Dante's Inferno (1911) User Reviews

A striking piece of history

[paulnewman2001 · 7/10 · 20 October 2004]

A striking piece of history, this 1911 adaptation of Dante's The Divine Comedy was the first full length feature made in Italy.

Taking visual inspiration from Gustav Doré's iconic illustrations, Giuseppe de Liguoro worked for more than three years with 150 people and what was then the biggest film budget ever to complete his masterpiece.

Newly restored from a variety of sources, it's still an amazing visual experience as the poet Virgil leads Dante on a journey through Purgatory and Hell.

L'Inferno's pantheon of demons and sinners are imaginatively conjured up on ambitious sets using a variety of then-pioneering cinematic tricks such as forced perspective to allow a gigantic Pluto to rage at the dwarfed interlopers, overlays for when they arrive at the city of Dis and see furies scaling the battlements and an ingenious combination of miniatures and live action to create remarkable encounters with three chained giants and a final confrontation with Lucifer himself.

In between these set pieces, Dante and his guide meet a rogues gallery of history's great sinners and the ironically apposite corners of Hell reserved just for them.

The only real pitchfork in the backside of this otherwise commendable project is the decision to harness the visuals to a soundtrack culled from Tangerine Dream's concept album based on the same literary source.

It's not the German electronic outfit's best work and comes with the additional burden of vocals which tend to detract from the Gothic mood created by the visuals alone.

Still, you can always turn down the sound and play something more sympathetic, say, Bartok's Concerto For Orchestra, because this is one screen gem that deserves to be enjoyed several times over.

Epic Adaptation

[Cineanalyst · 6/10 · 28 August 2009]

This was a gigantic production for the time. Its use of sets and hour-plus runtime would help influence the movie-making industries on both sides of the Atlantic to produce longer and more epic films. Additionally, the film-making here isn't bad for 1911 standards, but besides the sets and narrative, it's still basic even for then. The superimposition and stop-substitution trick effects had been in films since nearly the beginning of the medium. And, the tableau style this film adopts, where lengthy title cards describe proceeding action was already becoming outdated. "L'Inferno" contains barely any scene dissection (there's two insert shots I recall, and the one that isn't of Lucifer is of awkward continuity); scenes are one continuous, usually unmoving long-shot view. For comparison, this film was released the same year as D.W. Griffith's "The Lonedale Operator"; the difference in the use, or lack thereof, of the camera, editing and intertitles between the two films is striking. Griffith wasn't the only one to have used varied camera positions, dissected scenes and used crosscutting and continuity editing to make his narratives more cinematic, either.

This is one of the earliest feature-length films to last at least an hour and seems to be the earliest that has survived to this day and been available on video in near complete form. (According to "Dante on View", by Antonella Braida and Luisa Calè, a couple scenes are in the wrong order and another few may be missing.) Even more impressive, however, are the sets by Francesco Bertolini and Sandro Properzi. Production values were already important to the success of the short films in Italy, as evidenced by "Nero" (1909), one of the few earlier Italian films generally accessible today, but they shy in comparison to those on display here. Milano took over production of adapting the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy from another company in 1909 and didn't complete it until 1911. Supposedly, the film cost more than 100,000 lire ("Dante, Cinema & Television"). For comparison, "Cabiria" (1914) supposedly cost 1 million lire (multiple sources) and "Quo Vadis?" (1912/13) cost 48,000 lire (Vernon Jarratt, "Italian Cinema")—all large sums for their time, reportedly. Like "Cabiria" and "Quo Vadis?", "L'Inferno" was also quite successful; in the US, ticket prices went for as high as $2.50 ("Dante on View"), and the film was the first to pave an American market for feature-length films through roadshow bookings and states rights distribution--a system, which for a time, coexisted with the Nickelodeon programs.

This film, of course, is dated. Yet, compared to other early literary/theatrical features, this one holds up rather well. With the help of the sets, the bare plot of Dante's work remains involving and, at least, visually interesting, despite the static camera. The three flashback scenes are also well placed.

Being Present at the Birth of the Feature Film

[Tobias_R · 6/10 · 28 February 2007]

This film, as the title plainly indicate, is a dramatization of Dante's Inferno which comprises a third of his Divine Comedy. As is well-known to all, the Inferno relates Dante's journey through Hell being guided by the Roman poet, Virgil. Dante is shown the nine circles of hell where sinners are punished with afflictions appropriate to their sins. The climax of the work is seeing Lucifer himself at the very center of hell.

The influence of this work in Western art and literature is staggering and obvious. Much of what Christians believe to be typical of Hell is derived not from the bible but from Dante. Artists and illustrators from the late Middle Ages through the 19th century have depicted scenes from Dante's work. Indeed, this movie uses Gustave Dore's illustrations of the Inferno as the basis of the cinematography.

As for the film itself, its technical crudity and the highly uneven quality of the film stock, really make it mainly of archival value. Moreover, the acting is of the broad gesturing variety associated with early silent movies.

Still, despite these limitations, the care and effort that went into this film is obvious. The special effects are not half-bad and the Dore illustrations are brought to life reasonably well. To a film audience in 1911, this was plainly seen as a momentous event. In its runs in Europe and America both before and after World War I, the film was extremely successful and grossed for the time enormous box office.

Indeed, in the liner notes to the DVD edition of this movie, an advertisement by a British distributor from 1911 encouraged theaters to rent this film by pointing out how profitable it had been to other exhibitors. In this ad, one can see how the feature film, a film longer than 60 minutes, became established as the basic mode in which film would be presented in the future. From the 1890s until 1911, the short subject was the only medium in which film was shown. With the success of this film and other Italian feature films which followed like The Last Days of Pompeii and Cabiria, film makers like D.W. Griffith were inspired to direct long, involved films like Birth of a Nation and Intolerance.

Unlike most other commentators, I wasn't too put off by the Tangerine Dream soundtrack. I agree it wasn't great but it wasn't the worst I've heard.

Surreal

[Michael_Elliott · 29 February 2008]

L'Inferno (1911)

*** (out of 4)

Historically important film as it stands as the first feature from Italy as well as the first film to show full frontal nudity. Dante travels to Hell where he gets to see what really goes on down there. The special effects and sets in this thing are downright beautiful and quite a sight to behold, which is the real reason to check this thing out. The pits of Hell look incredibly good and compared to what was being done in America at the time there's no question why this thing would go over well in this country. The only downside to the actual film is that it's visually rather bland. What Griffith was doing in America through editing would have certainly improved this film. Another gripe is that the DVD producer's added an electronic music score, which also features lyrics from some woman singer, which sound horrid and really doesn't add anything to the film. After the first few minutes I turned the soundtrack off and watched the film without any music. Hopefully a different version, with a new score, will be released someday.

The world's first (non-Aussie) feature film still packs a punch

[dstenhouse · 7/10 · 9 June 2005]

When did this film first make its appearance in America? The notes in the DVD say that the film was not widely released until after the First World War, but I've found the following quote in "The Warner Bros. Story" by Clive Hirschhorn, telling what the Warner brothers did after Edison's infamous Trust had "persuaded" them to sell their film exchange business, which would have been in 1911 or 1912, "It was only a matter of months, however, before Sam Warner returned from a trip to New York having bought the rights for a five-reeler called Dante's Inferno based on the famous poem. Sam's idea was to take the film on the road, together with a narrator, who, while the movie unspooled, would read extracts from the original poem. The idea worked. The film opened in Hartford, Connecticut, and, according to Jack Warner, you could hear the cash registers ringing all the way to Ohio. The tour netted them $1,500 which Sam and Jack blew on a crap game in New York." The 2004 DVD release actually follows in Sam's footsteps by having some of the words sung, with music by Tangerine Dream. The music creates a dreamlike atmosphere which helps to overcome the creaky aspects of the film. I feel that an over-the-top, heavily dramatic orchestral soundtrack wouldn't work, as the creakiness would undermine the music. The credits at the start and end of the film were in keeping with those I've seen on other silent movie DVD's, except that they put some fuzzy stills behind them, so I found myself wondering if the entire movie was going to be that indistinct. The film turned out to be in pretty good condition overall, but it did vary a bit, as you'd expect in a film this old. This very important movie is easily worthwhile for any fan of silent film, and it is interesting enough to show to others as well, with the modern soundtrack providing a cushion of familiarity for those who aren't used to silent film. Highly recommended!

Incredible Film Lost to a Ridiculous Soundtrack

[waywardastronaut · 8/10 · 24 April 2006]

Casting an 8/10 for "L'Inferno" was perhaps the hardest vote I've cast so far on IMDb, and it wasn't because I doubted the film's quality. Considering it was made in 1911 for approximately $2 million and had to be rebuilt almost a century later, it's a fantastic exercise in early cinema. The footage is spectacular, and the primitive special effects still evoke the same shock and emotion they must have upon its premiere.

My issue with the film is the soundtrack. Just as so many others on IMDb have noted, the Tangerine Dream music added to the DVD is terrible. Normally a bad soundtrack wouldn't be a problem, but with "L'Inferno" it's not optional. So, for my second viewing, I muted the television and played an old piece of classical music based on Dante's original epic. Needless to say, the second viewing was much better. Unfortunately, since there's no other version of "L'Inferno" to watch, I have to cast a bad vote for this film.

Shot on location.

[mart-45 · 6/10 · 7 February 2007]

Well well well... This is a spectacle worth seeing. Filmed in 1910 and released early in 1911, it must have had a terrific impact on the viewer. It's full of special effects, flashbacks, monsters, appearances and disappearances, giants, dragons, demons and other hellish apparitions. There's a lot of nudity and agony, smoke and mud. But make no mistake: it's all according to 1911 standards. There still are no close-ups, no proper editing, and no acting to speak of aside from gestures as broad as one's hands are capable of doing. There's also no real story: it's a series of tableaux depicting Dante and Virgil moving through the different circles of Hell. It's all shot in broad daylight of course, in some weird looking mountains that can look quite majestic, but can also be no better than an disused Italian quarry. It's not boring, but it's very unclear what the viewer is supposed to think. There are lengthy title cards in very weird English, summarizing the action to come. Some of the trick photography is among the best that was available at that time (and men like Melies did a fantastic job even ten years before the release of this film); some is 'rags on a stick'-variety. Had there been at least a few close-ups, or anything to make it look more cinematic, I would have been much happier. The picture quality is so-so, it's obviously edited from two or three different prints that can vary quite a lot. It also could have been made more interesting using colour tinting for different hellish locations, such as red for fire and brimstone and blue for the ice lake. The music by Tangerine Dream became annoying very quickly. As long as it is ambiance background, it's OK, but as soon as the lady vocalist bursts into weird pseudo-Dantean songs, it's pure Hell indeed. I was seriously considering turning the sound down, but then I sort of grew used to it. This film might prove to be a bit heavy for those who are not prepared to sit through 1,5 hours of agonizing and slow moving journey that doesn't seem to lead nowhere. Then again, the selection of pre-WW I full length films released on DVD isn't wide enough to dismiss this one. But you need to know your Dante before you delve into this one, otherwise it's a total mishmash. A good friend and a bottle of strong booze would come handy as well.

Fantastic film, but the version I saw on DVD is presented as though it was produced by the misguided folks who married inappropriate modern music to the film.

[chaudeurge · 10/10 · 18 March 2005]

Fantastic film for anyone interested in film history, Dante's Divine Comedy, or genre movies. The pure ambition of setting this story to film and the impressive staging of the circles of hell overcome the lack of sophisticated cinematic language to which we are accustomed. This is the era before the closeup, remember. What is absolutely unpardonable, however, is the presumptuous manner in which the company that put out the DVD has left their clumsy fingerprints all over this film and somehow decided that it is theirs. It is embarrassing, infuriating and obscene. These folks should be put in movie jail for plastering their names all over it in the artificial credit sequence and marrying the modern and inappropriate Tangerine Dream music to the picture - not as an audio option, mind you, but as the only option! This is the problem with public domain films - there is no one there to protect the film from the likes of these folks. The ridiculous way in which the credits are appended (tons of credits for each Tangerine Dream musician down to whoever provided the donuts during their sessions, but only a bare few credits for the 150 people who actually made this fantastic film in 1911. And no attempt to provide any information about the film, its production, the artists and technicians who made it, or what kind of music it was originally screened with. This is not as disgusting as the Queen version of Metropolis, but not far from it. There is a circle of hell in L'Inferno for film 'remix' people like these.

Essential Watch

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 6 July 2020]

Still worth a watch for its rich imaginary visuals. Of course - it is a silent movie and shot in black and white but if you are into movies and especially the horror and fantasy genre you should watch L'Inferno at least once in your life. A few years produced before WWI this one is in my opinion essential like Fritz Lang's Metropolis and The Nibelungs, The Golem (Paul Wegener and Henrik Galeen), Nosferatu by Fritz Murnau and last but not least The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene).

At little more than an hour, L'Inferno is monumental in the scope of history.

[ofpsmith · 8/10 · 22 January 2019]

L'Inferno was the first feature film released in Italy, beginning that country's long career of storied cinema. An adaptation of the famous Inferno by Dante Alighieri, L'Inferno is not a horror film in the traditional sense. The images of Hell are appropriately disturbing, as are it's inhabitants. The scenes of death and torture are shocking for the time. And to top it all off the old footage (now 108 years old) only adds to the creepy atmosphere. Anyone interested in old horror movies has to see this one.

Remarkable for its time; ghastly modern soundtrack

[sbryanmr · 7/10 · 10 November 2008]

The sets are crude and the acting is over the top by almost any modern standard -- but, well, it's from 1911. This remains a remarkable film, particularly given its time.

It helps to have read Dante's "L'Inferno" before seeing it. Still, these images (derived from Gustav Dore's illustrations) remain powerful; any student of film should be acquainted with this one. There's plenty of nudity, true, but none of it is remotely titillating.

But what's up with the garbage from Tangerine Dream (whoever or whatever that is) and the horrible, anachronistic soundtrack that's been plastered onto the movie as the only audio alternative? Turn down the sound: your experience will only be negatively influenced if you listen to it. Try some Liszt or Berlioz instead.

A Nice Place to Visit, but........

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 29 June 2015]

This was made in 1911! Give me a break! When one sees what was done with primitive assets available to this filmmaker, this is an astounding effort. I did not get in on the Tangerine Dream soundtrack. I watched it cold, without music. It was wonderful. And that is from someone who has absolutely no literal belief in any of this fairy tale. The director frames each circle wonderfully, barely repeating himself and giving us a view of the Danta/Dore woodcuts in cinematic terms. One could sit her and criticize the religious bigotry that brings about this portrayal of God's wrath and all that. There are some pretty nasty jabs at some remarkable people. Nevertheless, the film never strays far from what the great Italian poet intended. I was annoyed at Dante at times tormenting the already tormented souls. Lets face it. These guys are going to be here a long time. They don't need some jackass visitor pulling out their hair or reprimanding them. But that's neither here nor there. I've always wanted to see this film and it fills in a gap in my cinematic experience.

Eerie Stuff Makes A Good October

[michaelgarykelley1994 · 7/10 · 29 October 2018]

This is my first time viewing the film, and I'm so saddened I had to see it on YouTube, instead of a DVD. It's almost impossible to find a copy anywhere.

This, of course, is based on Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy"-particularly on the first third of that epic poem, "The Inferno" (which is my favorite part of the series).

The film isn't as good as the book, I will say that for sure, but I feel as though it's the best adaptation we could ever get. It captures the fear that Dante feels in the story, as he ventures through Hell. The sights are scary, here-especially the birds in the "Suicide Forest" scenario (which isn't as scary as in the book, surprisingly). There's an atmosphere brooding, here. It works so well, to be so old, and I'm surprised more horror fans don't talk about this flick, or demand for a constant release of the flick in a twenty-movie collection box set from K-Mart.

The actor playing Virgil (I believe was his name), whom leads Dante through hell, is absolutely fantastic, in his performance, taking notes of how portraits of the epic poem by Dante have looked, in the past. The actor can point his finger, or stand a certain way, and it's like I'm seeing those pictures from my Barnes & Noble edition of the book all over again. I've never seen this done in older film, so I was majorly impressed.

The special effects are baffling, and I'm not sure how they did some of them, even though I'm a huge movie fan, who took film studies courses, in high school. Props to these folks on their hard work, which had to require creativity, all those years ago.

But no one ever talks about the set design for this flick. They're AMAZING! They make the film worth watching, honestly! This may very well be one of the first fantasy-style movies ever made in such a satisfying way. I couldn't get enough of it all. It's a mix between a stage play and a typical film, at that time, which was common in the silent era, but it feels more prominent (and realistic), here.

This is such a good flick. If you can find it on dvd or something, give it the attention it deserves. Find a home for it. Rescue it like you'd rescue a puppy. It's great stuff, for its time.

L' INFERNO (Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan and Giuseppe De Liguoro, 1911) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 21 October 2011]

My twin brother had studied in college about a dozen "chants" from the "Inferno" section of Dante Alighieri's 3-part epic masterpiece "The Divine Comedy". Actually, the fantasy element of the whole – which sees the national Italian poet journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise has always intrigued me – even if one requires special knowledge (since it makes specific references to events and people in the author's life and times) to fully appreciate the text. That said, the "Inferno" is the most popular segment and, given my own predilection for Horror, it is just as well: this Silent production, then, running 68 minutes in the version I acquired (accompanied by a serviceable Tangerine Dream score which, however, comes with a handful of songs that not only merely reiterate what is already in the text but actively interfere with it!) is famous for being Italy's very first feature-length film – incidentally, it was being constantly projected over the walls of the main hall of the "Palazzo Del Cinema" during the 2004 Venice Film Festival to which my brother and I had been accredited to attend!

Before I go into the movie proper, I must say that I am always surprised to see nudity in early movies – but this one has easily the most extensive amount of this, since virtually all of the condemned are presented in their birthday suit (albeit either strategically positioned to obscure genitalia or else donning pieces of cloth over 'offensive' parts of the body)! Anyway, as I have often remarked about such 'museum pieces', it is hard in hindsight to properly evaluate the artistic quality of the film (which essentially hinges on its faithful recreation of the influential Gustav Dore' illustrations inspired by Dante's work). Mind you, if one had to compare it to what was emanating from the U.S. at the time, this obviously wins hands down on the basis of sheer ambition and scope alone (pioneer D.W. Griffith would be restricted to two-reelers until 1913) – but, then, the film-making approach here is in the, admittedly, then-prevalent vein of wildly (and relentlessly) gesticulating actors within tableaux-like scenes, with plot progression depicted not through the (eventually) natural expedient of editing but rather by having an intertitle describe the next 'moving image'!

In any case, Alighieri's muse Beatrice asks the poet Virgil to accompany Dante on his odyssey through the nine circles of Hell where the dead are eternally punished for having committed a variety of sins, each level representing a more heinous transgression than the one before (for instance, misers and spendthrifts are forever made to roll bags of gold and rebuke each other of their respective foible)! Along the way, they meet a number of well-known historical personages (Cleopatra for her lustiness, Ulysses for the bad advise he gave during the Trojan War{!} and, in a bit of poetic justice, Caiaphas is crucified to the ground for having hypocritically rejected his own Messiah: bafflingly, there is even a designated spot where all the good people born before the advent of Christ on Earth can 'reside', obviously without being castigated!) but also more obscure ones known by Virgil and Dante and whom the latter in particular verbally and physically lashes out at (recognizing one even if he is standing upside-down with his head in a hole), or they at him! Guarding the damned are a horde of demons who, again, either are not pleased to receive the poets' visit (though they can hardly protest since this tour is apparently being conducted through Divine will!) or they gleefully curse/torment their charges.

As I said earlier, we also get interjections in which the fates of a handful of tragic figures are shown: these include clandestine lovers Paolo and Francesca and Count Ugolino (betrayed, imprisoned and starved to death by his former friend, an Archbishop, in the netherworld he continually gnaws at the latter's head in an icy ambiance!) – interestingly, these accounts were eventually turned into films that I own but have yet to watch, coincidentally both dating from 1949 and directed by Raffaello Matarazzo and Riccardo Freda respectively (the latter title, unfortunately, only survives in a ragged print marked by a constant flurry of missing frames!). In the end, Dante and Virgil come face to face with a gigantic Lucifer gleefully feasting on the bodies of Cassius and Brutus, chief conspirators in the assassination of Julius Caesar (which rather exposes a bias towards his own country's turbulent past in the poet's notion of Hell), but they are allowed to re-enter the real world.

Of its time, which is more than you can for the soundtrack

[aplord · 17 September 2011]

Yes, it's important as an very early feature film that actually survives in something like its original form (the loss of much of a film t like The Kelly Gang is a tragedy) but L'inferno is pretty primitive.The story telling technique consists of an inter-title telling us what we're about to see, followed by a static shot showing it to us. The acting is of the roll your eyes and wave your arms around variety the actor playing Peter of Vigna is so over the top it's an object lesson in overacting) and the actors playing Dante and Virgil are, to put it politely, pretty porky. There are some great images here - the river of filth, filled with the flatterers, a decapitated man, holding his screaming head up high in his hand - but there's quite a bit that's laughable too. Cerberus looks liked a rather friendly three headed alpaca, and the harpies look like something out of a school play. And then there's one of the most inappropriate soundtracks ever imposed on a poor innocent piece of celluloid. Tangerine Dream... really? So as a historical film artifact... worth the watch, but only with the sound down

Intriguing beginnings in cinema history

[calspers · 6/10 · 28 September 2022]

L'Inferno (1911) directed by Fransesco Bertolini and Adolfo Padovan was a revolution in the art of film making. Technically supreme for its time, is features impressive production design, stop motion and other novelties in the very early days of cinema history before it really took off in the 1920's.

L'Inferno revolves around the poet Dante, who is lost in a dark and gloomy wood. At the summit of a mountain he sees the light of salvation. He endeavors to ascend to it, but his way is barred by three wild beasts, symbolizing Avarice, Pride and Lust. Beatrice sees his predicament and descends from Paradise into Limbo, where she asks the poet Virgil to rescue and guide Dante. Virgil knows another way to go, but this leads straight through the entire Inferno, before it continues towards Paradise. Virgil leads Dante to the portals of Inferno. Charon ferries them over the river Acheron, and then they start their journey downwards through the different circles of Inferno.

It is a great focused and impressive film for its time. Recommended for film buffs interested in cinema history.

A Must-See View of the Poem of Dante Alighieri with the Music of Tangerine Dream

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 16 October 2011]

The poet Dante Alighieri (Salvatore Papa) awakes lost in a dark and gloomy wood, and sees the light of salvation at the top of a mountain. He endeavors to ascend to it, but his way is barred by three wild beasts, symbolizing Avarice, Pride and Lust. His muse Beatrice sees his difficulty from Paradise and descends into Limbo and asks the poet Virgil to rescue and guide Dante.

Virgil guides Dante through the circles of Inferno to reach salvation in Paradise. During his journey, Dante meets poets and different sinners being punished by their transgressions.

"L'Inferno" is a must-see view of the poem of Dante Alighieri with the music of Tangerine Dream. One century later, the visual concept of Limbo and Inferno of Gustavo Doré used by directors Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan and Giuseppe de Liguoro is still impressive, giving the sensation of pictures in movement at an exhibition, specially considering that the cinema technology was in its beginning.

The original film was first screened in Naples in the Teatro Mercadante on 10 March 1911. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Inferno"

Still burning bright..

[FilmFlaneur · 8/10 · 12 September 2006]

A strange beast this one; apparently the first ever Italian feature film, based on Dante (with some unacknowledged visual indebtedness to Gustav Dore) L'inferno has lately resurfaced on DVD complete with a new soundtrack, and by Tangerine Dream no less. A great film, full of early fantastical touches, L'inferno still makes for reasonably enthralling viewing, especially as the shooting style of the time - slow moving tableaux, with no close ups - is eminently suited to Dante's epic narrative based around a grand tour of horror. Some of the many special effects are reminiscent of Melies' imagination (if far less studio bound than the work of the French master), as Dante and his guide, the poet Virgil, progress through the various circles of Hell, viewing increasingly horrendous torments on display. Silent film buffs will find a chance to acquire this version, a composite, taken from a couple of archives hard to miss. But the downside is the condition of the print: understandably a bit ragged given its age, surely it could still have been digitally restored and cleaned up more than this? The film is also presented conservatively in black and white, where most silent films, especially those of this importance, would have had a degree of tinting at the time, a process which would have considerably enhanced this work. There is also the music, which is sometimes a distraction, sometimes just a pleasant undercurrent, but which never rises to the required heights of inspiration. One is reminded of the old Giorgio Moroeder version of Lang's Metropolis which, with all faults, at least offered a viable and somewhat invigorated version of a great classic. By comparison the less thoughtfully done L'inferno to some extent represents a lost opportunity, but one still worth seeing, as it is probably the only version that will be available for some time. And one can always turn the sound down.

A historical curiosity

[Otoboke · 6/10 · 6 June 2016]

Frequently classed as the first "blockbuster" of its time because of its large production budget, long runtime and higher-than-average ticket costs at the box office, L'Inferno adopts Dante's prose and brings its pages to life with some decent production values helping it along the way. As far as adaptations go, the movie is fine and features a handful of impressive shots and sequences. The tone is brooding and somewhat haunting, which is appropriate given the source material. The problem though is that it's drawing from a book that (as far as I can fathom) is highly regarded for its lyrical beauty as opposed to its storytelling. Despite the film's best intentions then, you're nevertheless left to watch a bunch of scantily-clad white people faff around for 80 minutes either getting burned to varying degrees or flailing around in some water for whatever reason while another white guy (Dante) has a day-trip through hell in order to feel good about himself by looking down on and deriding the "sinners". For what it is, it's a somewhat interesting watch, but only for historical purposes. Well, that and to make you aware that as long as your sins are lust, gluttony, or fraud, things could be worse.

Wow. Well worth watching.

[stan_c · 9/10 · 4 May 2021]

I just found this on YouTube with yet another score, this one by the person who posted the film. It's great. Any surviving film with this historical significance is worth watching to me. I think it's wonderful.

Infernal tableaux

[F Gwynplaine MacIntyre · 8/10 · 18 October 2006]

WARNING: This review contains explicit language which some people may find offensive.

I attended a special screening of "L'Inferno" at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan; for this screening, the film's intertitles had been removed, and the movie's dialogue and narration were spoken live by the brilliant actors Len Cariou and Roberta Maxwell, accompanied by an appropriately hellish violin score by Gil Morgenstern.

For all its considerable crudeness, this early film is still powerful. Much of its impact is due to the decision to depict the (male) inhabitants of Hell entirely naked. (A couple of them are wanting an arm or a leg.) The image of naked men desperately scrambling for room in Charon's cramped coracle is far more effective than the same image would have been with costumed actors. The film would have been even more powerful had it included female nudity, although I concede that this would have been too much to expect in 1911. Even the nudity which we see here is undercut by the fact that some of the men in Hell are wearing nappies. The notorious sequence in the river of excrement is cleaned up somewhat here, to feature merely a river of dirty water. The narration includes a reference to the famous sign at the entrance to Hell -- "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" -- yet we never see this sign; perhaps it was rendered in Italian in the original prints of this film, and was therefore cut out of prints exhibited outside Italy.

The exterior scenes are shot against stark cliffs plunging perpendicularly to the sea, affording no shelter: the landscapes of Hell. Several flashbacks contain interior shots, featuring painted sets of the style which modern audiences will attribute to French film-maker Georges Melies.

I try to perceive every film that I view in the context of its own time. Regrettably, most of the acting here is crude even by 1911 standards. The subject matter allows for some melodramatic overacting, yet these actors exceed the limits. The special effects, too, are crude by 1911 standards. Several of the double exposures are off-register, with visible "shimmy". The hell-hound Cerberus looks like a three-headed ostrich cross-bred with a poodle. Georges Melies was doing more convincing special effects in 1906. I did like the clever method of giving Beatrice a halo by placing a whirligig behind the actress's head. The costumes in the flashback sequences are impressive.

For the screening which I attended, the original Italian intertitles were newly translated by Robert Pinsky of the Poetry Society of America. I feel that he should have been less literal and more colloquial: when Dante described a damned soul "making a fig", it wasn't immediately clear to the (mostly American) audience that this referred to an obscene hand-gesture.

For all its crudity, this is an astonishing film with great visual impact. I wish that the same production company had tackled Dante's "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso". My rating: 8 out of 10.

What the hell ! (rental)

[leplatypus · 4/10 · 17 July 2018]

I discovered the classic piece thanks to Twin Peaks: a mystery entrance in dark woods, saving love in hell and meeting dead people well alive... Then Dan Brown told his version and it was interesting and the adaptation of his novel was visually powerful. So here one century before, i didn't expected much but after a few minutes, i felt very bored: the captions failed to clearly present the 9 circles and visually they look finally a bit all the same: a river or a beach with naked people agonizing... On the screen, Virgil knows all and is so powerful that we can wonder why he needed Dante anyway.. and by the way, her lover Beatrice appears at the beginning and never happens again as Dante gets out from hell. There is some good costumes and special effects and that was like watching a Star Trek Classic but at the end, we are faraway of the power of words and art from Gustave Doré that inspired the movie.

Franz Liszt: Dante Symphony

[ItalianGerry · 30 April 2005]

I have not seen the new issue of this Italian classic with music by Tangerine Dream, although that kind of seemingly inappropriate track makes me cringe just thinking about it. I do look forward to seeing it, however, to note any additional footage that may exist here and for what seems, from advance reports, to be a very decent visual quality of the materials.

I used to teach Italian to high school students and for many years I taught Dante's Inferno in translation, often acting out various episodes while donning horns and carrying a pitchfork. It used to go over very well. After finishing the book I would always devote a class to showing a 16mm print I used to own of this silent movie. Its source was the Library of Congress materials. The students, while finding the whole thing quaint and the special effects primitive, watched it with great interest. There were problems with the print. It was very dupey, some episodes were in the incorrect spot, some inter-titles were inane or misleading. The print carried a logo to the effect that it was approved by the Ohio Film Board.

The double-perforation print carried no soundtrack. The music I used to use in showing the movie was a CD recording of Franz Liszt's "Dante Symphony." It is about 50 minutes worth of music. I used the Daniel Barenboim recording with the Berlin Philharmonic. It also includes Barenboim playing the Dante Sonata for piano. The beginning of the symphony can be repeated if you run out of music. Surprisingly, and pleasingly, the drama of the symphonic piece, especially the first and second part (Inferno and Purgatorio), worked very well as an accompaniment.

I have had a great deal of experience with this film, have seen it hundred of times, and I would certainly recommend that anyone showing or watching this DVD would turn off the sound and play this music instead. Franz Liszt and Dante Alighieri. It works!

An exceptional film

[Rectangular_businessman · 10/10 · 2 June 2012]

This silent-era underrated masterpiece was way too ahead of its time.

Even when this film wasn't an entirely faithful adaptation of the epic poem written by Dante Aliegheri, I think that this is the only cinematic version that was able to capture with such magnificence all the horrors described by Dante about the Underworld realm, having a visual style highly influenced by the wonderful paintings done by Gustave Doré.

Of course, there are some scenes that could be considered "dated" or "cheesy" for modern viewers, but personally, I think that the "ancient" look of this film gives it a solemn, timeless tone, that fits perfectly well with the source material, being in that one of the most incredible and ambitious samples of the early years of cinema. A must-see.

Oldest Movie I've Reviewed Thus Far

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 8/10 · 25 January 2023]

This is a movie that I checked out due to it being the highest rated or most popular Italian horror film on Letterboxd that I hadn't seen. This might mark the oldest film that I've reviewed as well. Other than that, I knew this was an early into cinema take on the classic poem from Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy. That is a title that always struck me by the way.

Synopsis: loosely adapted from Dante's Divine Comedy and inspired by the illustrations of Gustav Dore.

Now I feel that this is going to be a short review. This silent film follows Dante Alighieri (Salvatore Papa) as he has what I'm guessing is a dream. Dante starts in a woods where he is lost. He heads for a mountain and ascends. His path is blocked by three animals. There is a panther that stands for avarice. A lion for pride and a she-wolf for lust. An angel by the name of Beatrice asks Virgil (Arturo Pirovano) to guide Dante. He directs him to the portal that takes him to hell.

From there, they the different circles and those that are kept there. Charon the ferryman takes him over the river, Acheron. The first place is limbo of people who were either cast out of Heaven or died before Christian started. These are the also the unbaptized. The likes of Homer, Horace, Ovid and Lucernes are kept here as they live without hope prior to Christ. There is also a king here who passes judgement. He does allow poets to pass.

It is from here they than go on their journey to the center circle. It is there they find the frozen level as well as Lucifer (Augusto Milla) who feeds on damned souls as punishment. These are also those that committed the most heinous sin according to the bible. Dante will then need to find his way out before it is too late.

I think that should give a solid recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start here is that I've never read this work. I don't know if I've read anything from Dante, but he's someone I know. This would also mark the first time I have watched an adaptation of his work as well according to Letterboxd. What I will say though to close these opening thoughts is that he's someone I do want to read as it intrigues me. I'm an atheist, but reading Christian mythology is something that I am interested in. This goes for things like Paradise Lost as well.

With that out of the way, I can see how this film as well as the source material influenced other things. Looking back, I've seen Jigoku, which comes from Japan and this borrows from it. That has someone journeying into hell, seeing the different punishments on the different levels and trying to get out with a loved one. This is a fascinating nightmare that Dante had. I'm guessing the book is following him as a character like we get here so I like that this adaptation has Dante as the lead. Something else that struck me is the movie The House That Jack Built. I didn't realize how much that borrowed from this as Jack is telling his story to Virgil and has his own journey in hell as well.

What makes this stand out is the visuals. This is from 1911 and I give them credit for what they did. Seeing the different circles of hell as well as the punishments are fun. We get things like a circle where wind blows those around that are damned. There is a swamp where people are punished and people that have their heads buried in sand. The shining one though is giant Lucifer eating someone who is being punished. These are all done with in camera effects. Do they look great? No, but we are talking about a movie that is 110+ years old. I was impressed. The cinematography to go with this is good as well. I'll also include that the version on YouTube I watched had a live score that fit what they needed. It added good atmosphere as well.

The last things to go into would be the acting. What is surprising is that this didn't do the typical over the top performances you would expect. I think that Papa does a good job as Dante. He is shocked and in awe of the things he is seeing. Pirovano as Virgil is good as his guide. I want to give credit to Milla as Lucifer and the rest of the cast to be these damned people. It looks quite amazing with their performances and the settings for sure. There are so many extras which is impressive.

In conclusion, this was better than even I was expecting. The visuals that they bring to life from these drawings of someone's interpretation of Dante's Divine Comedy is great. It is impressive what they could do this long again with in camera tricks. The acting I think is good for what they needed and the soundtrack going with what I heard helped build the atmosphere as well. I did see there is a version out there with a Tangerine Dream score which might be the only way to make this better. If you are into the history of cinema and horror, I'd recommend giving this a viewing.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.