20 minutes of Carmelo Bene screaming at walls and it's somehow art.
In 1966, Bene presented The Pink and the Black, his successful theatrical adaptation of Matthew Gregory Lewis’ lurid Gothic novel from 1796. Experimental filmmaker Paolo Brunatto filmed some of the play’s rehearsals in a Rome apartment (also frequented also by the Living Theatre). Bene's artistry is encapsulated in one sentence: “One cannot continue to prostitute the idea of theatre, which stands only for a magical, brutal link with reality."
Acting
Carmelo Bene's entire body becomes a weapon of theatre.
Direction
Brunatto captures rehearsal as sacred, messy ritual.
Production
Rome apartment becomes Gothic cathedral through sheer will.
Director
Paolo Brunatto
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bene was Italy's most controversial theatre figure, essentially banned from state television for being too disruptive. This film preserves his work exactly where institutions wouldn't.
The 'pink and black' title refers to the two editions of Lewis's novel—expurgated and lurid. Bene's production deliberately chose the most excessive version, making this a manifesto for artistic extremity over tasteful compromise.
IT
