What do you get when you mix "Reds", "Cinema Paradiso, "The Legend of 1900", and other snips and pieces of previous Tornatore films with the humanism of DeSica? You get Baaria, a very charming, bittersweet (Tornatore excels in the bittersweet), semi-autobiography of Tornatore's experiences in the countryside village near Palermo in Sicily.
Sicilians are unfairly characterized as all members of the Mafia (Cammora), lacking in a sense of humor, quick-tempered, and suspicious of outsiders. WIth the exception of quick-tempered, nothing could be further from the truth. They have no respect for criminals, as they an industrious, hard-working people. They have a wonderful sense of humor, which Tornatore brings out beautifully in his films.
This is Tornatore's tenth major film, and one of his best. He shows why millions of Italians turned left toward the Socialists and Communists of post-war Italy. The fascists and landowners had burdened the Sicilians for decades before they finally set themselves free after WW2. One of the ironies of Tornatore's films is the political shifting of Italians back to the center of the political spectrum after experimenting with Socialism and a dash of communism.
The sets, production values, music (always great from Morricone) and acting are first-rate. This is a film you do not want to miss. By the way, the lead actor, Francesco. Scianna, is a mix of Richard Gere and Ben Affleck, and is very good. The lead actress, Margareth Made, has eyes as captivating as Sophia Loren or Audrey Hepburn. Catch this one.
Sicilians are unfairly characterized as all members of the Mafia (Cammora), lacking in a sense of humor, quick-tempered, and suspicious of outsiders. WIth the exception of quick-tempered, nothing could be further from the truth. They have no respect for criminals, as they an industrious, hard-working people. They have a wonderful sense of humor, which Tornatore brings out beautifully in his films.
This is Tornatore's tenth major film, and one of his best. He shows why millions of Italians turned left toward the Socialists and Communists of post-war Italy. The fascists and landowners had burdened the Sicilians for decades before they finally set themselves free after WW2. One of the ironies of Tornatore's films is the political shifting of Italians back to the center of the political spectrum after experimenting with Socialism and a dash of communism.
The sets, production values, music (always great from Morricone) and acting are first-rate. This is a film you do not want to miss. By the way, the lead actor, Francesco. Scianna, is a mix of Richard Gere and Ben Affleck, and is very good. The lead actress, Margareth Made, has eyes as captivating as Sophia Loren or Audrey Hepburn. Catch this one.