Elisabetta Valgoi

"Adapted from a 1909 novel by Jack London yet set in a provocatively unspecified moment in Italy's history, [this film] is a passionate and enthralling narrative fresco in the tradition of the great Italian classics. Martin ... is a self-taught proletarian with artistic aspirations who hopes that his dreams of becoming a writer will help him rise above his station and marry a wealthy young university student ... . The dissatisfactions of working-class...