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.