TODAY'S NUGGET: Rocco and His Brothers (1960) - How Pacing Helps to Flesh Out a Character

[Quick Summary: Rocco and his brothers are uprooted to Milan, where a prostitute comes between him and his brother Simone.]

I appreciate that Visconti scripts are very naturalistic, but disciplined.

It takes a lot of rewriting:
a)  to make sure that the right pacing gives characters and scenes time to breathe, but not dawdle; and
b)  to boil down characters and scenes to their essences.

For example, in the scene below: 
- Rosaria is the mother of Rocco and his brothers.
- Vincenzo is one of her sons.
- They are quite poor and live squashed together in housing for the evicted. 
- Notice how the writers take the time to show Rosario's mental calculations through her reactions: She hears Vincenzo, freezes, carries on wrapping, expresses her thoughts to Ciro, then addresses Vincenzo. 
- This fleshes out Rosaria into a three dimensional character. She has a life outside this scene and concerns other than Vincenzo.  The writers give her time to finish what she was doing (wrapping) then turn to Vincenzo's problem.  

 

Rosaria's room at the housing for the evicted.

...As Luca runs to rummage through some drawers, a heavy silence settles over the room, as if something is about to happen. Rosaria clears the table. The others get up. Luca bring the paper and Rosaria begins to wrap up the remaining sweets.  Vincenzo and Ginetta gaze at each other for mutual support. Then Vincenzo speaks.

VINCENZO (suddenly taking courage): Mama, Ginetta and I have to get married! 

Rosario freezes for a moment. Then she continues wrapping up the sweets in silence. She seems not to have heard.

ROSARIA: Tell Ciro to eat them, and that I'm sending them to him.

A very expressive glance passes between Vincenzo and Ginetta.

VINCENZO: Ma, did you hear what I said?

Rosaria turns and hand him the package. She is cold as stone.

ROSARIA: (her voice trembling): Vince, what are you asking me? (Louder) What are you telling me? (She indicates Ginetta for the first time, alluding to the Ginnellis.) After what happened with them, if you want me consent...(Melodramatically) you'll have to bury me first. (She gestures broadly toward Ginetta.) It's just a pity for this poor girl who doesn't have much to do with it.

 But Vincenzo touches Ginetta's head and finds the strength to go on.

VINCENZO: No, I'm marrying her, Mama. I'm telling you I'm going to marry her.

Rosaria shrieks in answer.

ROSARIA (shouting): You're treating me this way? My sons treat me this way? Can a person stand such injustice?

She strides up and down the room, prey to an exaggerated agitation.

ROCCO (trying to stop her): Calm down, Mama. Ginetta's a good girl. Why shouldn't Vincenzo marry her?  

ROSARIA (impersonally): If Vincenzo wants to do just what he wants to, it means he hasn't got a mother any more. (She throws herself on her home-town saints - blooming there for Easter - and groans.) I've brought them up, I've taken care of them, I've watched over them, these sons of mine...And now must they raise their heads? (She continues to address the saints, as everyone listens in an atmosphere charged with apprehension; looking at the saints.) Vince, open your eyes, open your eyes. "Two eyes have gazed upon you -- three want to help you - Saint Anne, Saint Lena, Saint Mary Magdalen..."

VINCENZO: Mama, what are you exorcising for? (Embarrassed pause) It's too late... (Resolutely) now. 

WHAT I'VE LEARNED:  I don't trust the audience like these writers do.  

I worry I'm boring the audience, so jump to answering the question too quickly.  

Here, the writers observe reality, which is that Rosaria has a lot on her mind and would be juggling in her head how to respond.  They allow the question to linger (will Rosaria give her approval) and give her time to finish what she was doing.  This fleshes out the character because Rosaria's actions are not about getting to the next plot point, but about what she'd really do as a mother living her life. 

Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
by Luchino Visconti, Suso Cocchi d'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa, Enrico Medioli
Based on the book Il Ponte della Ghisolfa, by Giovanni Testori