The Last Tarantella (1992)

"The Last Tarantella" is a television film-ballet directed by Aleksandr Belinsky and choreographer Oleg Ignatiev, based on the story of Maxim Gorky about Nuncha from the "Tales of Italy", filmed in 1992 at the Lenfilm studio. The St. Jacob Square is justly proud of its fountain, at which the vegetable vendor, Nuncha, danced - the first recognized beauty and the happiest person in the world. Nuncha's husband, Stefano, out of jealousy, started a fight in the square and died from a rival's knife. At twenty-three, Nuncha was left a widow with a five-year-old daughter in her arms. She had a lot of admirers. Once she left for Sicily with a forester from England. After returning, she again began to live among her own people, as always cheerful and enjoying life. For ten years Nuncha shone like a star, until her grown-up daughter, Nina, began to overshadow her beauty. Woodcutter, Enrico Borbone, who came from Australia, began to look after both Nuncha and Nina. The rivalry between mother and daughter developed into a dance marathon, which the mother won. Nina, broken and offended by the failure, fell on the steps of the porch. Not allowing herself to rest, Nuncha again wished to dance the tarantella, and in the midst of the dance, she suddenly died of a heart attack. Compared to Gorky's story, the plot is modified: Stefano, Nuncha's husband, is not sent to prison for a fight, but dies, and Nuncha remains a widow. The fisherman, Arthur Lano, who was originally in the script, was not needed when the director gave up the dialogue. Corps de ballet of Mariinsky theatre took part in a film.