Le Mannequin was one of the first films to open the 1912 season, a pivotal year for the rise of Italian cinema, especially in relation to the exploration of longer films. Advertised as a “Great passionate drama of real life”, the film stands as a peculiar example of bourgeois tragedy, blending naturalistic elements to depict the struggles of Marcella, a modest model harassed by the owner of the fashion house where she works. This restoration of the only known surviving copy, unfortunately missing the final part, is particularly interesting today for both the opportunity to identify much of the cast (including Mario Bonnard), and for the portrayal of daily life in Ernesto Nathan’s Rome. The film cleverly switches sets and locations, from Piazza dei Cinquecento and its surroundings to the recreation of the legendary Valiani restaurant inside the old Termini station, from Piazza delle Terme (later Piazza dell’Esedra and today Piazza della Repubblica) to the affluent Nomentano district in full development.

Federico Striuli