L'uomo delle stelle

Plot synopsis:
A single human narrator from England is transported out of his body via unexplained means. He realizes he is able to explore space and other planets. After exploring a civilization on another planet in our galaxy at a level of development similar to our own that existed millions of years ago thousands of light years from Earth (the "Other Earth") in some detail, his mind merges with that of one of its inhabitants, and as they travel together, they are joined by still more minds or group-minds. This snowballing process is paralleled by the expansion of the book's scale, describing more and more planets in less and less detail.
The disembodied travelers encounter many ideas that are interesting from both science-fictional and philosophical points of view. These include the first known instance of what is now called the Dyson sphere; a reference to a scenario closely predicting the later zoo hypothesis or Star Trek's Prime Directive; many imaginative descriptions of species, civilizations and methods of warfare; descriptions of the Multiverse; and the idea that the stars and even pre-galactic nebulae are intelligent beings, operating on vast time scales. A key idea is the formation of collective minds from many telepathically linked individuals, on the level of planets, galaxies, and eventually the cosmos itself.
A symbiotic species, each individual composed of two species, both non-humanoid, is discussed in detail. Normally detached from the galaxy's turmoil, they intervene in a deus ex machina to end the threat of a civilization dedicated to the idea of total insanity trying to force its mentality onto one stellar civilization after another.
The climax of the book is the "supreme moment of the cosmos", when the cosmical mind (which includes the narrator) attains momentary contact with the Star Maker, the creator of the universe. but stands in the same relation to it as an artist to his work, and calmly assesses its quality without any feeling for the suffering of its inhabitants. This element makes the novel one of Stapledon's efforts to write "an essay in myth making".
After meeting the Star Maker, the traveler is given a "fantastic myth or dream," in which he observes the Star Maker at work. He discovers that his own cosmos is only one of a vast number, and by no means the most significant. He sees the Star Maker's early work, and he learns that the Star Maker was surprised and intensely interested when some of his early "toy" universes — for example a universe composed entirely of music with no spatial dimensions — displayed "modes of behavior that were not in accord with the canon which he had ordained for them." He sees the Star Maker experimenting with more elaborate universes, which include the traveler's own universe, and a triune universe which closely resembles "Christian orthodoxy" (the three universes respectively being hell, heaven, and reality with presence of a savior). The Star Maker goes on to create "mature" universes of extraordinary complexity, culminating in an "ultimate cosmos," through which the Star Maker fulfills his own eternal destiny as "the ground and crown of all things." Finally, the traveler returns to Earth at the place and time he left, to resume his life there.

Tags: insanity, romantic, avant garde, murder

Review:
Joe Morelli is a scam artist that loves to prey on innocent people in the poorer regions of Italy.
The movie is set after WWII in a ruined Italy that hasn't come out of its defeat and most of the population is having a hard time eking a life, mainly from the land.Morelli, pretending to be a scout for a big Rome studio is seen traveling the back ways of Sicily with his small van that opens up to a mini studio where the unsuspecting people of those towns flock for a screen test that no one will ever see.
For the price of 1,500 lire they get a chance to act for the con man and his camera, hoping they will be the next discovery, once the film is seen by the big casting directors in Rome.Giuseppe Tornatore has a love for the cinema, as he showed with "Nuovo cinema Paradiso", which chronicled, perhaps, his own childhood in a small town in Sicily.
Mr. Tornatore is a director that hasn't forgotten his roots, as he demonstrates with this tale about innocent common people being duped because their love and the allure of the cinema, that dream making medium.Sergio Castellitto, one of the best actors working today in the Italian cinema, does a wonderful job interpreting Morelli for the director.
Also, Morelli finds in Beata, the sweet and innocent girl from a convent a love he never knew he was capable of having.Beata, is played by Tiziana Lodato, a beautiful young actress who is the one that makes Morelli understand his guilt after he is beaten and young Beata is interned in an institution.
Franco Scaldatto has some good moments in the film.This is a film that will not disappoint fans of Giuseppe Tornatore because of his vision about people love for the cinema..
This attractive Italian film featured an interesting story and some pretty women.
It's a story about a man who dupes the natives (Sicilians, in this case) into thinking they could become movies stars after paying money to him to get a personal screen test.
This movie, by the director of Cinema Paradiso, "disappointed" a lot of American movie reviewers because it lacks the sentimentality and pat structure of CP.
A seemingly heartless con-man (Sergio Castellito) goes around post-World War II Sicily filming most everyone, for a price, and leads villagers to believe that he is a talent scout for a film studio.
Castellito meets up with many vivid characters, but none more so than the beautiful Tiziana Lodato (in her first screen role).
Soon the young lady is begging Castellito to take her to the land of movie-making and in the process he falls in love with her and acquires a conscience.
Apparently he may change his ways and then again maybe not, but it becomes very clear that the local authorities may catch up to Castellito before the film runs its course.
"The Star Maker" was a Best Foreign Language Film nominee at the Academy Awards in 1995.
Co-written and directed by horribly under-rated Italian film-maker Giuseppe Tornatore (who struck Foreign Language Oscar gold in 1989 with "Cinema Paradiso", one of my all-time favorite pictures), "The Star Maker" is a flawed work because of a strange tone that makes it an uneven experience at times.
The performers come and go, but Lodato's appearance about half-way through was enough to put the movie over the top.
Tornatore was able to grab everyone with "Cinema Paradiso".
Regardless of whether you liked that film or not, you should have cared for the primary characters.
The final haunting scenes are reminiscent of the emotionally-charged montage to the magic of motion pictures in "Cinema Paradiso" and thankfully by that point most everything was presented well enough to make "The Star Maker" an important and worthy addition to the Italian world of films.
Master director Tornatore returns to the same subject of his wonderful Cinema Paradiso: a movie about movies.
This time, at the end of the forties, a bad guy goes on the road of a very poor Italia pretending to be a scout for movie studios of Rome.
He steals money from these poor people full of dreams to become movie stars.
One day, a teenager takes very seriously her faith to be a movie star and goes with the bad man.
Sergio Castellito, one of the best actors of Italy, gives a very strong performance, so is the charming young Lodato (Gee!
For me, it's the third best of the kind, after Woody Allen Purple Rose of Cairo, and, of course, Cinema Paradiso.
Joe Morelli (Sergio Castellitto) is a flimflam man who is driving around the rural villages of Sicily shortly after World War II selling potential stardom for fifteen hundred lira.
As he drives through the villages he broadcasts to the people that he is from the film industry of Roma and he is giving screen tests in order to discover natural talent.He sets up his truck and tent typically in the town square.
He has discovered that people will fall for his flattery and pay him for the fake screen tests.As we watch the film we discover that people will put their hearts and souls into the experience of appearing before his camera.
He has a gift for the hustle and is blind to the real emotion that he evokes.A woman believes his teenaged daughter has the talent to make it in the movies.
He is stopped by the local police chief, but Morelli manages to flatter him into appearing before his camera and then applauds the chief's performance.
She exposes herself to the local tax man to raise the 1500 lira needed for Morelli's screen test.
I think it is this quality that director Giuseppe Tornatore has developed in his character that carries the film, and Sergio Castellitto whom I saw recently in Non ti muovere (Don't Move) (2004) really becomes the part.Tornatore, who made a splash with the critically acclaimed Cinema Paradiso (1988) wrote the original material here and worked on the script in addition to directing.
While I thought Cinema Paradiso was an excellent film, I liked this one even more.
Particularly striking are the beautiful village scenes, the faces of the people, and the photography of the Sicilian countryside and ruins.(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!).
The Profiles Will Linger With You. A fast-talker rolls through postwar Sicily selling the dream of movie stardom, and in the process uncovers the desires and  desperation of the townspeople.
In Guiseppe Tornatore's 'The Starmaker', Dr. Morelli travels around post-war Sicily offering to turn people into movie stars.
He is, of course, a con-man, but in giving the people a space to vent their dreams, he actually performs a kind of public service.
It's a nice idea, and there are some charming details in the film, but as a whole, this movie is somewhat contrived and it runs of the risk of representing the Sicilian peasantry as little more than idiots.
Some of the same themes (the death of traditional but impoverished societies, the desire of their inhabitants to escape to a new life, the semi-racist superiority of money-making outsiders) are dealt with more obliquely, but also more cleverly and in a broader context, by Guilo Amelio's breathtaking 'Lamerica', another Italian film made at about the same time, which I would heartily recommend..
The Star Maker tells such a simple story that I was puzzled as to why its emotional impact grew long after I had seen it.
It relates a series of encounters of con man `Dottore' Joe Morelli (Sergio Castellitto) with his marks.
The contrast of the physical beauty of Sicily with its poverty alone is sufficient to grab your attention.
But the most powerful contrast is seen in the faces of the Sicilians during their screen tests.
Giuseppe Tornatore magically captures the hopes and the desperations of his would-be stars as they appear before the `Dottore's' camera.
If you see European movies like this after all the American commercial rubbish you get a glimpse of what film can give us!
Good acting and writing, beautiful locations, a lot of strong character studies and very, very impressive camera work.
"Cinema Paradiso" director Tornatore cranked out this Oscar nominated film, "The Star Maker", which tells of a traveling talent scout who buoys the hopes and dreams of the simple people of rural post-WWII Sicily with screen tests and promises of making it in the movies.
Although there's little arc to the story of the vicissitudes of wandering con man Sergio (Morelli), there's is much beauty in the picturesque Sicilian countryside and the olive visages of the many would-be stars who tell their stories to Sergio's empty camera.
Good Sex. I love reading the comments by the I assume female writers who took time to critique this film.
This film takes place a long time ago in a place that still would be considered backwards.
This film isn't any sort of great achievement, but it is sucessful in portraying rather accuratly conditions in post war Italy.
Tornatore did to me with this movie what he failed to do with "Cinema Paradiso".
I used to blame myself for being insensitive comparing to people's reactions after "Cinema Paradiso" but now after this movie I know that it's not me, but the "virgin" audience in good movies that overreacted.The Starmaker is simply Perfect.
As for the New York Times comments on the movie......
People have to understand that the old critiques of NYT that actually knew more than we do about movies are not around anymore!
Another masterpiece from the creator of Cinema Paradiso, one of the greatest films ever made.
The Star Maker isn't really any less fabulous either, but with just a different angle to the old cinema based on a deep love for classic film making.
A fantastic person gallery and a catching of scenery that some Italian film makers seem to be true masters of, and Giuseppe Tornatore is one of the very best.
Story telling and creation of characters is simply brilliant.
This movie is about the cinema and the excitement it makes between people.
Like many other Juiseppe Tornatore's movie, this deeply delighting movie is comprised of simplicity, drama, and comedy.
Cinema looks like life and keeps people away from their loneliness; people search their hopes and wishes in the screen.
It is the secret of cinema and its eternity which allures people to lay themselves bare in front of the Joe Morelli's camera.
They don't want to be star, they just want to be themselves and the camera makes them to be seen.
In front of the camera, they are more honest than any other time in their lives; the Young speak about their wishes and dreams and the older people tell story about their past and memories.
The growing emotional relation between Morelli and Beata are not as strong as it is supposed to be and it is the weak of the movie.
It might be due to Tornatore tries to bold the funny part of the movie rather than the drama..
Although the movie falls into the type of drama that one associates with Italian film, this gem lingers on the mind after having seen it.
The main character, who is out to survive post-WWII, takes advantage of his victims, who reveal themselves in ways that are comedic to engrossing.
The beauty of the setting, Sicily, serves to increase the contrast from the people who are conspired against, yet willingly give their money for a shot at greatness, but more to escape the doldrums of life, and the monotony of struggle.
This is one of those films that needs to be watched, or at least added to the movie list of those that have to be watched.
From the same director that bought us the Oscar winning Cinema Paradiso, The Star Maker is a story of a con man that travels around Sicily giving false hope to everyday folk telling them they could be the next big star of the movies for a small screen test fee.
Many critics say that Cinema Paradiso is the better film but I disagree.
This is my favourite film by Tornatore out of the three of his movies I have seen so far.
"Stanno Tutti Bene" is also worth a look as well as "Cinema Paradiso" but this is more superior to both.One of my favourite foreign films of all time...I don't know how it didn't win the Academy Award for Best Foreign film.
An Italian con man goes around all of Sicily, tricking people out of their money for a chance at stardom.
The characters who confess their sins, their hopes, their dreams, their fears, in front of the camera are interesting, often emotional.
Also, the view of women portrayed in this movie is sexist, and I'm sorry to say, one that is common in Italy and Italian cinema that I've seen.
The "daughter of the Virgin Mary" shows herself to men for money, and says it's for love when she offers to give sexual favors to the main character.
None of the sex in this movie is about love, it's all about giving sex to the main character to get something in return.I see some links to Cinema Paradiso, but overall, I can't believe this is by the same filmmaker..
After the sicilian-themed "Cinema Paradiso" and "Stanno Tutti Bene", Giuseppe Tornatore returns with another motion picture heaviliy imbued into sicilian themes and modern history.
The vehicle he uses expose the audience of what Sicily is, is by showing the daily travails of an intinerant quack who claims to be a movie talent scout that collects fees from the gullible audience for the expenses of the film trials and proofs.
And sometimes it is something that in normal circumstances they would never reveal, but here, in front of a camera and a chance to be seen by the Rossellinis and the De Sicas of Rome, in just two minutes of trial length, they literally confess their lifetime secrets and beings to the screening record.
The Man from Rome, after listening to days and days from his "clients", he concludes that the sicilian populace is an ignorant one, something that is echoed by the doctor to whom he gives a lift with his truck to a rural site where a farmer was dying.
Interestingly enough, in that film,  the main character *is* a doctor, who is advised by the Priest "not to waste time with these ignorant people".
We see all the sicilian characters:  the Carabiniere may be like one in "Giorno della Civetta";  the Brigand may be like one in "Salvatore Giuliano", the Dongiovanni may be like one in "I Basilischi", and the indoor cafe crowds may be like the ones seen in "L'Avventura".
So many motion pictures have tried to portray it.While the stories in "Salvatore Giuliano", "I Basilischi", and "L'Avventura" were current to when these motion pictures were made (early sixties), more recently made motion pictures about Sicily retroactively show a "how it once was" attitute by showing a nostalgic remembrance of the populace and their lifestyles.
"Cinema Paradiso" is also a retrospective of since-gone lifestyles and relationships.
And this nostalgic attitude on the past, as if the old days were better, is a trademark of Giuseppe Tornatore, exemplified in "Stanno Tutti Bene" in which a father is deceived by his children on their professional career status.
Even in "Cinema Paradiso" we get the impression that movie-going was better in the old days.
So the old days of the rural south were better because people socialized.
This motion picture shows great outdoor scenery of stone towns in Sicily.
The camera is moved around to show the dynamism of people moving about in a hill town.
Otherwise, I found the story weak, and the portrail of the characters silly, simplistic, and stupid.
While in "I Basilischi" the characters are funny but intelligent, here we encounter people that we must assume are idiotic.
With a large budget on filming a story about Sicily, I think here there was a wasted opportunity to make a potentially good movie, but lost its chance in silly portrail of its characters..
A wonderful movie that reminds you of Fellini.
Tornatore weaves a beautiful script following the path of Joe Morelli, who travels through Sicily claiming he is a talent scout for the famous film companies of Rome.
The scenery is exquisite and the stories the people divulge in his film are heart-wrenching and sincere, making the tale all the more easy to believe.
In retrospect the movie closely mirrors the filmography of Fellini (think "La Strada") and becomes slightly predictable as a result, but given that Tornatore himself is Sicilian this film might be more autobiographical than one might suppose.A great film nonetheless, and strongly recommended.
Another excellent movie by Tornatore.
Tornatore can do pretty much everything he wants with a movie.
SO far all the movies I have seen directed by him are simply excellent.
When watching the movie I will pay close attention to the long acts and way the camera moves.
Though I had a lot of problems with the sex scenes in the film.
About 30 minutes into the film, the main character has sex with a woman as payment because she cannot afford the 1,500 lira payment for her daughter's screen test.
Throughout the rest of the film I was hoping that that scene would be it however there was more.
In another scene, he hits the woman that is falling in love with him and he then takes her virginity away.
I feel that while the film is trying to set up a certain persona for this character, these scenes were not necesary and only contributes to the perpetuation that for men to feel in control they must treat women as animals.