Anna Magnani in an emotion explosion

In his second film Mamma Roma, Pier Paolo Pasolini is constantly moving between these two extreme poles. The story, brings about Pasolini’s typical characters on the margins of life as skillfully represented by the role of Anna Magnani, a Roman prostitute that tries hard to do a career change and at the same time ensure a better life for her son. Some say, Pasolini is in fact using Mamma Roma as analogy to all Italy, by putting a blaming finger to the responsibility of the state and the church that abandoned the struggling poor.

In some aspects, you may find typical themes to Pasolini’s first film Accatone. In both films Sergio Citti plays a local pimp who tries in vein to better his poor existence in Rome’s slums. The Neorealist rough reality in both films is brought up into an epic expression, as if to say: nothing’s new here this is an eternal human condition – by using classic music as soundtrack: Bach in Accatone and Vivaldi in Mamma Roma.

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci

Pasolini’s opening scene in Mamma Roma

Another technique to amplify the epic portrayal of the characters is the strong visual influence from classic artworks such as the first scene positioned as The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci; or when Ettore, strapped in his bed, is closely expressed as Andrea Mantegna’s The Lamentation over the Dead Christ.

The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
by Andrea Mantegna

Ettore Garofolo in Pasolini’s Mamma Roma

I especially liked the night scenes where Anna Magani is shown walking the dark road and brisk encounters with clients, friends, are woven into her long monolog. I found these scenes as an allegory to life itself (road of life) and the attempt to make sense of it despite the pitfalls.

The son, Ettore (Ettore Garofolo) brings about an authentic portrayal of a son who grew up away from his mother and they both meet again in his teens, he tries hard to both understand his mother as well as rebel and find his voice. Interestingly, because of the detachment, Mamma Roma (Magnani) still tries to compensate for lost years and treat him as a young boy, if you consider that scene where Ettore is shown riding a carousel with Mamma Roma watching.

Looking outside the film, we know that Pasolini had a very close relationship with his mother; and within this context you could interpret some of the mother-son scenes such as the dance scene as quite on the intimate side.

Throughout the film you will see three visual signifiers: the open fields, the new white buildings and the ruins of old aqueducts. These elements help paint a picture of a society in transition from old to new, from Roman waterways that provided life to the city – to ruins indicating figurative death represented by the lifeless white buildings and the new gospel of consumerism Pasolini fought hard against.

The film brings about a simple message of human basic need to create a better future despite reality’s constant constraints. If it was a direct route to success for everybody then: a) sense of accomplishment will be lost and every action will become a habit with a predicted outcome b) movies will lose their conflict-driven storyline and become banal and c) you tell me?

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Carmelo and Rosuzza his wife reunited against the backdrop of Italian Unification events: individual vs. collective story lines.

Blasetti known for other historical epics, takes the opportunity to tell the story of Italy’s unification from a personal point of view of a Sicilian patriot named Carmelo (Giuseppe Gulino) on a mission to reach Garibaldi’s headquarters in Genoa and get his help to rescue Sicily from the occupying Spanish Bourbons and German mercenaries. On his way, Carmelo runs into various Italian characters representing different dialects and views regarding the boiling political climate.

The film predated the Neorealism genre that typically referred to as starting with Roberto Rossellini’s Roma, città aperta – Rome, Open City (1945). However, you can already see the genre’s key ingredients at play: usage of non-professional actors, movie shot on location, and description of social rough realities from a commoner point of view. Stylistically, this film is a far cry from Blasetti’s light-hearted 1954 Too Bad She’s Bad – Peccato che sia una Canaglia another precursor. This time, to Italian comedy (Commedia all’italiana) genre that formally started in 1958 with Mario Monicelli’s Big Deal on Madonna Street – I Soliti Ignoti. Indeed, an interesting and prescient work evolution.

The camera movement takes a role of inquisitive “embedded journalist-like” that follows the events either as a follower of Carmelo on his journey, but also as an objective spectator of historical events such as the panoramic battlefield scenes. I especially liked the opening scene where you can see a close up behind window bars and then zooming out to reveal the context of a Sicilian village under rough Bourbon occupation – a simple, yet a powerful way to express the state of imprisonment.

The screening followed by panel discussion with Professors Alexander Stille and Stefano Albertini, and director Mario Martone. Here are a few pointers I found interesting:

• Director Mario Martone: His film Noi Credevamo – We Believed (2010) was also shown in the festival and provided a modern view of Risoregimento through the personal story of three friends joining activist Giuseppe Mazzini’s political movement (Giovine Italia) and the impact on their lives afterwards. Overall, there are not many films about Italy’s unification. Blasetti in this film is rather unique by explicitly conveying the brutality and physical rough aspects of the period, woven through a personal story. This technique makes the historical event more believable as viewers have tangible “real-life handles” to relate to.

• Prof. Albertini: The film is not about Garibaldi, in fact we don’t see him much throughout the film; only the facial reactions of soldiers listening to him speak. With that, Blasetti’s message is simple: The Risoregimento (Italy’s unification) was not about the larger than life leaders, it was about real people, with real stories that despite their cultural differences joined forces. This message of unity is interesting to examine against today’s Italian politics, where the separatist Northern League party for example refuses to celebrate the unification and sees it as a waste of money. Another difference, back in the 60’s Italians did not celebrate unification with flags, as it was frowned upon as radical, whereas in this year’s celebrations flags were widely used.

• Prof. Stille: Blasetti’s technique keeping Garibaldi’s role at a distance and focusing more on people around him processing his impact, was similarly adapted in Francesco Rosi 1962’s Salvatore Giuliano, the famous Sicilian gangster. It forces the viewers to conjure their own opinion about the renowned personality based on the impact of their emotional projection. The film also carries a gender element as Carmelo’s officer commands him not to move from his post to see his wife he hasn’t seen a month just a few miles away. The officer gives as an example Garibaldi who his wife had died, while he was away to reinforce Carmelo’s obedience and patriotism.

So as you can see this masterpiece has dual historical values: getting you introduced to an important chapter in Italy’s history, while at the same time experiencing initial ingredients of Neorealism – a cardinal chapter in Italy’s and the world’s cinematic history.

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Ready? So here we go!

#Eclipse opens up in a long scene with minimal dialogs. Only facial expressions and interplay with objects.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Rare capture of Rome’s stock exchange. Greed and havoc mixed with 1 minute silence for a passing member.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Vittoria (Monica Vitti) represents past values, looking for true love. Piero (Allan Dellon) – modern greed.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse film shot during period of revolutions students, feminist etc. Antonioni warns against blinded by consumerism.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse outdoors scenes shot in EUR – an upscale Roman neighborhood Mussolini built in 1935 for 42nd World Fair.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Shooting bottom-up the Fungo, mushroom shaped tower in EUR, symbolizes period menacing Cuban atomic crisis.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse director uses his signature themes of alienation and miscommunication: kissing through glass, ringing phones.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Piero’s car (Lancia Aurelia) same as Roberto in Il Sorpasso drove represent modern world, but with price.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse #MonicaVitti is great as she can portray 12 conflicting facial expressions at one glance. Amazing!http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse funny scene with 3rd flr neighbor that is asked to shoot a balloon Vittoria releases. Quite unreal!http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Vittoria’s mother (Lilla Brignone) represents even such old family institution falls victim to modern avarice.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Antonioni is director of images not words. His notable #FinalScene is a collage of artificial objects no words.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse #FinalScene vacant streets, outwardly close-ups, clean architectural, shapes, blinding lamp = apocalyptic.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse #FinalScene nature wins: water rivulets, wind turning leaves, and darkening skies.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse with this hot tweet-size format are we fulfilling Antonioni’s prophecy of over communicating and not at all?http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

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Risi uses short fast scenes to tell the road trip story of two opposites: Bruno (Vittorio Gassman), cunning, ball of energy drifter; and Roberto (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a timid law student. Bruno represents the new modern Italy that seeks risky shortcuts to success whereas Roberto offers Italy’s past view of hard-working path towards achieving a prescribed middle class lifestyle, such as the portrayal of Roberto’s boring attorney uncle.

The film is full of gags supported by a light soundtrack to match, boasting some of Italy’s greatest pop hits of the period: “Saint Tropez Twist” by Peppino di Capri, Quando, Quando, Quando (in above video trailer) performed by Emilio Pericoli, “Guarda come dondolo” and “Pinne Fucili ed Occhiali” by Edoardo Vianello and “Vecchio frac” by Domenico Modugno. From this aspect, it offers an authentic mirror to the period’s mores, lifestyles, and aspirations.

In this context, the B24 1958′s Lancia Aurelia, a tiny convertible sports car Bruno is driving is inline with his speedy personality, his fast-talking style and the endless use of the horn every time he prepares to overtake another car or when he arrives at a new destination. This element is extenuated further in the race scene between the Lancia Aurelia and a Fiat 500: new vs. past; fast luxury vs. functional transport.

The story takes place during Ferragosto (traditional Italian holiday celebrated on August 15), where Rome is vacated from its residents (see similar contemporary film during this time of year: Mid-August Lunch – Pranzo di ferragosto by Gianni Di Gregorio – 2008). The pair is driving on Via Aurelia, an ancient road that like the scenic U.S. Route 101 in California – represents a sort of escapism from urban Rome.

As you watch this film through today’s lenses think about what was the outcome of Risi’s prophecy for Italy? Was he right? And also, what other modern phenomenon it may sound the alarm for?

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