Word: gubbio
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...extremely sensitive but equally philosophical, this Gubbio. Because he often echoes his chief's command, he has been nicknamed "Shoot." It is an Americanism that sounds ludicrous and a little contemptible to Italians. Another man might be annoyed but not "Shoot" Gubbio. He can contemplate worse than that with equanimity. The futility of mechanical "art," for example. Even the suicide of Giorgio Mirelli, a boy-genius whom he has tutored, does not greatly perturb him. Nor even the strange daemon of the beautiful woman who caused the boy's suicide. Emotionless? Oh, no. But he has taught himself...
...Story.† Serafino Gubbio serves a black, knock-kneed spider. Daily he whets its appetite with coils of transparent membrane. Not knowing why, creatures come near and sacrifice their real selves to the spider. Serafino Gubbio helps the spider devour them. Not long afterwards, myriad people issue from dark places where, seeking pleasure, they have seen the ghosts made by the spider. Relieved to be out again, they say, "What terrible rot!" Serafino Gubbio is a cinematograph operator for a big company near Rome...
...Nestoroff, the woman is called. Before and after Giorgio Mirelli she has had many men. Her proclivity for throwing her very beautiful body away on gutter types right after it has been worshiped by refined slaves, suggests degeneracy to most of her critics. The impassive Gubbio thinks not. He can understand it is her subtle revenge upon men who desire only that part of her which she scorns. Her revenge upon Giorgio, a pure youth, an artist, had to be yet more subtle because the injury he did her was worse than the others. He enjoyed only her body...
...Aldo Nuti countermands the precautions. He begs to be allowed to demonstrate his flawless marksmanship, if not his courage. The Nestoroff watches with the rest as they release the tiger and the director cries, "Ready, shoot!" Serafino Gubbio cranks his camera, inside the cage with Nuti. Aldo Nuti aims carefully and shoots, not the tiger, but the Nestoroff. The tiger tears him apart. Gubbio cranks on until someone fires pointblank through the bars into the tiger's ear. He thereby achieves perfection as a cinematograph operator. Emotionless? Oh, no. His suppressed terror strikes him dumb forever after. But except...