Perils of Cupid (Part 2)

Directed by Mike Newell; Written by Jule Selbo; Starring Corey Carrier, Lloyd Owen, Ruth de Sosa; Margaret Tyzack, Georges Corraface

The next stop for the Jones family is Florence, Italy, where they attend a performance of La Boheme and meet Giacomo Puccini, a passionate composer who is instantly enamored with Anna Jones. She was moved to tears by his music, and friction develops between them.

While Professor Jones is visiting Rome, Puccini  offers to accompany Anna, Indy, and Miss Seymour to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, where Indy and Miss Seymour plan to test Galileo’s gravity theory. While Indy and his tutor climb the steps to the top of the tower, Puccini bares his heart to Anna, telling her that he can’t hear music now that he and his wife are estranged. She’s moved by his openness, as she is his music. Meanwhile, Indy and Miss Seymour reach the top and drop two irons, both of which hit the ground at the same time.

The following day, the group wanders around Florence to look at more statues, including Michelangelo’s David. Puccini puts his arm around Anna, and she tells him not to do that, and after she feigns being unwell, the group returns to the Reale residence, where they have been staying.

But later Anna runs off to meet Puccini at the Boboli Gardens, and they kiss passionately. She accompanies him to a performance of Madama Butterfly, watching from the wings. When she returns, it’s clear Miss Seymour knows where she’s been, or at least who she’s been with, and she does not approve. Margaret Tyzack gives the best dour expressions!

The next day, Miss Seymour and Indy visit a science museum to continue studying Galileo. Miss Seymour explains that Galileo thought as Copernicus, that the earth orbited around the sun, and not the other way around as most people of the time believed.

While glancing through Galileo’s telescope, Indy sees his mother and Puccini deep in conversation after Miss Seymour told him his mother was shopping, and he flees the museum. Puccini declares his love for Anna and begs her to leave with him when he goes to Milan. She tells him that things are going too fast, and she leaves. Later that evening, Indy grilled his mother about her “shopping” trip and then goes to bed. Miss Seymour returns from her dinner at a trattoria to find a weeping Anna, confused and distraught over how things have gotten so out of control.

In a touching moment between the two women, Miss Seymour tries to offer comfort and reassurance without judgment. We next see Anna at the train station, wondering if she is there to run away with Puccini or bid him farewell. Instead, she walks past him without speaking and approaches the train that has just arrived. Professor Jones steps off and into his wife’s arms. She ever-so-slightly turns a tear-stained face in Puccini’s direction, and he boards his train, letting his bouquet of flowers fall to the platform and leaving them there.

Anna and Professor Jones return arm in arm to the residence and embrace an awaiting Indy, the family together again.

Thoughts

I went to both Florence and Pisa some years ago, so it was thrilling to revisit these locations through the eyes of Young Indy. I particularly recall having some tiramisu as I sat in front of the Duomo, and I indulged in wine and chocolate cake at a balcony café at the Uffizi. Amazing museum, and I think I only saw a fraction of it.

As far as my thoughts on the storyline, once again I don’t think it’s one that would really grab kids watching it. The focus is very much on Anna and Puccini, though it is nice for Mrs. Jones to have something to do other than just being a wife and mother. It’s a touching, poignant storyline that really gives Anna true depth and emotion and makes us feel sympathy for her. After all, who could resist such an ardent admirer as Puccini?

Related DVD Documentaries

• Giacomo Puccini – Music of the Heart
• It’s Opera!

History

Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer. Born in Pisa and  known for his controversial theory of heliocentrism.

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) Italian composer known for the operas La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Turandot.

Fun Facts

Director Mike Newell also later directed Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mona Lisa Smile, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which happens to be my favorite film in the series!) He also directed the Young Indy episode Istanbul, 1918 (part of Masks of Evil), which is another favorite.

Phyllida Law (Signora Reale) has had a long career spanning decades, but she may be best known to American audiences for The Time Machine (2002) and Much Ado About Nothing (1993). She is also the mother of actress Emma Thompson.

Anna mentions them going on to Paris next, but with the continuity established by the edited movies, this no longer fits into the timeline, since they already visited Paris.