WheneverIseeLaPauraIthinkofitasacompanionpiecetoEyesWideShut,ormaybeitistheotherwayaround.Adulterymakesbothfilmstickbutindifferentways.IthinkPhillipFrenchwasrightonthemoneywhenhepointedoutaWizardofOzthinginKubrick'slastwork.LikeDorothy,TomandNicolegothroughfantasiesandnightmaresandattheendDorothy'sreassuringchildishmotto"there'snoplacelikehome"isironicallyupdatedtotheadultcircumstantialadage"there'snosexlikemaritalsex".Kubrick'stakeisintellectual,heneverleavestheworldofideastotouchtheground.Hetauntstheaudiencefirstwithaneroticmovieandthenwithathrillerandrefusestodelivereitherofthem.Hewasmarriedtohisthirdwifefor40years,untilhedied.RosselliniwasstillmarriedtoIngridBergmanwhenhedirectedLaPaura;theyhadbeenadulterousloversandtheirinfidelitywidelycriticizedLaPauraisatale,anoirishone.Thenoirintrigueissolvedandthetalehasahappyending.Thecityisnoir;thecountryistale,theterritorywherechildhoodispossible.Thetransitionisoperatedinthemostregularway:bycar,along-heldshottakenfromthefrontofthecarasitridesintotheroad,asifwewereenteringadifferentdimension.Irene(Bergman)startsthemovie:wejustseeadarkcitylandscapebuthervoice-overnarrationtellsusofherangstandinformsusthatthestoryisaflashback,hers.Bergman'sbeencheatingonherhusband.Atfirstguiltisjustpsychologicaltorturebutsoonexpandsintoeconomicblackmailandthengrowsintosomethingelse.FrombeginningtoendthemoviefocusesonwhatBergmanfeels,everyothercharacteristheretomakeherfeelsomething.OnlywhenthedirectorgivesawaytheplotbeforethemaincharactercanfindoutdoeshewantustofeelsomethingBergmanstillcan't.Whenshefindsout,wehavealreadyexperiencedthewarpedmechanicsofthesituationandwemayfocusonceagainontheemotionalimpactithasonBergman'sIrene.InLaPauratreasonsarenotimaginedbutreal,nightmaresaredeliberateandthecouple'svenomsuppu
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