, now degraded by the lack of money that the war has brought about. Mrs. Stone suffers too from a loss of dignity and it is this she fears most. She seems vulnerable and defenceless in her pursuit of young pleasures, when really the fountain of youth no longer flows. A young woman does not have to pay for company, an old and now unattractive one does.

Mrs. Stone undergoes something of a transformation the more she sees of Paolo. This is maybe an echo of Dirk Bogarde's transformation for his courting of Tadzio in 'Death in Venice'. At the end of her new look she is trendier, more beautiful and more sexually attractive. Paolo however is ultimately not impressed and walks out on her. He is the marchetta the Contessa suggests he is.

Sex scenes in the movie are well done and tasteful but it is Paolo's body significantly which is the central focus. Helen Mirren holds her hand above the glistening firm flesh of the torso seemingly unable to touch, to connect in any real way with the man's undoubtedly strong sexuality. She is almost afraid of him. But who is the stranger in the shadows throughout the film? Rodrigo Santoro has a non-speaking part, an apparent tramp worshipping from afar. This bothers Helen Mirren, he is almost a stalker, but at the end of the film she throws him the keys to the apartment and he enters to confront her. It is as if she throws caution to the wind completely - this is very foolish, but maybe he loves her all the time. She has always liked living dangerously. It seems a final desperate attempt at happiness. Will it work? Well, she probably stands as much chance with Rodrigo as the vain and egotistical Paolo.

This is Helen Mirren's film we feel, but the characterful support from Anne Bancroft and the physical presence of Olivier Martinez add excitement and panache to a magical film. And we are always aware too of the setting, the wonderful streets of Rome. This can be a wistful film. It can beguile and seduce us on many levels, a well textured and thoughtfully put together film that does full justice to Tenessee Williams original novella. With expert direction from Robert Allan Ackerman this film is very memorable and eminently watchable.