The Moon and the Stars

Synopsis

1939: Rome stands on the brink of the Second World War Europe’s political situation is a tense standoff between two blocks: the British and French liberal democracies against German Nazism and Italian Fascism.  Mussolini’s Italian government has signed ‘The Pact of Steel’ with Hitler’s Germany, before occupying Albania and passing racial discrimination laws. 
 
Despite this political and social tension, it seems to be business as usual in the world of Italian cinema: the producer DAVIDE RIETI (Alfred Molina), is making one of his major films with Cinecittà Studios: Tosca stars the German Krsitina Baumgarten (Catherine McCormack), the English actor James Clavel (Jonathan Pryce), the handsome Italian actor Alfonso Ligouri (Roberto Purvis), the gifted young Renzo Daverio (Rupert Friend), and a beautiful young girl named Maria Grazia(Surama De Castro), and is to be directed by the Hungarian Lazlo Molnar
 
During the Tosca film shoot the two actors,  Kristina Baumgarten and the English man James Clavel, as the personification of the two different European mentalities - face each other and finally fall in love. They both try to escape reality living inside a movie.  Shooting has to be interrupted as the banks withdraw their backing following the publication of a compromising article about the homosexual relationship between the Jewish Rieti and Renzo.
 
Making one final extraordinary effort to complete the film over one night.  Before the sunrise and before the War, Tosca is finished.  Kristina and Clavel return to their lives in Britain and Germany,  Rieti is arrested.  Months later, in a theatre crowded with critics and interested parties, Tosca is screened for the first time.

Details

Year

2008

Type of film

Features

Running Time

104 mins

Format

35mm

Director

John Irvin

Producer

Antonio Guadalupi, Roberto Bessi, Andre Djaoui, Patrick Irwin, Aron Sipos

Editor

Toby Yates

Screenwriter

Peter Barnes, Fabio Carpi

Director of Photography

Elemér Ragályi

Sound

Giancarlo D'Ellapina

Principal Cast

Jonathan Pryce, Alfred Molina, Catherine McCormack

Genre

• Drama

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 23rd November 2007