L’Inferno (1911), with live score by Montopolis

L'Inferno (1911)

L'INFERNO (1911, dir by Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, Giuseppe De Liguoro, Italy, 73mns) DCP

With live original score by Montopolis!

We are excited and honored to partner again with the Secret Movie Club to present a special screening of Italy's first ever (!!) feature length movie with live original score by Austin, Texas indie chamber group Montopolis.

It makes sense that the Italians would choose their home-grown poetic masterpiece to adapt as their first feature movie. THE INFERNO has gripped our imaginations since Dante wrote it hundreds of years ago. In it, Dante himself, with ancient poet Virgil as a guide, descends and visits the nine circles of hell.

The movie was notorious for its depictions of excessive gore, horrific set pieces, graphic violence, nudity, sex to scare the audience into becoming God-fearing (or at least coming back and buying more tickets for an encore). As Cecil B DeMille and Hollywood would shortly discover, you can sneak a whole lot of sensational material into a movie if it comes from a bible story and is ostensibly a condemnation of the titillating behavior you're showing.

"Adapted from Dante Alighieri's epic 14th century poem and inspired by the classical illustrations by Gustave Doré, Dante's Inferno tells the story of Dante's journey through the circles of Hell.  Barred from entering the Hill of Salvation, Dante is guided through Hell by the ancient poet Virgil. He encounters numerous beasts and creatures, historical figures, infamous sinners and even people, he knew when they were alive.

"Dante's Inferno became a huge international success due to its spectacular set designs, the surprisingly liberal depictions of nudity and its gruesome special effects. It is considered the oldest surviving feature film and was the very first feature film to be shown in its entirety in one show in the US." - https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/LInferno-Blu-ray/317955/

All this cinematic inspiration will be happening to the live original score of the indie chamber group Montopolis.

Montopolis is an indie chamber music group from Austin, Texas that performs the works of composer Justin Sherburn. Their music folds country and folk idioms into modern classical arrangements with inventive instrumentation to create "stunning and transcendent" (Austin Chronicle) concerts. 

Their programs are audience-engaging, multi-media events that combine live music with video and interactive story telling. Their most recent albums, Music for Enchanted Rock and The Legend of Big Bend, are themed around Texan ecological points of interest. Montopolis will continue to be inspired by and draw attention to the natural wonders of our state, country and planet. The Montopolis musicians include members of the Austin Symphony, Okkervil River, Tosca String Quartet, and the Polyphonic Spree.