«Buongiorno, notte» (2003)

In the 1970s Italy was rocked with acts of political terrorism, committed by far-left and far-right terrorist groups. This period was called the Years of Lead and some historians even characterized it as a low-intensity civil war. This, combined with economic crisis, gave the impression of the total collapse of the Italian state and full impotence of the ruling party (Democrazia Cristiana).

That situation demanded irregular decisions and certain major players of Democrazia Cristiana, including Aldo Moro, decided to make reapproachment with the Italian Communist Party. The Historic Compromise was opposed by lots of powerful forces, but it gave a hope of fixing the chronic Italian problems. Then, on 16^th of March, 1978, Aldo Moro was kidnapped by the Reb Brigades.

By the end of the 1970s, the Italian Communist Party shifted to the reasonable left-wing platform and showed its administrative credentials in the certain parts of Italy (including Emilia-Romagna). On the other hand, the Red Brigades was a radical left-wing terrorist organization in the mold of Narodnaya Volya. They applied such principles as a culpability of a person just on a merit of his affiliation with the certain class (i.e. bourgeoisie).

The film captures the spirit of the Red Brigades, whose members were, among them, dogmatic radicals, who were committed only to so-called «proletarian justice», or left-wing students, who began to get disappointed in violence. At first, they think that the Italian state is on its knees and the Italians will support them, but the reality is different – the people are indifferent or appalled and the political class took a hard stance against terrorism.

Marco Bellocchio shows the events through the eyes of Chiara – a 23-year old radicalized woman, who assists the Brigades and works as some dead-end job at the ministry. Firstly, she sees everything through the prism of class struggle and considers Aldo Moro as an oppressor. Still, she starts to see things differently and understands that nothing is black and white. In addition, Chiara starts to realize that her organization is turning into something that she truly abhors – fascists, which were also ready to execute people without proper proof of their guilt.

Nevertheless, they already went too far and there is no turning back for them. The Director also included the repetitive historical pattern of how some radical fools (such as SA during the rise of Hitler or Left Socialist-Revolutionaries during the Russian Revolution) are used for some political gain and then discarded as an used ammo. So, the Red Brigades became useful to sabotage the Historic Compromise, but for how long?

The film captures this claustrophobic atmosphere and the heroes are already in prison. Only, for that moment, their prison got separate rooms, good food, books and wine. Nevertheless, soon they will move to a less comfortable prison, where they will rot for many years to come. Moreover. their prisoner, a decent (at least, for a politician) family man and god-fearing Catholic, will be uses as a martyr to promote some short-term political goals.

A former radical left-wing activist Marco Bellocchio shot an extraordinary film about how idealism, combined with political radicalism, could lead to barbaric actions and how those actions can be exploited by some smart people. Watch it.

«Mr. Klein» (1976)

We've been French and Catholic since Louis XIV!

1942, Paris. Unscrupulous art dealer Robert Klein makes desperate French Jews to pay peanuts for priceless objects of art. He is quite content with his life until he is mistaken for a Jewish namesake. From that moment, he desperately needs to prove his non-Jewish heritage or the consequences will be horrific.

During the Nazi occupation, the French people retained, for the time being, some civil rights (or, at least, the resemblance of it). Frenchmen, who was not engaging in some subversive activities, were left alone by the Nazis. Still, one slip (such as contact with the undesirable) – and the person could end up in the collaborationist French police or, even worse, in the Gestapo.

In the post-war West Germany, all the blame was shifted to the SS, and Wehrmacht was portrayed as noble descendants of the brave knights, who were honorably doing their job. Post-war France adopted another legend – the French society was actively resisting occupation and collaborationists were just a few renegades.

Still, the reality was far from this fiction. During the film, there is almost no German character, and most of the dirty work is done by the Frenchmen (police officers, unscrupulous dealers and etc.). Parisians are trying to lead an ordinary life and, the most despicable among them, is trying to make a profit from the plight of others.

Any dictatorship and totalitarian regime always seek to brand certain categories as enemies. It could be a social class, a race or something else. Such people are completely cancelled. First, they’re stripped from their rights, secondly, they’re completely excluded from society and, finally, they’re stripped from their freedom or, even, from their life. Such process starts on a mere suspicion and when Robert Klein is suspected in being Jewish, his life starts to disintegrate.

What aides dictatorship? Collaborationism? To a certain amount, yes. Dictatorship is aided most by apathy and indifference. The plight of the oppressed is accompanied by the silence of the rest. Those who retain some resemblance of dignity will stay silent, those who don’t have scruples will take advantage of the cancelled person.  

Will Robert Klein prove that he is French and Catholic? Watch and find out the answer. «Mr. Klein» is a powerful story about the triumph of evil in an apathetic society. See this film and think carefully about the message.

«Ginger & Fred» (1986)

Bittersweet symphony by Fellini

 

A popular Italian TV show entertains the viewers with all kings of grotesque, including charlatans, impersonators and imprisoned mafiosos. One day, the show presents to the people two past stars – impersonators of Fred Astaire and Ginger Roberts. Will the modern public understand those dinosaurs?

 

In the 1980s Silvio Berlusconi launched his TV empire and flooded the Italian screens with Americanized game shows and soap operas. Fellini shows Rome filled with vulgar advertising and adult cinema billboards. He constantly pokes fun at this new world with its emphasis on tittering the lowest impulses of the people. He even gave a small role to Moana Pozzi (Google about her).

Still Fellini is no Pasolini, so he wasn’t filming the indictment of modern society. He made a bittersweet symphony about two past stars, who are reunited after a long separation. They’re beaten by life and age, but they still have their magic. While they’re preparing for the showtime, we feel their energy and chemistry. So, maybe they will be able to win the love of the new generation.

 

So, despite showing the vulgarity of the 1980s Italy, «Ginger & Fred» is first and foremost a moving story about the meeting between an old Italy of music hall and a new Italy of TV shows. It tastes like grapefruit or fine chianti. So, don’t hesitate to savor it!

«Supersex» (2024)

A feminist outlook on Rocco Siffredi

 

How feminist can write something about Rocco Siffredi? I think that his name is a red rag for lots of people, especially feminists. Still, the Italian feminist Francesca Manieri wrote a script for the 7-episode TV series and even Rocco didn’t say bad words about it. Was she able to pull it off successfully? In my opinion, the answer is both yes and no.

An article on deadline.com informs that Francesca Manieri wrote the series as a statement on what porn represents and how modern masculinity is constructed[1]. The story of a descendant of a poor and devoutly Catholic family from a conservative coastal Italian town (Ortona) is a fertile ground for such statement.

Mom wanted her little Rocco to become a priest, but he wasn’t suited for it, his vocation was in something else. Rocco is fascinated by his cool and slick older half-brother Tommaso and he is obsessed about the main hero of a Supersex magazine. When he reaches the age of emancipation, he immediately joins his older brother in Paris and starts frequenting sex clubs, where he is spotted by the Supersex himself (Gabriel Pontello) and his dream becomes true!

The authors did a nice portrayal of the bizarre world of adult cinema. In addition, they captured the very essence of an age when adult cinema was also a political statement. The West, in general, went through it in the 1960-1970s, but Italy arrived late – only in the 1980s. Still, as almost everything else in Italy, it was in operatic proportions, including the election of Ilona Staller, better known as Cicciolina, to the Italian Parliament.

Real Rocco is a contradictory person – a married father of two, who earns his living in adult cinema. The interviews with Rocco shows a person, mired in Catholic guilt and childhood traumas (including the death of his brother). The authors were able to capture it, and I have nothing but praise for a portrayal of Rocco as a person who is tormented between conservative upbringing, love for mother, pain and primal desires.

Still, what about statement on modern masculinity? Here something is rotten in the state of Denmark. The story of Tomasso looks like as one-dimensional tour into so called toxic masculinity. In addition, I am not familiar with the story of Lucia, but it looks over-the-top exaggeration. Finally, the plot on how Rocco destroys ordinary women smells as a partisan statement. Nevertheless, Francesca Manieri didn’t descend too much into radicalism and tried to project an objective portrait, and this is a big plus for her.

 

In closing, let me say that «Supersex» is a decent periodic piece about the bizarre world of adult cinema and one of its most colorful representatives. As «Boogie Nights» it got the right balance of drama and comedy. Check it out, if you are not a moralist or easily offended snowflake.

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[1] https://deadline.com/2024/03/netflix-italy-supersex-rocco-siffredi-tinny-andreatta-1235842929/