Graziella

Graziella is a story you can still feel here in Procida, like the wind brushing past the boats. Kraak! It’s a 1955 film directed by Giorgio Bianchi, based on the true story of Alphonse de Lamartine, a man who truly lived this sea.

The story begins in 1821, in Naples. Alfonso is staying with his uncle and one evening he joins two fishermen for “lampare” fishing — that means using lights at night to attract fish under the boat. Criii! But the sea changes quickly, and a storm catches them.

The waves carry them to Procida, where Alfonso is welcomed by Andrea, a boat master — the one in charge of the boat — who lives with his wife and his niece Graziella. A simple home, like calm days at sea.

That night, the storm destroys Andrea’s boat. Yet something powerful happens: Alfonso gives him a new one. Squa-squa! A gesture that brings hope back, like sunlight after a storm.

During the days on the island, between silence and glances, Alfonso meets Graziella. She is simple, romantic… and a gentle feeling grows between them, like a soft sea breeze.

But Alfonso must return to Naples, called by his uncle. He promises to come back, while Graziella is pushed toward an engagement with her cousin Cecco.

When Alfonso meets Andrea and his wife again in Naples, he returns with them to Procida. Here Graziella should promise herself to her cousin, but she has disappeared. Did you know? Alfonso finds her in a hermit’s hut — someone who lives alone, far from others — a place she had engraved for him on a cameo, a small carved jewel.

Alfonso decides to marry her, but he must leave again, this time for Paris. The wait becomes long, like a windless boat… and Graziella slowly fades away.

When Alfonso returns, called back by a sorrowful letter, the sea is still… too still. Graziella is gone.

Genre: RomanceYear: 1954Director: Giorgio BianchiActors: Maria Fiore, Jean-Pierre Mocky