Flavio Calzavara has left little trace in the history of Italian cinema. And Confessione, it seems, even less. The Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique posesses a nitrate sound negative. Unfortunately, this was destined for the production of prints of the French version, and certain passages of the original version – the main titles, the end title “Fin”, and some inserts – have had to be replaced by material shot mute in France. It has not been possible so far to find the original sound. In view of the interest of the film, however, it was decided to print it as it is. It is a crime melodrama whose principal defect is a scenario which concentrates on a quite unimportant enigma. To our eyes it seems to be the fruit of a curious mixture of influences. From the American film noir, the opening scene, and the attention paid to the description of the cop as a private person. From French “realism”: the heroine could quite easily have been incarnated by Viviane Romance. And behind all this emerges a climate which in a way looks forward to the films of late Neo-realism. In short, a quite tasty mixture. It was also the first film photographed by Gábor Pogány, and ther are incredible sets created by Italo Cremona.

Jean Marie Buchet