2.

In this scene Claudia’s role is to act as an observer and

adjudicator. As she is a composite surrogate for the audience we are

shown, through her facial expression, why what’s going on is important

and what it implies. The first reason Giulia is so insistent that Claudia

come along is so she can act as an observer. She needs Claudia to see

because, as with the other characters in the film, love isn’t really

justified unless there is someone around to see it. This is enforced later

on in the film when Sandro kisses Claudia in the hotel in front of the

bellboy, but once the boy has gone Sandro no longer feels the need to

show his affection. This use of Claudia as observer is on a more

superficial level, but her narrative purpose in the scene is much

broader; she is there to react to what is going on so as to let the

audience know what to think of it. This is shown in her facial

expression and body language. All the while the seduction is going on

Claudia is amused, but the more Giulia and Goffredo get into it the

more stern she becomes, to the point where she interjects and makes

them get off of one another. She is then shown to the door by Giulia,

and then leaves and closes the door behind her. When the door is

closed we can tell by her facial expression that she is brushing off what

she sees as a futile and childish attempt at love. What Claudia’s

reaction conveys to us, the audience, is that she frowns upon cheating

although she becomes engaged in it herself, and also that she does not
have the romantic innocence of Giulia and finally that she is

progressively becoming more and more alienated from true love.