Fear (1954 film)

Fear
Fear
	Belgian theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roberto Rossellini
Written by	Roberto Rossellini; Sergio Amidei; Franz von Treuberg;
Based on	Fear; by Stefan Zweig
Produced by	Herman Millakowsky
Starring	Ingrid Bergman; Mathias Wieman; Renate Mannhardt; Kurt Kreuger;
Cinematography	Carlo Carlini; Heinz Schnackertz;
Edited by	Jolanda Benvenuti; Walter Boos;
Music by	Renzo Rossellini
Distributed by	Minerva Film
Release dates	5 November 1954 (West Germany); 18 February 1955 (Italy);
Running time	83 minutes
Countries	West Germany; Italy;
Languages	German; English;

Fear (Italian: La Paura or German: Angst) is a 1954 German-Italian drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring his wife Ingrid Bergman. It is loosely based on the Stefan Zweig novella Fear. Rossellini created it because he wanted to explore the reconstruction of Germany from both a material and moral standpoint ten years after making his previous German film Germany, Year Zero.^[1] The film is noirish with aspects reminiscent of Hitchcock and German Expressionism.^{[citation needed]}

Plot[edit]

Irene is the wife of a pharmaceutics manager. When she decides to leave her lover, she is blackmailed by a harpy. She does everything in her power to conceal the truth, without knowing that her husband already knows everything and is sadistically enjoying the situation behind her back.

Cast[edit]

Ingrid Bergman as Irene Wagner
Mathias Wieman as Professor Albert Wagner
Renate Mannhardt as Luisa Vidor, alias Johann Schultze
Kurt Kreuger as Erich Baumann
Elise Aulinger as Haushaelterin
Edith Schultze-Westrum
Steffi Stroux (credited as Steffi Struck)
Annelore Wied
Klaus Kinski as Cabaret Performer

Production[edit]

Fear was shot simultaneously in English and German language and released as Fear in the international, English-language version and as Angst in Germany.^[2]

Reception[edit]

The film did not do well when it was released in Italy and Germany. Consequently, the Italian distributor edited the film (originally titled La Paura in the Italian-dubbed version)^[2] and re-released it as Non credo più all'amore. In this edited version, a fishing scene is shortened and an explanatory narration is added to two silent scenes. In addition, the ending was changed from a scene showing Bergman attempting suicide to a scene showing her family in the countryside, after Bergman had left her husband, living on for the sake of her children.^{[citation needed]}

The Rossellini Project[edit]

This initiative involves 10 films by Roberto Rossellini that are being digitally restored and will then be promoted internationally. Carrying out the restoration work are Cinecittà Luce-Filmitalia, the Cineteca di Bologna, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and the Coproduction Office.

Fear is one of the ten films being restored. The others are: Rome, Open City (Roma città aperta), Paisan (Paisà), Germany Year Zero (Germania anno zero), L’amore, Stromboli (Stromboli terra di Dio), The Machine that Kills Bad People (La Macchina ammazzacattivi), Journey to Italy (Viaggio in Italia), India: Matri Bhumi, and Interview with Salvador Allende (Intervista a Salvador Allende: La forza e la ragione).^[3]

North American TV release[edit]

On 15 March 2013, Turner Classic Movies broadcast Fear for the first time on TV in North America. ^[4]

References[edit]

^ "La Paura (Fear). 1954. Directed by Roberto Rossellini". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b Forgacs, David; Lutton, Sarah; Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey, eds. (2000). Roberto Rossellini: Magician of the Realbooks. British Film Institute.
^ "The Rossellini Project". Coproduction Office. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
^ "Fear Broadcast Information for TCM". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 14 February 2013.

External links[edit]

La Paura at IMDb
La Paura at AllMovie
1979 New York Times film review by Vincent Canby
The Rossellini Project
Harvard University Film Archive screened Fear on July 21 and 23, 2005 as part of its summer exhibition of films.
Cinema of the World - Review of Fear that also includes movie stills.
Dennis Grunes Review of Fear.

[1] "La Paura (Fear). 1954. Directed by Roberto Rossellini". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 18 November 2022.

[bfi-2] Forgacs, David; Lutton, Sarah; Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey, eds. (2000). Roberto Rossellini: Magician of the Realbooks. British Film Institute.

[3] "The Rossellini Project". Coproduction Office. Retrieved 18 November 2022.

[4] "Fear Broadcast Information for TCM". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 14 February 2013.

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