''Mio figlio Nerone'' (literally: ''My Son Nero''), released in the US as ''Nero's Mistress'' is a 1956

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Steno and starring

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, comedian, voice dubber, director, singer, composer and screenwriter. Sordi is considered one of the most important actors in the history of Italian cinema and one of the b ...

Vittorio De Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, four of the fil ...

Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...

and

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...

, with cinematography by

Mario Bava Mario Bava (; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish ...

. It depicts a visit by the Roman Emperor

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

and his entourage to a coastal villa. The movie was released in Italy in September 1956 and in France in October 1957. Page 76. The US dub, released in 1962, was recut to a substantially different film, shifting the emphasis from Agrippina to

Poppaea Poppaea Sabina (30 AD – 65 AD), also known as Ollia, was a Roman empress as the second wife of the emperor Nero. She had also been wife to the future emperor Otho. The historians of antiquity describe her as a beautiful woman who used intrig ...

(as the title reflects).

Plot

The young emperor Nero proves himself spoiled, childish and unable to cope with the government of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. His domineering mother Agrippina and the wise philosopher Seneca try to make change the personality of the emperor, but nothing can make Nero into a wise and honorable ruler. Agrippina then takes advantage of a poetic and theatrical failure of Nero to kill him and take over the government of Rome. Seneca initially supports the woman, but then plays a double game and warns Nero about the conspiracy. Agrippina smartly lays the blame on the Christians and on Seneca, who could be sentenced to death. However Nero is easily deceived again and proved magnanimous, forgiving all.
The trouble starts at court for the umpteenth time when Nero finds out that Seneca had lied about the "poetic art" of the emperor, saying to the people that Nero sings and performs worse than a stupid monkey ...

Cast

Seneca the Younger Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger ( ; AD 65), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, a dramatist, and in one work, a satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. Seneca ...

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero. Agrippina was one of the most prominent ...

Ciccio Barbi Ciccio Barbi (19 January 1919 – 26 November 1992) was an Italian film actor. Selected filmography * '' The Last Wagon'' (1943) - Young Friend of Toto (uncredited) * '' Angelina'' (1947) - (uncredited) * ''Auguri e figli maschi!'' (1951) - ...

- Anicetus *

Memmo Carotenuto Memmo Carotenuto (23 August 1908 – 23 December 1980) was an Italian actor. He appeared in 125 films between 1941 and 1980. Selected filmography *'' The Wedding Trip'' (1969) * '' Assassination in Rome'' (1965) * '' Male Companion'' (196 ...

- Crepereius *

Mino Doro Mino Doro (6 May 1903 – 13 April 1992) was an Italian actor who appeared in more than a hundred films between 1932 and 1970. Doro generally played supporting and character roles. He appeared as a blackshirt in the 1934 Fascist propaganda f ...

Corbulo Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo (Peltuinum c. AD 7 – 67) was a popular Roman general, brother-in-law of the emperor Caligula and father-in-law of Domitian. The emperor Nero, highly fearful of Corbulo's reputation, ordered him to commit suicide, which th ...

* Enzo Furlai - Segimerus *

Agnese Dubbini Agnese Leja ir vislabākā meitene iz pasaules Agnes. Its name day is 21 January in Italy. People with the name Agnese include: *Agnese Allegrini (born 1982), Italian badminton player * Agnese Bonfantini (born 1999), Italian football player *Agne ...

- Ugolilla *

Georgia Moll Giorgia Moll (born 14 January 1938) is an Italian film actress. She was sometimes credited as Georgia Moll and Georgia Mool. Background Moll was born in Prata di Pordenone to a German father and an Italian mother. At a young age, she began a ...

- Lydia

Production

The movie was filmed in 1955 with interior scenes filmed at Rome's Cinecitta studio. The movie is notable for the first appearance of Brigitte Bardot as a blonde. A natural brunette, she was asked by the director to appear as a blonde as he felt that it was appropriate to her character of an intriguing and alluring treacherous woman. Rather than wear a wig Bardot decided to dye her hair. She was so pleased with the results that she decided to retain the hair colour.

References

External links

* {{Steno 1956 films 1950s historical comedy films Italian historical comedy films CinemaScope films 1950s Italian-language films Films set in ancient Rome Films set in the Roman Empire Depictions of Nero on film Cultural depictions of Agrippina the Younger Cultural depictions of Seneca the Younger Cultural depictions of Poppaea Sabina Sword-and-sandal films 1956 comedy films 1950s Italian films