“Le Professeur” aka “Indian Summer” is a 1972 film directed by Valerio Zurlini. The story follows Daniele Dominici, played by Alain Delon, a disillusioned, gambling-prone poetry professor. He takes a temporary teaching position in the coastal town of Rimini, working as a substitute teacher at a high school for about four months. Daniele is emotionally distant and struggles in his relationship with his longtime partner, Monica, portrayed by Lea Massari. Her own depressive state only worsens their shared unhappiness.
At the school, Daniele encounters Vanina Abati, portrayed by Sonia Petrovna, a beautiful and serious 19-year-old student. Vanina is already in a relationship with Gerardo Favani, played by Adalberto Maria Merli, a wealthy and morally ambiguous man. Despite the potential risks, Daniele becomes deeply infatuated with her and gives her Stendhal’s novel “Vanina Vanini” as an expression of his intellectual admiration.
Outside of school, Daniele spends his evenings with a small group of friends: Giorgio “Spider” Mosca (played by Giancarlo Giannini), a sensitive and complex man who is secretly in love with Daniele; Marcello (portrayed by Renato Salvatori), a real estate agent; and Gerardo, a gambler and Vanina’s lover.
Daniele pursues Vanina more seriously and eventually convinces her to join him on a trip to Monterchi to see the famous painting, Madonna del Parto, by Piero della Francesca. During the visit, they share an intimate moment, but their connection remains fragile. When Gerardo’s car appears in the distance, Vanina suddenly pulls away, highlighting the complexity and danger of their relationship.
Their affair deepens, but so do the tensions among them. One evening, at Spider’s birthday party, Vanina becomes upset and refuses to dance. The group later ends up at Gerardo’s luxurious home. There, Gerardo plays a private film that initially seems innocent, but soon reveals Vanina in more vulnerable and troubling personal situations. Humiliated, Vanina turns off the projector.
Shortly after, Vanina disappears from school. Desperate to find her, Daniele visits her mother, Marcella, who warns him harshly to stay away. Back at home, Monica’s jealousy grows. She can tolerate his nights out, but she can’t stand his obsession with Vanina. Meanwhile, Spider reveals to Daniele that he has discovered a book of his poetry, ‘The First Night of Stillness’, and confesses his love for him. Daniele cryptically responds that the title comes from Goethe: “The first night of quiet is death, for one finally sleeps without dreams.”
Vanina resurfaces, and Daniele arranges to stay with her in a quiet seaside house provided by Marcello. They spend a passionate night, but in the morning, Gerardo arrives, furious. Vanina admits she does not love Gerardo, but Gerardo shocks Daniele by revealing dark truths: Vanina was once exploited by her own mother, managed in a sordid world of prostitution.
A physical confrontation occurs between Daniele and Gerardo. Daniele manages to defeat Gerardo, but their relationship is left irreparably damaged. Afterward, he sends Vanina away on a train to Monterchi, promising to join her later. Upon returning home, Daniele tries to end his relationship with Monica, but she threatens to commit suicide if he leaves her. As he sets off to reconnect with Vanina, he stops at a bar to call Monica, but there is no answer. On his way out of the bar, he is attacked by someone associated with Vanina’s past. Fortunately, Spider comes to his rescue and helps nurse him back to health. Emotionally wounded and physically hurt, Daniele drives away into the fog, his mind spinning. He tries calling Monica again, but there’s still no answer — and his car veers off into a tragic crash: he’s hit by a truck and dies.
At Daniele’s funeral, which was held privately in his family chapel, only Spider and a few close friends attended. Spider discovers that Daniele was the only child of a war hero who died at El Alamein. In the film’s quiet, somber atmosphere, its profound themes of alienation, lost potential, and existential regret reach a heartbreaking conclusion.
The film explores existential alienation through the character of Daniele, a deeply introspective man. He struggles with his intellectual gifts, romantic desires, and self-destructive habits. This film is regarded as one of Alain Delon’s more mature and reflective performances, in contrast to his typical glamorous star image.
The Other Cinema 