Digital Technologies and the Remediation of Dante’S Infernal Imagery Through the Cinematic Screen (2005- 2015) Signorelli, V
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WestminsterResearch http://www.westminster.ac.uk/westminsterresearch Cinematic infernos: Digital technologies and the remediation of Dante’s Infernal imagery through the cinematic screen (2005- 2015) Signorelli, V. This is an electronic version of a PhD thesis awarded by the University of Westminster. © Miss Valentina Signorelli, 2017. Please note some of the images have been removed from the online version of this thesis due to copyright reasons. The WestminsterResearch online digital archive at the University of Westminster aims to make the research output of the University available to a wider audience. Copyright and Moral Rights remain with the authors and/or copyright owners. Whilst further distribution of specific materials from within this archive is forbidden, you may freely distribute the URL of WestminsterResearch: ((http://westminsterresearch.wmin.ac.uk/). In case of abuse or copyright appearing without permission e-mail [email protected] CINEMATIC INFERNOS: DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND THE REMEDIATION OF DANTE’S INFERNAL IMAGERY THROUGH THE CINEMATIC SCREEN (2005-2015) VALENTINA SIGNORELLI A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Westminster for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Submitted: March 2017 1 ABSTRACT In 2015 we celebrated the 750th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s birth. In light of the popularity of Dante’s imagery, channelled through a variety of the arts and across national contexts for more than seven centuries, this study explores practices of adaptation and remediation of Dante’s Inferno through the cinematic screen in 2005- 2015 as well as its relationship with digital technologies. Despite our understanding of Dante and the screen being enriched by the contribution of several scholars such as Antonella Braida, Luisa Calé, Dennis Looney and Nick Havely, amongst others, very little has been written about the aesthetic, social and political impact of digital technologies on cinematic adaptations of the infernal imagery. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, this study investigates the remediate power of digital technology by simultaneously exploring its involvement and its impact. This includes an examination of film production, conservation, circulation and reception. In order to do so, I scrutinise the following three key case studies: Milano Film’s Inferno (ITA, 1911), Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò – 120 Days of Sodom (ITA, 1975) and David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis (CAN, FR, ITA, POR, 2012). This multi-disciplinary approach offers a theoretical revision of the theory of adaptation, shifting from the enduring centrality of the ‘reference text’ to a more intermedial awareness of the pivotal role played by the cinematic screen. This enables an exploration of the cultural, political and social impact of Dante’s inspired infernal imagery in the 21st century. 2 LIST OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 2 INTRODUCTION 10 1. The Seminal Importance of Dante’s Anniversary 10 2. Why is This Research Necessary and Timely? 12 3. Research Questions and Findings 16 4. Overall Argument of This Study 17 5. Original Contribution to Knowledge 17 6. Methodological issues 17 7. Thesis Overview 22 CHAPTER 1. LITERATURE REVIEW 27 Introduction 27 1.1 An historical perspective around the field of Film Adaptation: between theory and practice 28 1.1.1 The Issue of Fidelity 30 1.1.2 Transfer, Intertextuality, Intermediality and Remediation 33 1.1.3 The Screenwriter’s Perspective 42 1.1.4 A Possible Counterargument 46 1.2 Dante and the screen 47 CHAPTER 2. DANTE TODAY: AROUND AND BEYOND CINEMA 58 2.1 The Divine Comedy by Clive James (2013) – Translating the Commedia as a Text of Performance 59 2.1.1 Introduction 59 2.2 Roberto Benigni’s Tutto Dante (ITA, 2006-2015) 62 2.2.1 Introduction 62 2.3 Inside YouTube Fan Tributes of Dante’s 71 2.4 Conclusion and Methodological Premises 80 CHAPTER 3. INFERNO (MILANO FILMS, ITA, 1911): DEFINING ‘INFERNAL’ ON THE SCREEN 85 Introduction 85 3.1 Inferno (Milano Films, ITA, 1911) - Context 86 3.1.1 The Film – Between Tradition and Innovation 92 3.1.2 The Flashbacks 95 3.2 Inferno (Milano Films, ITA, 1911): the Restoration and DVD Edition Curated by Cineteca Bologna 110 3.2.1 Outcomes 118 3.3 Spencer Williams’ Go Down Death! (USA, 1944) and Dante's Inferno: from the 1940's to 21st century digital communities 119 Conclusion 137 CHAPTER 4. PIER PAOLO PASOLINI’S SALÒ – 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975 – 2015): THE INFERNAL BODY 139 Introduction 139 4.1 Producing Pasolini’s Salò - 120 Days of Sodom (ITA, 1975): The Italian Context of the Early 1970s 140 4.2 Dante's Inferno and Pasolini's Salò - 120 Days of Sodom: Defining Structure and Imagery 143 4.2.1 Inside Pasolini's Inferno: An Aesthetic and Psychoanalytical Reading of the 'Dog Sequence' and 'The Beauty Contest' 147 4.3 Salò - 120 Days of Sodom : A Comparative Perspective of Italian and British Censorship 163 3 4.4 Salò - 120 Days of Sodom: the 2015 DVD Edition by CIneteca Bologna 171 4.5 November 2nd, 2015 - The Italian Launch and Reception of Pasolini's Salò Forty Years After: Report of a Young Academic as the Spectator 177 Conclusion 185 CHAPTER 5. COSMOPOLIS (CRONENBERG, 2012): AN INFERNAL JOURNEY TOWARDS THE END OF THE FUTURE 188 Introduction 188 5.1 Adapting DeLillo’s Cosmopolis: the Screenwriting Phase 191 5.2 Shooting Cosmopolis: a Digital Choice 198 5.3 The Moment Before the Fall: The Inferno of New York City 201 5.4 Out of the White Limousine: Cosmopolis and Occupy Wall Street 218 Conclusion 224 CONCLUSION 226 APPENDIX - Detail of the Index of the Prohibited Books, published in 1747 by the Catholic Church and currently archived at Drew University Library, Madison NJ, USA. 235 BIBLIOGRAPHY 248 4 LIST OF TABLES, ILLUSTRATIONS* Chapter Two – Dante Today: Around and Beyond Cinema Figure 2.1 Tutto Dante 2006: View of Piazza Santa Croce (Florence) with audience 63 Figure 2.2 - Tutto Dante 2006: Lights on stage change once Benigni starts reciting the canto by memory 67 Figure 2.3 - Tutto Dante 2006: Benigni's close-up when reciting the canto by memory 67 Figure 2.4 - Roberto Benigni and Dante's statue 68 Figure 2.5 - Barbie's Inferno (2007): Barbie lost in the Dark Forest gets rescued by her guide Virginia 74 Figure 2.6 - LEGO Dante's Inferno (2011) - LEGO Dante lost in the Dark Forest gets rescued by his LEGO guide Virgil, who is dressed-up like a superhero 76 Figure 2.7 - Dante's Inferno (Clay Animation 16mm.): Dante getting lost in the Dark Forest 79 Chapter Three – Inferno (Milano Films, ITA, 1911): Defining ‘Infernal’ on the screen Figure 3.1 - Dante and Virgil meet Paolo and Francesca (Shot n.14) 96 Figure 3.2 - Title n.13 introduces Paolo and Francesca’s flashback 96 Figure 3.3 - Paolo and Francesca’s Flashback – the moment before the kiss (Shot n.15) 97 Figure 3.4 - Title n.14 ends Paolo and Francesca’s Flashback 97 Figure 3.5 - Dante and Virgil meet Pier Della Vigna reduced to a tree in Hell 98 Figure 3.6 - Title n.29 introduces Pier Della Vigna’s flashback 99 Figure 3.7 - Pier Della Vigna gets blinded (Shot n.32a) 99 Figure 3.8 - Title n.30 explains that Pier della Vigna decides to commit suicide 100 Figure 3.9 - Pier Della Vigna commits suicide (Shot 32b) 100 Figure 3.10 - Title n.31 introduces another sequence and we understand Pier Della Vigna’s flashback 101 Figure 3.11 - Dante and Virgil meet Ugolino Della Gherardesca in Hell (Shot n.58) 102 Figure 3.12 - Title n.56 introduces Ugolino’s flashback 102 Figure 3.13 - Ugolino and his kids imprisoned inside of the Tower of Pisa (Shot n. 61) 103 Figure 3.14 - Simultaneously an officer from the outside orders locking the tower for good (Shot n.62) 103 Figure 3.15 - Ugolino and his kids die of starvation (Shot n.63) 104 Figure 3.16 - End of the flashback, we are back to Hell again with Ugolino eating from Archbishop Ruggieri’s nape (Shot n.64) 104 Figure 3.17 - Examples of scenography backcloths and props in all three flashback sequences 106 Figure 3.18 - Frame from Ugolino’s flashback and Gustave Doré’s illustration of Canto XXXIII 107 Figure 3.19 - Big Jim falls down in the desert 125 Figure 3.20 - Big Jim’s vision starts with the image of the Gates of Hell 126 Figure 3.21 - Footage taken from Milano Films’ Inferno (ITA, 1911) - Lucifer chewing Judas 126 5 Figure 3.22 - Footage taken from Milano Films’ Inferno (ITA, 1911) – Dante and Virgil get closer to Lucifer 127 Figure 3.23 - Close-up on Big Jim’s face in alternate montage with the vision of Hell 127 Figure 3.24 - Footage taken from Milano Films’ Inferno (ITA, 1911) 128 Figure 3.25 - Footage taken from Milano Films’ Inferno (ITA, 1911) 128 Figure 3.26 - The Gates of Hell close and Big Jim’s vision terminates 129 Chapter Four – Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Salò – 120 Days of Sodom (1975-2015): The Infernal Body Figure 4.1 - Sadists waiting for the Victims 148 Figure 4.2 - Victims reduced to a pack of dogs are kept on a lead 149 Figure 4.3 - Victims stop in front of the Sadists 149 Figure 4.4 - Victims eating from a dog bowl 150 Figure 4.5 - The Sadist Bishop whips one of the Victims 151 Figure 4.6 - The Bishop inserts a few nails inside of a polenta bite 151 Figure 4.7 - One of the victims eats the polenta bite containing nails and gets hurt 152 Figure 4.8 - Sadists waiting outside the main hall 156 Figure 4.9 - Mrs Maggi’s 'masterpiece' 157 Figure 4.10 - Sadists checking the Victims 158 Figure 4.11 - Franchino receives the prize for winning the beauty contest 159 Chapter Five: Cosmopolis (D.