L'ORA DELLA RELIGIONE
Italy, 2002, 102 minutes, Colour.
Sergio Castellitto, Jacqueline Lustig, Chiara Conti, Alberto Mondini.
Directed by Marco Bellocchio.
Most film directors when asked about religion say that they are not religious (by which they mean church-affiliated) but declare that they are spiritual. This is the case here. For an Italian to say that they are not religious means looking at the Catholic church with a quizzical and questioning eye and finding it wanting while offering an alternative like art and creativity (the choice of the central character) as a more credible way of life. The trouble with the Church is that aspects of its activity can seem ridiculous and can be rightly ridiculed - especially when used and abused by ambitious Roman families who believe that promoting the cause for canonisation of one of them will bring wealth, position and prestige. This is a very 'in' Italian film which will please or antagonise religious audiences who care about these things but may baffle those who do not.
1. The religious theme of the film? Its title? The alternate title, My Mother's Smile? Both chosen by the director?
2. The impact of the film for Italians, the background of Catholicism, of the Vatican, of religious and Catholic piety and tradition, especially canonisations and saints? The impact for a non-Italian audience? The film as too particularly Italian or not?
3. The Roman settings, the homes, the streets, the Vatican, the home for the poor, the artist's studio? The light and darkness, shadings of colour? A sombre film in colour? The role of the music, classical score, contemporary music, the Armenian religious music?
4. The focus on Ernesto and his art, his paintings, his reputation? His drawings? His having separated from his wife, yet visiting, his love for his son, putting him to bed and the discussions about God and the afterlife? His personal atheism? The visit by the priest and the news of his mother's beatification? His shock, not having heard, the family keeping this information from him? His feelings for his family, disillusionment? His puzzle about his mother? His relationship with his wife and discussions about the matter with her? Asking whether his son knew? His discussion with his visiting aunts, especially about art? His puzzle during the night? Going to the social event, the singer, the discussions, the Cardinal, the nuns and clergy, high society? Italian society and its desire to be religious or to use the church for its own social-climbing? Count Bulla and his fascism and wanting a dictatorial king? His smile, thinking the man was a fool, being challenged to a duel?
5. Ernesto the next morning, going to the school with his son, meeting the religion teacher, her reciting the poem, his becoming infatuated? The chauffeur for the visit to the Cardinal, meeting the poor, the discussions with the Cardinal about his mother, his reticence, his smile, the irony? The fact that his mother had been murdered by her son, the flashback and her reprimanding her son for blaspheming? Aiming at the truth - the son who killed her saying he was under the influence of drugs? The other two brothers saying that she was murdered for her stand on blasphemy? Ernesto and his antagonism towards his mother, hating her, seeing her as ignorant yet not wanting to speak ill of her? His being away from home at the time of the death? His own views? His return home, looking at the paintings of the teacher, the sexual encounter? The meeting with the man who was cured and accusing them all of fraud? Going with his brothers to see the brother in the institution, their pleading for their mother's canonisation, his own silence and embracing his brother? His being urged to go to the duel, the preparations, cutting the Count, wanting to fight him even further?
6. Ernesto's family: his wife, her concern about her son, the religious issues? Her knowing about the canonisation? His two aunts? His brothers, antagonism towards them, the clergyman and his introducing the cause without telling Ernesto? Their discussions, especially with the cured man, the seeming conspiracy of the family to promote themselves through having a saint? His visit to his Aunt Maria, her disbelief, her sinister plotting, social-climbing? His reaction and her saying that he smiled?
7. The little boy, ordinary, not baptised, taking the religion classes, interested that God was everywhere and therefore he was not free? The discussions of life after death? The influence of the religion teacher? Grace before meals and his father showing him the sign of the cross? His going to school, his being baptised secretly by his mother?
8. The reality of Ernesto's mother, as a woman, as holy, as a role model? The irony of the promotion of this kind of saint - and its correspondence to the schemes that various groups and families make to promote saints in the church?
9. The Cardinal, his interest, the questioning of Ernesto? The other clerics? The pilgrims going up the steps on their knees? The Papal audience, the Cardinal taking the group in to see the Pope?
10. Diana, her not being the religion teacher, her wanting Ernesto to look at her paintings, her being around the house, the sexual encounter?
11. The purpose of the film as an entertainment, as exploring themes of religion an spirituality, of critique of aspects of the church?
