One of the most revelatory retrospectives I had the opportunity to experience was dedicated to Luchino Visconti, taking place back in 2018 at Film at Lincoln Center. Across 14 features, his filmography begs to be experienced on the big screen, and now one of his underseen gems has been restored in 4K and will be given a theatrical release.
Conversation Piece, his 1974 melodrama that would be his penultimate film, stars Burt Lancaster, Helmut Berger, Silvana Mangano, and Romolo Valli, with appearances by Claudia Cardinale and Dominique Sanda. Ahead of a theatrical run courtesy of Kino Lorber, beginning on January 23 at NYC’s Film Forum, we’re pleased to debut the new restoration trailer.
Here’s the synopsis: “Into the quiet, sequestered life of retired professor Burt Lancaster steps vulgar aristocrat Silvana Mangano, who suddenly moves into the upper floors of his house in Rome, along with her daughter, her daughter’s boyfriend, and the effete gigolo Helmut Berger. A highbrow melodrama and provocative essay on class, art, sex, and death, CONVERSATION PIECE stands as one of Visconti’s most personal works, featuring one of Lancaster’s most poignant performances.”
See the exclusive trailer below and learn more here.