Unfortunately, no one helped you in time for your degree thesis, now that it is over three years after you have posted your question. I guess those who made such ethnicity conclusions had some reference from the movie to base their opinions on, but after having seen the movie just now, I don't remember any such references. Perhaps I missed something, but given that Natalie was on the road all of the time, and spoke to characters without revealing much about herself (i.e., her background), it is not as though there would have been any spots where she would have left clear clues. The only time the script might have allowed her, or someone who knows her, to directly shed more light on herself was perhaps with the phone conversations she had with her husband, but these were brief and focused on the husband's upheaval, and their troubled relationship.
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Lynneholly
15 years ago
SPOILERISH:
Revealed in the flashbacks shows them dancing the Horah at their wedding - a traditional Jewish wedding dance which led me to believe Natalie was Jewish as opposed to her husband "Vinny" - a guy from Long Island, who more than likely was Italian.
Just my take.
Lady Agatha had what Lord Henry described as the remains of a remarkable ugliness.
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foxfirebrand
15 years ago
Not all hand-holding circle dances are the Hora. I just now saw the wedding flashback, and while it did suggest your interpretation, the time signature was 6/8, a tarantella time signature so many Italian festive dance songs have in common. The Hora is strictly four beats to the measure, with the first two accented.
That said, there's nothing definitively ethnic in that wedding scene, either way. I'm only speculating too.
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Lynneholly
15 years ago
Hi foxfirebrand,
You are definately right. I'm half Italian (born in Jersey no less) and I can't believe I didn't think the dance might have been the tarantella!
It's been awhile since I've seen the film and unfortunately deleted it from my DVR but didn't the wedding dance show the bride being hoisted around in a chair, as it is done in the Hora?
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IForgotMyMantra
15 years ago
No, it didn't show her on the chair, I don't think. I interpreted it to be a Jewish wedding but am far from an expert.
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elian-bensoussan
14 years ago
Odd thing : There are Italian Jews surnamed Ravenna.
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emncaity
14 years ago
>> Odd thing : There are Italian Jews surnamed Ravenna. <<
Now that is one esoteric find. Good on ya.
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elian-bensoussan
14 years ago
Thanks ! I can one-up myself : Natalie and Vinny lived around Lynbrook NY, judging by the phone number which she requested from the operator at her first stop.
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bon22
13 years ago
Their name is Ravenna (as in the Italian City) & they're dancing the tarantella, thus, I'd say Italian.
elian-bensoussan: good work pinpointing Lynbrook as their hometown! But, did you notice that as Natalie starts her journey & leaves the NY area, seems she's emerging from the Lincoln Tunnel, as a sign for "40th Street, North" appears. That would mean she's driving from NJ into Manhattan, which doesn't make logistical sense since she's heading southward to PA. Not important, guess Coppola wanted a shot of the sign.
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jeremey-1
13 years ago
I DVRed it the other night and just erased it yesterday. Oh well, next time I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the information, bon22.
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emncaity
12 years ago
Weird--I was just watching the film again tonight, and I noticed that same thing (in a freeze-frame). Thought it was just me.
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