«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.