THE RED AND THE BLUE

Italy, 2012, 98 minutes, Colour.
Margharita Buy, Riccardo Scarmaccio, Roberto Herlitzka.
Directed by Giuseppe Piccioni.

The Red and the Blue is the story of a teacher, a substitute who comes into an average school in Rome, with its own difficulties, especially in staffing, in financial management, in accepting students who are not interested in education.

The film opens with a voiceover by an old teacher, Professor Fioretti, looking rather ancient, played with effective cynicism by Roberto Herlitzka. He sounds as if he despises the students, sees them as failures, unable to respond to his course in art history. He is aloof and alone in the staff room. He is critical of substitute teachers and behaves that way towards the latest teacher, Prezioso, played by Riccardo Scarmaccio. After this introduction, the film shows the journey of Prezioso and his encounters with staff and students.

The film has the usual group of teenage students, familiar from many American films. They are not particularly interested in the course, Italian literature, and tend to misbehave in a nonchalantly dismissive manner.

There are several subplots, including Professor Fioretti’s being contacted by a past student, who did not pay attention in class but has affectionate memories of the Professor. Is it possible for him to change, come out of himself?

Another subplot involves the Principal, Margharita Buy, whose main preoccupation in managing the school is to avoid potential lawsuits. When she has to take care of a boy whose mother seems to have abandoned him, she takes him to hospital, and something of an attachment develops, her bringing him pyjamas and some Manga comics, and she even considers adopting him.

Prezioso teaches literature, eliciting some gradual responses from the students, especially from a young Romanian student, attached to a girl who is his exact extroverted opposite and who wants to act out her frustrations, with the boy helping her, even to finding a gun and an episode in which brings him back to reality.

Prezioso becomes attached to a rather sullen and insolent girl, trying to help her, especially when she says her mother has just died. In his encounters with her, with cautions from the Principal, he think she has been lying and gives up on her. But there is something of a twist towards the end in his encounters with her.

To this extent, the film is episodic, building up its portrayal of life in a school, especially in the classroom, and the consequences for the students.

It is a small story for this part of Prezioso’s life and career. We might hope that he will become a substantial teacher and that this will have an effect on his life - or he could become cynical and become a Professor Fioretti of the future.

1. An education story? Italy? Universal?

2. The title, the pens, Prezioso and the student, his taking the pen, searching for a new one, returning it?

3. The Roman setting, the school, the interiors, the streets and homes, medical, cafes? The musical score? The feel of Rome?

4. Professor Fioretti, his voiceover, vision of education, his long experience, his teaching of art history, but his cynical approach, looking down on the students, feeling them incapable of learning, as failures? His attitude towards the substitute teacher? His own classes, dictation, appearances in the staff room, aloof, the parents’ night? The clashes with the Principal, smoking in class, the complaints? His considering suicide, standing at the window, the workers coming to put down lawn and his going inside? Throwing his books out the window? The phone call, the past student, his going to the clinic, her not recognizing him, her visit, her returning the book? Her gratitude towards him, going to the park, the dance? Could he be saved? Was he a version of Prezioso when he became old?

5. The Principal, austere, her manner, clothes, worried about legislation and being sued? Fioretti and his smoking? Prezioso and his being late? Searching for another chair for his room? Her aide, going to the post office? The staff room? The woman teacher and her attitudes? The boy at the office, his situation, taking him to hospital, her being touched, visiting, bringing the pyjamas, Manga comics? At home, with her husband, the issue of cooking, her being cranky? The thought of adopting the boy? Social services, the end and the final embrace?

6. The boy, his illness, his absent mother, interactions with the Principal, in hospital, the pyjamas and the comics, the doctor, his cheeky attitude, the social worker, affection for the Principal, his mother not returning, the final embrace?

7. Adam, from Romania, his family, his knowledge, the quiz on TV, in class, the attraction to the girl, the opposite temperament to his, the camera, at the shop, her being ousted, wanting to return, the chats on the roof, his helping her, at the petrol station, searching for his father’s gun, shots fired, taking his father to hospital, his father not wanting the truth told? Back to reality?

8. Ciacchi and his having more knowledge than was obvious, his father, aggressive and offensive, serious in the dream, reciting the poem?

9. The girl, in class, with the pen, wanting it back?

10. Angela, tough, not understanding poetry, flirting, her wilful behaviour, meeting the man outside? The story of her mother’s death? Prezioso and his care, the embrace, the Principal warning him about attachment? The class signing the book for sympathy for Angela’s mother’s death? The lies, the visit, meeting her father, the irony of the truth, her mother having a twin sister, the students seeing the twin? Her fashion job, wanting to be a better person?

11. The class, reactions, poultry, elevate topics, literally, the reactions? The grades? The different boys and girls, the girl with a headphone, the silent boy…?

12. The film as a portrait of Prezioso, his age, studies, substitute teacher? The encounters with Fioretti and the cynicism, trying to be friendly? Yet puzzled? Interactions with the Principal? With the students, the classes, the focus on Angela, following her, stories, believing her, not believing her, the visit to the home, the truth? Seeing her in her job?

13. The credibility of the improvement of the students, in this situation?