THE MAFIA ONLY KILLS IN SUMMER/LA MAFIA UCCIDE SOLO D'ESTATE
Italy, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Alex Bisconti, Pif, Cristiana Capatondi, Ginevra Antone.
Directed by Pierfrancesco Diliberti (Pif).
The Mafia only Kills in Summer is quite an entertaining story, set in Palermo, much of it in the 1980s when the Mafia were dominant in the city, a violent period with assassinations, especially for judges who came in with integrity to reform the situation.
However, it has a light touch as well because it is the story of Arturo, and he narrates the coincidence of his conception with a Mafia killing, along with some visuals of the conception, grows up and as a boy at school is interested in journalism, especially when the see Giulio Andreotti on the television and finds him a role model, even dressing like him at a fancy dress party. He is also attracted to Flora, a fellow-student who ultimately moves away from Palermo to Switzerland.
Arturo interviews one of the judges sent to Palermo and soon assassinated. This reinforces his desire to be a journalist. However, when he becomes an adult, he finds it hard to get a job, plays the piano in a political television show – which leads to a fiasco when he discovers that Flora has returned to Palermo and is secretary to a politician.
There are further assassinations, political complications, but Arturo and Flora finally get together for a happy ending.
An entertaining way of looking at very serious situations in Palermo.
1. The title, irony and the truth?
2. Palermo story, the locations, the city, homes and streets, shops and bars, church, school, radio stations, media? The musical score?
3. The periods, especially the 1980s, the look, the sound?
4. The history of Palermo and the Mafia? Names and dates? The mafiosi types? The police? The judges and their coverage, decisions and
administration? assassins? The killings and the consequences? The national government in Rome? Andreotti?
5. The narrative, Arturo and his commentary, the playful aspects of his conception and birth, the images of the sperm? His parents, the apartment, the killings? His conception? As a boy? The birth his brother? His parents, family life?
6. The Mafia, reports of their activities, denials in Palermo? Yet the violence, a society dominated by the Mafia? The bosses and their ruthlessness? Assassins who are dumb and vicious? The ease in the killings? Financial gain, power?
7. Arturo as a boy, at school, Flora, the connection, his friend and the rivalry? Buying the food for Flora and putting it on her desk? The other boy claiming the gift? Flora thinking Arturo was a liar? His claim that there was a mafia man in an apartment – but it was only a journalist? The friendship, Flora moving to Switzerland?
8. Andreotti, as a figure, his appearance, walk, his wife? Authority and government? His reputation, later charges? Arturo and the discovery of Andreotti? Admiring him, watching on television, taking his advice, imitating him, the fancy dress? The children’s reactions?
9. The competition, his writing, winning, talks with the journalist, the journalist and his advice about creativity? Ambitions? Interviewing the politician, his sudden assassination? Witnessing the death on the streets? The television, the reports about the Mafia in Sicily?
10. The interview with La Scala, his earnestness? With the other politicians? Judgements?
11. As an adult, employed, Jampierr, playing the piano, at the rally, seeing Flora, the fiasco of his piano playing, the threats to his job?
12. Meeting Flora, being a political secretary, offering him the job, their discussions? The slogan of Sicily needing Europe as Europe needed Sicily? Flora and her writing the speech? Arturo’s reaction, resigning? Flora checking the speech with her father, that the politician would not have used it? His assassination?
13. The aftermath, the wedding, the children? Happy ever after?
14. The human story, the humorous side, the reality of the Mafia?
