Theatrical Space in Luchino Visconti's Le notti bianche (1957)

Luchino Visconti's fame as a filmmaker tends to eclipse his prolific activity on the stage where over the course of three decades, he established himself as a major figure in postwar Italian theater. In his 1957 film, Le notti bianche , the influence of this work in the theater is undeniable. By mixing the theatrical tradition of the chamber play with the Kammerspielfilme of German silent film, Visconti created a unique marriage between theater and cinema to tell Dostoyevsky's tale of love and longing. While often considered a minor film, this article reconsiders Le notti bianche at the crossroads between dramatic arts.