简介：Atop-prizewinnerattheCannesandBerlinfestivals,thisstrikingdrama(originallyknownasTHEFORBIDDENCHRIST)islargelyforgottentoday.Butitsurvives,fortunately,asauniquebridgebetweenItaly'spostwarneorealistcinemaandthemorestylized,philosophicalandpersonalcinemaauteurslikeFedericoFelliniandMichelangeloAntonioniwouldsoonbringtointernationalaudiences.VirileRafValloneplaysBruno,newlyreturnedtohisTuscanbirthplaceafteryearsspentinaRussianPOWcamp.Whatshouldbeahappyhomecomingistemperedbyhisgrimdeterminationtowreakvengeanceonwhoeverbetrayedhispartisanbrothertofascistassassins.Itseemseveryone(evenBruno'slong-sufferingmother)knowstheidentityofthattraitorbutnonewilltellhim.Thefilmislargelyaseriesofvignettesinwhichhereuniteswithandquestionsfellowvillagers,oftenengagingtheminsearching,somberconversationsaboutreligion,poverty,guiltandjustice.When,atlast,Bruno'squestisfulfilled,itisnotremotelyresolvedinthewaythathe'danticipated.Thiswastheonlyfeaturewritten/directed(and,curiously,alsoscored)byCurzioMalaparte,acontroversial,esteemedItalianauthorandintellectualwhoseworkwasatvarioustimescondemnedbybothBonitoMussoliniandtheVatican.Withitsnoirishlightingandenigmaticnarrative,STRANGEDECEPTIONisaworkofartsuffusedwiththedeepestpost-WWIIdisillusionmentandpessimism.-DennisHarvey…