«Il portaborse» (1991)

A Medieval Court in Modern Italy: Corruption and Patronage in Il portaborse 

Professor of literature Luciano Sandulli desperately needs money to fix his old house. His ghostwriting does not produce a lot of money but he secured a position as a speechwriter for the Minister of Industry Cesare Botero. This job can quickly fix all of his financial problems but Luciano understands that Cesare Botero is much more immoral and corrupt than everybody thought.

By the late 20th century, Italian political class was famous for its rampant corruption. As one commentator said about Italian Socialist Party “the convent is poor, but the friars are rich” and those words can be applied to Italy – country with lots of political and economic problems, but it’s governing class drove Ferraris and lived in mansions.

Cesare Botero reminds us of the Medieval feudal lord, who has to pay a token respect to the late 20th century values. He smiles on camera, takes part in television interviews and has to put himself up for the reelection. Nevertheless, the only thing that he cares about is enrichment. His people also get a share of profits, but it can be finished in a second. If the person compromises himself or stops being useful, he will quickly discard him as a used ammunition.

Luciano Sandulli is portrayed as a simple and decent man who suddenly became useful to the lord. At first, he is at the margins of corruption and he is able to enjoy the fruits of his new status. Still, one day he will need to take part in something very dirty in order to show loyalty to Cesare Botero. One of his top students already became corrupt lawyer, but will Luciano follow the same path or will he choose to remain human?

Still, this is not an American film, where one brave person can destroy the corrupt system. The Italian political system has lots of Cesare Botero who will always find a way to add an extra bunch of votes and who has many patronage jobs in exchange for favors. So, why bother yourself with truth, if it only leads to life in poverty, if you can stay loyal and useful to the lord and earn a lot of money in the process?

Nevertheless, the history can be unpredictable sometimes. In 1991, the Italian ruling class was invincible, but in the next year, they suddenly became vulnerable for prosecution. Despite that, the result was not very encouraging.

If you are interested in Italian political history – watch this story about a Medieval court in the late 20th century Italy. 

In memory of Andrzej Zulawski (La note bleue)

And everyone shall be forgotten

Some critics have characterized the films of the Three Colours (Krzysztof Kieślowski) trilogy respectively as an anti-tragedy, an anti-comedy, and an anti-romance. Accordingly, the discussed film of Andrzej Zulawski could be characterized as an anti-biography.

Almost every film of Andrzej Zulawski was a scandalous one. In 1992, after the release of «La note bleue», the French critics attacked the Polish director on the ground of disrespect for the French culture. The critics thought that Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin, better knows as George Sand, and other prominent French and European artists were portrayed as bratty children, which bears no resemblance to the common place idolized portraits.

The snobbish critics have not bothered to understand that Andrzej Zulawski was not going to film another idealized biography. «La note bleue» is a film about art, especially about music, not about artists. The main theme of «La note bleue» is a music of Frederic Chopin. During the film, the terminally ill composer, who lived in the Sand’s mansion, creates his music, The events of the film are built with accordance with Chopin’s music and the actions of the heroes resembles us the storylines in Chekov’s plays.

Andrzej Zulawski thinks that the filmed great artists of the past resemble the marionettes in a doll’s theatre. Every character in the film depicts his traits and follow his own stereotype. The Director filmed accurately the true portrait of every character. Andrzej Zulawski depicted George Sand as «cigar-smoking, unattractive person and unfeminine» (quoting the letters of Chopin), Solange Sand as a bratty and not-so-talented and Frederic Chopin as terminally ill hypochondriasis. But, I must say again, that the Director didn’t film this film as a biography.

In one of the interviews, Andrzej Zulawski said that he never surrendered to neither capitalism nor socialism. The Director again filmed his thoughts and ideas. Let’s forget the snobbish critics (me included), who are constantly writing about the «The Hysterical Excess of Andrzej Żuławski» or charging him with blasphemy or other things. Pay tribute to him by watching this film, if you would get some emotions, than he didn’t wasted his life badly.

La double vie de Véronique

Feelings are what link people together, because the word «love» has the same meaning for everybody (Krzysztof Kieślowski)

In 1995, Krzysztof Kieślowski was invited to Oxford University and during the interview he was asked about a role of culture.  Krzysztof Kieślowski said the following: «There are too many things in the world which divide people, such as religion, politics, history, and nationalism. If culture is capable of anything, then it is finding that which unites us all. And there are so many things which unite people. It doesn't matter who you are or who I am, if your tooth aches or mine, it's still the same pain».

Following this pattern, The Director shot in 1991 «The Double Life of Véronique». The main characters are two identical young women called Véronique, albeit one of the is the Polish and other one is the French. After looking at the year of release and remembering about politicized Polish cinema, you would expect a film about Polish renaissance. Nevertheless, the film was not shot for the sake of another political pamphlet.

The film starts with depicting two little girls – Véroniques. For the first 30 minutes, the life of the Polish Veronique is depicted: graduation from a Music College, romance, visiting the aunt in Krakow, good auditioning and offer of a professional choral career. One day, Veronique walks the streets of Krakow and sees in a bus the identical young woman. After the moment, when Véronique had chosen art over love, the film switches to the French Véronique.

«The Double Life of Véronique» deals with the importance of choice in a fast-paced life. In the film the choice is divided between two spheres – art or love? Despite the social and economical differences of characters – Véronique from a rich France and Véronique from a poor Poland; The Director shows that there are many things, outside the spheres of money and politics, which unites the people. Those things cannot be felt or sensed, but anyone can at least understand it by using the «tooth metaphore».

In my opinion, The Director also teases people, who try to make simple things look complicated; who are trying to find the second meaning in everything. The doll theatre scene is illustrating. The children are fascinated, because they can’t understand the forces which move those dolls. At the same time, Véronique is trying to find the Muppet Master and she succeeds; she can’t no more watch this spectacle as a child. The later actions of French Véronique also could verify this opinion, because the only question is «Why are you doing this»?

Watch «The Double Life of Véronique» and, even better, watch it again. Perharps this film will also touch something into you.

La vieille qui marchait dans la mer

The Benefice of Jeanne Moreau

The history of cinema knows many examples of a mediocre crime-comedy films. «La vieille qui marchait dans la mer» is rather mediocre, except for the leading role – Jeanne Moreau.

Lady M. is an old con artist, who tries to save her wading beauty, but still keeps her great charm. Along with her ex-lover Pompilius, she travels to the resorts and blackmails rich tourists. During one of those «business trips», she gets a crush on a young lifeguard and immediately brings him into the business.

This, at the first glance short, crush completely changes the life of Lady M. Incapable of physical love; she tries to feel it by watching Lambert’s acts with young girls. Lady M. starts to behave as a spoiled young girl: brags about having 2017 lovers; beats Lambert with a cane and immediately begs forgiveness; teaching the secrets of con artists and advising how to behave with girls.

Jeanne Moreau proves that the age means nothing for the truly great artist – she will electrify at the age of 20, 30, 60 and 80. The Actress has created interesting and charming con artist by the means of voice acting, facial expression, voiceover and her unique magic. The one could see in Lady M. the little self-irony of Jeanne Moreau.

In other aspects, this film is far from brilliant. Michel Serrault – another great French actor, - created the only interesting character, except for Lady M. Luc Thuillier is good as Lambert, but he is lost in the shadow of two great actors.

«La vieille qui marchait dans la mer» is a mediocre film, which is watchable only because of Jeanne Moreau. If you a Moreau’s fan, then watch it.

7/10 (+1 for Moreau by applying the legal principle «Any reasonable doubt shall be interpreted in favor of the defendant»)