Recent Italian "Cannes" winners, and funding
There have been a crop of 'political' films recently - Gomorra, and Il Divo (which both got medals at Cannes, and I think they were deserved), and then Sanguepazzo (dealing ostensibly with the story of a couple of film actors durng the reign of Mussolini) and Il Resto della Notte which comments on the life of semi-legal Romanians.
I've seen three of them, and Gomorra is utterly depressing, but at the same time utterly riveting. Wonderfully filmed, it chronicles the extensive activities of la Camorra in the Naples slums and countryside. Shocking, and I hope nobody attempts to dub the sound: subtitles would not render it incomprehensible, dubbing would.
Then there is Il Divo. This - on the surface - is a study of the political life and times of Giuliano Andreotti, PM of Italy for 7 years. It has been criticised domestically for not being 'absolutely accurate' politically - (but it depends on who is making this criticism whether it is valid). As a bit of cinema it is lovely - also really quite funny at times - but I thought it got across the utter complacent arrogance of every Italian politician wonderfully well.
Interestingly, both of these films (with which Rai, the Italian state broadcaster) was heavily associated received grants from the Italian government. Gomorra receved a grant of 2 million Euro (it has grossed 10 million Euro, and still counting): Il Divo receved 1.7 million, and has grossed 4.5 (again, still counting).
L'espresso this week has an interesting article on how funding for cinema projects is awarded. Gomorra and Il Divo (plus Caos Calma, Mio fratello e figlio unico, Giorno e Nuvole, and Tutto la vita davanti) are the star 'winners' - but there are hundreds more which have 'recuperated' as little as 0,77% of their grant! (The directors of these had well placed uncles is the subtext.)
Sanguepazzo is (in my opinion) absolutely not worth devoting two and a half hours of your life to. Unfortunately, this will be the film which goes international - but it is rubbish. If you want to wallow in the excesses of 'fascist celebrities' Bertolucci does it so much better in Millenovecento, and although that film is a frightening six hours in length you don't only get cocaine sniffing 'aristo' fascists, you get contadni and heroic partigiani as well. (And the cameraman knew a bit, which can't be said for Sanguepazzo.)
That leaves us with ll Resto della Notte,which I haven't yet seen. It's rising in the international rankings, and it promises to be an observation on today's Italian racism. Not hysterical tabloid stuff about gypsies living under motorway flyovers, but a more measured (and perhaps more illuminating) story about what happens to a sacked (legal) Romanian maid when she is compelled to survive by seeking refuge in the semi-legal Romanian community in Milan.
There have been a crop of 'political' films recently - Gomorra, and Il Divo (which both got medals at Cannes, and I think they were deserved), and then Sanguepazzo (dealing ostensibly with the story of a couple of film actors durng the reign of Mussolini) and Il Resto della Notte which comments on the life of semi-legal Romanians.
I've seen three of them, and Gomorra is utterly depressing, but at the same time utterly riveting. Wonderfully filmed, it chronicles the extensive activities of la Camorra in the Naples slums and countryside. Shocking, and I hope nobody attempts to dub the sound: subtitles would not render it incomprehensible, dubbing would.
Then there is Il Divo. This - on the surface - is a study of the political life and times of Giuliano Andreotti, PM of Italy for 7 years. It has been criticised domestically for not being 'absolutely accurate' politically - (but it depends on who is making this criticism whether it is valid). As a bit of cinema it is lovely - also really quite funny at times - but I thought it got across the utter complacent arrogance of every Italian politician wonderfully well.
Interestingly, both of these films (with which Rai, the Italian state broadcaster) was heavily associated received grants from the Italian government. Gomorra receved a grant of 2 million Euro (it has grossed 10 million Euro, and still counting): Il Divo receved 1.7 million, and has grossed 4.5 (again, still counting).
L'espresso this week has an interesting article on how funding for cinema projects is awarded. Gomorra and Il Divo (plus Caos Calma, Mio fratello e figlio unico, Giorno e Nuvole, and Tutto la vita davanti) are the star 'winners' - but there are hundreds more which have 'recuperated' as little as 0,77% of their grant! (The directors of these had well placed uncles is the subtext.)
Sanguepazzo is (in my opinion) absolutely not worth devoting two and a half hours of your life to. Unfortunately, this will be the film which goes international - but it is rubbish. If you want to wallow in the excesses of 'fascist celebrities' Bertolucci does it so much better in Millenovecento, and although that film is a frightening six hours in length you don't only get cocaine sniffing 'aristo' fascists, you get contadni and heroic partigiani as well. (And the cameraman knew a bit, which can't be said for Sanguepazzo.)
That leaves us with ll Resto della Notte,which I haven't yet seen. It's rising in the international rankings, and it promises to be an observation on today's Italian racism. Not hysterical tabloid stuff about gypsies living under motorway flyovers, but a more measured (and perhaps more illuminating) story about what happens to a sacked (legal) Romanian maid when she is compelled to survive by seeking refuge in the semi-legal Romanian community in Milan.