The Vacation -la Vacanza- - Tinto Brass 1971 - -s...

Visually, La Vacanza is a masterpiece of 1971 cinema. Cinematographer Silvano Ippoliti (who would later shoot Brass’s Salon Kitty) bathes the film in a sickly, overexposed light. The Italian summer never looked so oppressive. Walls are white. The sky is bleached. There are no shadows, only flat, merciless clarity.

Brass uses architecture as a weapon. The hotel where the couple stays is a Fascist-era building: cold, symmetrical, inhuman. The couple walks through its corridors like prisoners. The famous “vacation” locales—the beach, the mountains, the piazza—are all framed as traps. In a bravura sequence, Brass films the couple from the bottom of a swimming pool. Their voices are muffled. They wave at each other but cannot hear. It is a perfect metaphor for the film’s theme: communication failed before it began.

The editing, by Franco Arcalli, is jagged and arrhythmic. Arcalli was a master of temporal dislocation (he edited Last Tango in Paris). Here, he creates jump cuts that disorient the viewer. A conversation begins in a car; it ends in a bedroom, with no transition. Time has collapsed. The vacation has become a loop.

The film’s English title, The Vacation, is a cruel joke. The Italian title, La Vacanza, suggests a break from work. But for the protagonists, there is no rest, only decay.

The story follows Immacolata (Vanessa Redgrave) and Guglielmo (Jimmy Page), two restless, wealthy, and profoundly alienated lovers. They decide to escape the political chaos of urban Italy (the film was shot during actual student riots and factory strikes) by taking a trip into the countryside. They drive an open-top sports car, wear the height of 1970s fashion, and seem to embody the jet-set dream.

But the vacation unravels immediately.

Immacolata is bored to the point of catatonia. Guglielmo is a silent, brooding presence who communicates more with his guitar (playing a haunting, unreleased solo composed specifically for the film) than with his lover. They stop at a gas station, a hotel, a deserted beach. Nothing happens in the traditional narrative sense. Instead, Brass turns the camera into a voyeuristic scalpel.

The “vacation” becomes a slow, methodical dissection of the couple’s failure to connect. They speak past each other. They have sex not out of passion, but out of habit. In one excruciating 12-minute long take (Brass’s homage to Antonioni), Immacolata watches Guglielmo sleep while a television in the room broadcasts news of a political assassination. The sound of the TV bleeds into her internal monologue. She smiles. Not with joy, but with the grim recognition that violence outside mirrors the emptiness inside.

By the film’s climax, the vacation is abandoned. They return to Rome, but the frames are now tilted, the color desaturated. The final shot is Immacolata walking into a protest march, not to join it, but simply because it is the only direction left to go.

The Vacation is essential viewing for anyone interested in:

It is a film about the impossibility of escape. The title La Vacanza (The Vacation) is ironic—Immacolata is on vacation from the asylum, but she finds no rest, only a different kind of prison. It is a bleak, beautiful, and unforgettable cinematic poem.

The Vacation - La Vacanza is not an easy watch. It demands patience and rewards it with a visceral understanding of romantic decay. Tinto Brass would go on to make louder, funnier, and more famous films, but he never again made one as raw, quiet, and genuinely sad. It is a vacation you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy—and a film you won’t easily forget.

Rating: ★★★½ (Highly recommended for fans of Antonioni’s L’Avventura and the darker corners of 1970s Italian cinema.)

Streaming Availability: Rare. Currently surfaces in restored prints at cinematheques and on select boutique Blu-ray labels (Cult Epics has released a restored version in some regions). The Vacation -La Vacanza- - Tinto Brass 1971 -S...

Directed by Tinto Brass, The Vacation (Italian: La vacanza, 1971) is an unconventional drama that blends surrealism with social satire. Awarded "Best Italian Film" at the 1971 Venice Film Festival, it stars Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero in their second collaboration with Brass following Dropout. Plot Summary

The story follows Immacolata (Vanessa Redgrave), a peasant woman who was previously committed to a mental asylum after a scandalous affair with a Count. She is granted a one-month "experimental leave" (the titular vacation) to prove she can function in society.

Upon her return, her family—who are portrayed through absurd exaggerations—reject her and essentially sell her to a creditor. Immacolata escapes and begins a free-flowing, often bizarre journey through the Italian countryside. Along the way, she falls in love with a poacher named Osiride (Franco Nero) and finds kinship with a group of outcasts, including gypsies and a traveling salesman named Gigi. Her temporary freedom is short-lived, as her journey is marred by criminal accusations and eventual tragedy. Themes and Artistic Style

Social Critique: The film is a sharp satire of societal institutions, including the family, the church, and psychiatric care. Brass presents the "outside" world as just as irrational and cruel as the asylum from which Immacolata escaped.

Experimental Filmmaking: While less frenetic than Brass’s earlier works, The Vacation still features experimental editing and surreal imagery. It has been described as a "surrealist fairy tale" with echoes of Luis Buñuel’s work.

Authenticity and Outcasts: The film highlights the beauty of marginalized lives. The soundtrack, composed by Fiorenzo Carpi, features lyrics written by actual mental institution inmates, emphasizing the film's focus on authentic, "mad" voices.

Performance: Vanessa Redgrave’s performance is widely cited as one of her most raw and "unglamorous" roles, capturing both the fragility and defiance of Immacolata. Tinto Brass - Vacation

La Vacanza (The Vacation), directed by Tinto Brass in 1971, stands as a critical milestone in Italian avant-garde cinema, representing a bridge between social commentary and the surrealist experimentation that defined the director's early career. Starring Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero, the film explores themes of mental health, societal marginalization, and the illusion of freedom. Plot Overview

The narrative follows Immacolata (Vanessa Redgrave), a peasant woman who has been committed to a psychiatric hospital after an affair with a local count went sour. She is granted a one-month "experimental leave"—the eponymous "vacation"—to determine if she can reintegrate into society. Her journey is anything but restorative:

Rejection by Family: Upon returning home, she is shunned by her family, who eventually attempt to "sell" her to a creditor like livestock.

Encounter with Misfits: Immacolata escapes and finds kinship with other societal outcasts, including a poacher and birdcatcher named Osiride (Franco Nero), a group of gypsies, and a traveling underwear salesman known as Gigi the Englishman (played by Redgrave's real-life brother, Corin Redgrave).

Cycles of Oppression: Her quest for freedom is thwarted by various authority figures and social forces, leading through a series of bizarre and increasingly tragic encounters, including humiliation by fascists and exploitation in a factory. Cast and Production Vanessa Redgrave Immacolata Meneghelli Franco Nero Corin Redgrave Gigi (The Englishman) Leopoldo Trieste Margarita Lozano

The film was a deeply personal project for its leads; Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero (a real-life couple at the time) co-produced and financed the 16mm production out of their own pockets following their collaboration on Brass's previous film, Dropout. Directorial Style and Themes Visually, La Vacanza is a masterpiece of 1971 cinema

Before becoming synonymous with high-budget erotica like Caligula, Tinto Brass was a lauded experimental director. La Vacanza is noted for:

Visual Language: It utilizes Brass's trademark quick editing and elegant zoom-shots, though it is often described as more "grounded" and reflective than his earlier, more frantic works.

Social Justice: The film acts as a satire of the Italian class system and the psychiatric industry, highlighting how society labels non-conformity as "insanity" to suppress dissent.

Surrealism: Critics have compared its dreamlike, often comical, and bizarre vignettes to the works of Luis Buñuel. Critical Reception

La Vacanza premiered at the 32nd Venice International Film Festival, where it famously polarized audiences. While some viewers reportedly booed and nearly provoked a riot due to its unconventional style, it was highly regarded by professionals. It ultimately won the Pasinetti Award for Best Italian Film, securing its place as one of Brass's most noteworthy achievements.

You can find more detailed reviews and cast information on platforms like IMDb or Letterboxd. Tinto Brass - Vacation

The Vacation (Italian: La vacanza) is a 1971 drama directed by Tinto Brass. It follows the story of a young woman whose life unravels after a romantic betrayal, tracing her emotional and social descent amidst Italy’s changing cultural landscape. The film blends intimate character study with period detail, showcasing Brass’s developing visual style before his later, more explicit work.

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Directed by Tinto Brass La Vacanza (The Vacation) is an Italian drama that blends experimental filmmaking with sharp social and political satire. Starring Vanessa Redgrave Franco Nero

, the film explores themes of institutionalization and the "insanity" of modern society. Movie Highlights Plot Summary

: Immacolata (Redgrave), a woman committed to an asylum by her former lover, is granted a one-month experimental "vacation" to prove she can function in society. Rejected by her family, she finds herself in a series of surreal and tragic adventures alongside a poacher named Osiride (Nero). Key Cast & Crew Vanessa Redgrave : Immacolata Meneghelli. Franco Nero : Osiride. Corin Redgrave : Gigi the Englishman. Leopoldo Trieste : The Judge. Tinto Brass : Director, Screenwriter, and Editor. Critical Recognition : It won the Pasinetti Award for Best Italian Film at the 32nd Venice International Film Festival in 1971.

: Known for its unconventional, non-linear editing and "visual economy," where complex ideas are expressed through absurd exaggerations (e.g., using midgets to represent Immacolata’s family to emphasize her being a "misfit"). Production Details La vacanza - Cinecittà

* Genre Drama. * Director Tinto Brass. * Country, yearITALIA, 1971. * Runtime 105. * Film Yes. * Production Lion Film. Cinecittà La Vacanza - Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival

While Tinto Brass is globally renowned for his later erotic dramas (Paprika, Caligula, The Key), The Vacation represents the pinnacle of his "serious" arthouse period. It is a film that bridges the gap between the psychological surrealism of the late 1960s and the political cynicism of 1970s Italian cinema. It is a haunting, visually dense, and politically charged allegory disguised as a romantic drama.

Director: Tinto Brass Year: 1971 Starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, Leopoldo Trieste It is a film about the impossibility of escape