Cinema Muto

Fragments from Le Mogli e le Arance: Wives and Oranges

50 Fragments from Le Mogli e le Arance: Wives and Oranges “From [writer-director Lucio D’Ambra’s] considerable production very little has survived.” —Le Giornate del Cinema Muto catalogue { Scene 1. } [ the young marquis [ trembling [ [ the doctor “two months taking the waters at a spa” —followed by a silent lecture (on the virtues of an early bedtime?) intertitle missing { 2. } [ the open car [ dust a long way in the country [ [ a flock of women scatter [ [ turn as one [ adjust their parasols —like wings —a children’s story { 3. } [ the spa’s terrace at breakfast [ flesh by now old couples, two by two 51 [ [ The noble Baron, who owns the spa: “Young people need the company of young people—” [ [ The Baron takes the marquis to his home for lunch [ [ a table lined on both sides with young women —all with oranges in their laps —all with hands folded in their laps “hope mostly goes astray “says the Baron “but not here, not here” { 4. } —(note to self): The woman are the daughters of the couples staying at the spa—but how could each old couple have such a young and lovely daughter? And why are they staying with the Baron? (Partial answer):“I only wish,” the Baron says,“there were room for all of them at my hotel.” —all of them, lovely —all of them in white [ a face, smiling [ [ folded hands then again, the oranges [ [ the young people, laughing 52 { 5. } “if not winter, then no pain and there is no winter here” —the speaker: an old man (husband of the woman with the little smiling dog?) { Unnumbered—6 or 7? } [“Let me tell you how God made men and women Oranges, it involved oranges [ cut in two the oranges fell to earth [ each soul a half of what it could be Love floats all around you. Can’t you see it? Wind in the orange trees; oranges in bloom. Find the one whose half-orange is the perfect mate of yours . . .” —The Baron speaking —The Baron having the last word { 8. } [ a game—a dozen women with half oranges [ —the marquis trying to solve the puzzle by fitting his half-orange to another [ [ first there is a chase { 9. } (time has passed—midsummer?) —what girl? 53 [ oranges rain through his window [ he cannot sleep for oranges falling —what girl? —not knowing how he already loves her ankles [He writes his friends— oranges are keeping me awake { 10. } (someone will remember us I say even in another time— why else do we make movies?) —Caterinetta is the youngest —she will not play the game { 11. } [ the friends arrive, stay [ half oranges are fit together, another puzzle solved —whole oranges small incandescent suns. [ a shot of old parents—smiling—standing with bride and groom [ a shot of young women walking arm in arm—there are fewer now { 12. } [ The marquis leaves (How much time has passed? Is it always summer?) 54 { 13. } [ the Baron finds Caterinetta weeping, [ her orange half in her lap “I am too young,” Caterinetta says “He would only laugh” { 17? } (Several scenes are missing) [ The marquis again—the dusty road [ this time, the orange halves fit —perfectly { 18. (Caterinetta’s age) } [ The Baron in his garden “God planned it this way, children, never doubt it.” —why else so many oranges? —why else the parasols? ...