Dir. Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France, 2007, 104 mins, subtitles
Cast: Elio Germano, Riccardo Scamarcio, Diane Fleri
Review by
Carol Allen
Luchetti's story is set in the sixties and seventies in an Italy still affected by memories of World War 2 and Mussolini. Accio (Germano) and Manrico (Scamarcio) are brothers in a working class family living in a small town, though neither of them despite the film's title is an only child, as there is also a sister in the family, Violetta (Alba Rohrwacher). The title is, though, symbolic of the gulf between the brothers. The focus is on Accio, the younger brother. He is the wild one - impulsive, explosive and driven by his conviction that his mother (Angela Finocchiaro), whose volatility is similar to that of her younger son, loves his handsome, calmer brother and his sister and not him. Accio is also the brighter of the brothers. As a boy he is sent to a seminary to train as a priest. When he is expelled from there and returns home, as a young man he turns to fascism under the influence of his mentor Mario (Luca Zingaretti). Meanwhile his factory worker brother, charismatic but totally unreliable in his relationship with his student girlfriend Francesca (Fleri), becomes a communist, creating a personal and familial confrontation, which effectively reflects that of many members of their generation.
The depiction of family life is both colourful and convincing, with the crumbling and cramped apartment, in which they all live, appearing to reflect the way the former glory of the Il Duce regime crumbled and let the people down. The whole sixties conflict between the fascists and the communists, particularly among the young people, is encapsulated in a dramatic yet also absurd scene of a gathering in the university, where a student orchestra is playing a Marxist version of Ode to Joy and the meeting is invaded by a fascist gang in defence of the "true" Beethoven. The young fascists, reminiscent of football hooligans on the rampage, are more than somewhat scary and one is relieved when their behaviour finally drives Accio away, not into the arms of the communists but into those of Mario's wife Bella - a lovely performance from Anna Bonaiuto. The arms in which he really wants to lie though are those of Francesca, though because of her love for his brother, he keeps his distance and settles for friendship over the years of their relationship. The period is well evoked with songs of the time plus the ubiquitous Fiat 500s and the climactic scene, where the brothers finally come together before the unexpected resolution of their relationship, is powerful. While the story is politically fascinating, Luchetti always ensures that it is the characters who drive it, particularly Accio. The ending, where Accio's family and the rest of the community finally rebel against the bureaucrats, who have been deceiving them over the years, is a little unsatisfactory in that it doesn't make as much as it might out of the triumph of the people over corrupt bureaucracy. Otherwise this is an interesting, satisfying and enjoyable film.
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