“The Night of St. Lawrence”: Shadows of (Forgotten) Ancestors

Anna Miller-Klejsa

Abstract

The author examines The Night of St. Lawrence (Notte di San Lorenzo, dir. P. and V. Taviani, also known as The Night of the Shooting Stars), placing the film in the context of other Italian pro­duction dealing both with the experience of war by Italians and the perspective of the child. The author points to the religious and mythological themes present in the film, and attempts to interpret the child’s perspective adopted in the film, as the perspective has an impact not only on the oneiric, fairy tale like tone of the film, but also carries significant implications for its message. Filtering the events of the Second World War through the perspective of the child’s consciousness leads to a vision somewhat detached from the reality. Were Taviani brothers suggesting in such a manner that in 1980s Italy World War II was for the Italians as distant as the ancient myths, and could only be understood through such a formula? Or maybe on the contrary - the legendary character given to war events is to show the durability of this conflict in the collective memory and its significance for the Italian cultural heritage?