Tempest (Italian: La tempesta) is a 1958 Italian drama film directed by Alberto Lattuada and starring Silvana Mangano, Van Heflin, Viveca Lindfors and Geoffrey Horne.
Contents
Plot
In the year 1770, in imperial Russia, a young lieutenant named Grinyov is caught drunk during a military inspection. As punishment, Empress Catherine II orders him to be reassigned to a remote part of the empire—the fortified village of Belogorsk.
On his journey to this distant outpost, Grinyov encounters a man caught in a snowstorm and saves his life. Unbeknownst to him, this man is Yemelyan Pugachev, a Cossack who will soon lead a major rebellion against the Russian Empire.
Upon arriving at the fortress, Grinyov is placed under the command of Captain Mironov, a kind and honorable officer. Mironov has a daughter named Masha, and Grinyov quickly falls in love with her. However, his affection for Masha leads to conflict with another officer at the post—Lieutenant Shvabrin—who is also in love with her.
Meanwhile, the threat of the Cossack uprising, led by the very man Grinyov once saved, draws nearer. As events unfold, Grinyov is forced to navigate complex challenges involving loyalty, love, and survival during a time of political turmoil and rebellion.
Cast
Silvana Mangano as Masha
Van Heflin as Yemelyan Pugachev
Viveca Lindfors as Catherine II
Geoffrey Horne as Piotr Grinov
Vittorio Gassman as Prosecutor
Agnes Moorehead as Vassilissa Mironova
Robert Keith as Capt. Mironov
Oskar Homolka as Savelic
Finlay Currie as Count Grinov
Laurence Naismith as Maj. Zurin
Helmut Dantine as Svabrin
Fulvia Franco as Palaska
Aldo Silvani as Pope Gerasim
Claudio Gora as Minister of Caterine II
Guido Celano as the farmer
Cristina Gajoni as the young girl
Production
The film was shot in Košutnjak film studios in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (today Serbia). . It is based on A History of Pugachev (1834) and the 1836 novel The Captain's Daughter, both by Alexander Pushkin.
The lead was given to Geoffrey Horne who had been in Bridge on the River Kwai. The success of the film in Europe led to him being cast in a series of European films.
Reception
Variety said the film "shows the tremendous possibilities of well-planned co-productions. Both the action-spectacle public as well as the more discerning patron should go for this item, thanks to an expert balance struck between film’s epic qualities and the generally tasteful handling of the story line, script and dialog."
The film was a big box office hit in Italy. For this film Lattuada was awarded a David di Donatello for Best Director.