Giuliano Montaldo's adaptation of Giorgio Bassani's novel tells several stories at once. The title – Gli occhiali d'oro ("The Gold Rimmed Glasses") – was carefully and intelligently chosen. The over-arching subject is, after all, blindness. Or seeing, depending on how one chooses to look at it. One story-line concerns a doctor (played by Philippe Noiret) who is respected as long as he hides his homosexuality. Another deals with a young Jewish man (played by Rupert Everett) who recognizes the threats Mussolini and Hitler pose in the Italy of the 30s. Against these stories of individuals, is one of communal blindness, of intelligent, educated and sensible citizens being lured by fascism. At another level, Gli occhiali d'oro is a scathing critique of the hypocrisy of the upper classes, in which everybody lives behind a facade to uphold their reputation and standing.
Though now difficult to find, Giuliano Montaldo's Gli occhiali d'oro was revered by critics when it came out in 1987. It won the David di Donatello Award for Best Music. The whole score is one of Morricone's most carefully crafted, a tender composition that not only manages to capture the grim atmosphere of the film, its dread and sorrow, but also enhances it, encapsulating the painful loneliness felt by its two protagonists. Gli occhiali d'oro is comprised of several themes: the main theme, which plays over the opening credits; the love theme for David and Nora; the comparatively upbeat "A Cena Con I Ragazzi", the forlorn and trepidatious "Persecuzione Storica"; and the yearning and desolate "Ricordo Del Ghetto".
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One you can never go wrong with anything that has Ennio Morricone name on it, second Caldera Records always brings us scores that will move our ears and last you can refer to one and two again. That being said the score "GLI OCCHIALI D'ORO" is a charming piece filled with levels of touching emotions that is wrapped well around the film's plot design. This score I believe was released once before about 20+ years ago, a sought off collectable for Morricone fans and it's now remastered from Caldera Records. Want to be moved? Get this score!
Jeremy [Six Strings]
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