| La Paura | |
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Belgian theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Roberto Rossellini |
| Produced by | Herman Millakowsky |
| Written by | Roberto Rossellini Sergio Amidei Franz von Treuberg |
| Starring | Ingrid Bergman Mathias Wieman Renate Mannhardt Kurt Kreuger |
| Music by | Renzo Rossellini |
| Cinematography | Carlo Carlini Heinz Schnackertz |
| Editing by | Jolanda Benvenuti Walter Boos |
| Distributed by | Minerva Film SpA |
| Release date(s) | November 5, 1954 (Germany) February 18, 1955 (Italy) |
| Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | Germany Italy |
| Language | German Italy |
La Paura (English: Angst/Fear) is a 1954 drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring his wife Ingrid Bergman. It is based on the Stefan Zweig novel Angst. It was filmed in Munich and was shot simultaneously in German and English. Rossellini created it because he wanted to explore the reconstruction of Germany from both a material and moral standpoint ten years after making his previous German film Germany Year Zero.[1] The film is noirish with aspects reminiscent of Hitchcock and German expressionism.
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Irene Wagner (Bergman), the wife of the prominent German scientist Professor Albert Wagner (Wieman), had been having an affair with Erich Baumann (Kreuger). She does not disclose this to her husband, hoping to preserve his innocence and their "perfect marriage". This fills her with anxiety and guilt. However, Johann Schultze (Mannhardt), Erich's jealous ex-girlfriend, learns about the affair and begins to blackmail Irene, turning Irene's psychological torture into a harsh reality. When Irene finds out that the extortion plot is truly an experiment in fear, she is driven into a homicidal/suicidal rage. The story is told in flashback by Irene after her death.
The film did not do well when it was released in Italy and Germany. Consequently, the Italian distributor edited the film and re-released it as Non credo più all'amore. In this edited version, a fishing scene is shortened and an explanatory narration is added to two silent scenes. In addition, the ending was changed from a scene showing Bergman attempting suicide to a scene showing her family in the countryside, after Bergman had left her husband, living on for the sake of her children.
The daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini, is working on buying the rights to this film and others made by her father and featuring her mother. The films will then be edited and rereleased on DVD. This is a long term project.
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