Waking Up Dead in 15th Century Florence: A Look at Ginevra degli Almieri

Is this for you?

If you like old-school Italian melodramas that feel like they were filmed inside a velvet-lined jewelry box, you might actually like this. It is definitely not for anyone who needs their historical dramas to be fast-paced or logical. If you get annoyed by characters acting like total idiots when they see a woman who is clearly alive, just skip it.

There is something inherently creepy about the whole premise. I mean, the idea of waking up in a tomb is top-tier nightmare fuel. The film leans into that gothic atmosphere, even if it is a bit stiff at times.

Ginevra’s father and husband are the worst. They’re so convinced she’s a ghost that they practically slam the door in her face. It is frustrating to watch, but maybe that's the point. It makes you want to reach into the screen and shake them.

The Painter guy

Then there’s Antonio, the poor painter. He’s the only one with half a brain. He helps her out, but of course, he ends up on trial for it. The logic of the 15th-century legal system here seems to be: if it is weird, blame the guy who doesn't have much money.

Some of the sets look like they are held together by glue and good intentions. There’s a scene where Ginevra is wandering around the streets and the lighting shifts so drastically it looks like she stepped into a different movie entirely. It’s charming in that messy, old-film way.

I found myself thinking about Night while watching this. Both films have this weird, heavy stillness that just sits in the room. They don't rely on quick cuts to make a point.

• The tomb scene goes on for a long time. Like, really long.
• The costumes are wild. Everyone looks like they’re wearing the entire family inheritance.
• The trial sequence feels like it was filmed in a different week than the rest of the movie.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it has a pulse. It’s better than The Honor of the Range in terms of sheer weirdness. I think I’ll keep thinking about that tomb scene for a few days, even if the rest of it fades away by tomorrow.