Loyalty of Love: A Dusty Piece of History

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like you’re trapped in a museum display case, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. It’s slow. It’s stiff. It’s very focused on its own historical importance.

If you need a movie that moves, or god forbid, has a sense of humor, stay far away. This isn't exactly The Little Giant in terms of pacing.

The whole thing feels like it was filmed through a layer of heavy, velvet curtains. Count Federico Confalonieri spends so much time looking noble and suffering in silence that I started to wonder if he had any other hobbies. It’s a heavy-handed drama that takes its own subject matter way too seriously.

Teresa Casati is the real center of the gravity here, obviously. Her quest to get the emperor to change the death penalty to life imprisonment is the only thing keeping the plot from just being a series of sad portraits. There’s a specific scene where she’s pleading her case, and the camera lingers on her face for an eternity. It’s intense, but maybe just a few seconds past the point of being effective.

You can almost see the actors trying to navigate those massive, uncomfortable 1820s costumes while hitting their marks. It’s distracting. Sometimes a sleeve or a collar seems to have more screen time than the actual plot points. It’s not quite as chaotic as Control Yourself, but the lack of natural movement makes everyone look like they’re glued to the floorboards.

The Spielberg prison scenes are gray. Very, very gray. The lighting changes entirely once we go inside, which is a nice touch, but it also makes the whole thing feel like it’s being shot in a damp basement. It’s a bit of a slog, honestly.

Random thoughts from the back row:

• The dialogue sounds like it was written by someone who had never actually spoken to another human being in their life.
• I think I counted at least three different chandeliers that probably cost more than the lead actor’s wardrobe.
• There’s a moment with a letter delivery that takes about four minutes of screen time. Four minutes.
• If you squint, some of the background extras look like they’re just waiting for the craft services table to open.

It lacks the spark you find in something like The Sweetness of Loving. It’s a perfectly functional historical piece, sure. But it’s missing a heartbeat. It’s just people in fancy clothes talking about how sad they are to be in the 19th century. 🏛️

Still, if you’re a fan of Italian historical dramas, you’ll likely forgive the stiffness. Just don’t expect to be surprised by anything. It’s exactly as heavy as it looks on the poster.