HUMAN CAPITAL/ IL CAPITALE UMANO
Italy, 2014, 111 minutes, Colour.
Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi Fabrizio Gifuni, Matilde Gioli, Valeria Golino.
Directed by Paolo Virzi.
This is an impressive Italian film, a drama with a range of characters and a central mystery. It was the official entry Italian entry for the Foreign Language Academy Awards for 2014.
During the film, many audiences will be wondering what the meaning of Human Capital, the title, actually is. It is explained at the end of the film but indicating the meaning here does not spoil the plot in any way. Human Capital is the technical word for used by Italian insurance companies to estimate the worth for beneficiaries of a person who has died. It does seem a harsh and abstract phrase.
However, the film is not abstract at all. It opens with a party for socialites. One of the waiters cycling home is injured in a hit-run accident. It is not clear who the driver of the car was, whose car it was, and the screenplay offers several possibilities as the film goes on.
The screenplay is structured in three parts, each focusing on a central character, telling the story from their point of view, while advancing the narrative – although there is a six month period in the film between the accident and the move towards resolution.
The first story is that of Dino (Fabio Bentivoglio), a real estate agent, pushy and brash, who wants to have something more in life. He has a daughter, Serena (Matilde Gioli), who is studying. Dino is married to a psychologist, Roberta (Valeria Golino), his second wife. Serena is dating Giovanni, the son of a wealthy businessman and his former-actress wife. When Dino arrives at the mansion of the businessman, he is invited to play tennis and makes a success of it, asking for financial advice, which leads him to borrow heavily, lying about his money status. When he imposes later, asking for his money, he is fobbed off, and tries to rectify his situation by further lying and borrowing.
The second story is that of Carla (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi), the former actress, unhappy in her marriage, remembering happier days, especially when she wants to buy a run-down theatre and calls on a friend, a lecturer and director, to give advice to the board she sets up for the running of the theatre and its contribution to the town. She has a tenuous relationship with Giovanni, the son, but is open to his relationship with Serena. However, her husband is more preoccupied with his business than with her.
The third story is that of Serena herself, her relationship with Giovanni which is not as it seemed earlier in the film. He is irresponsible, drinking, going to parties – with his car, which raises all kinds of questions as to which car was involved in the accident and who could have been driving. There are some interesting twists which we do not anticipate.
The other interesting character is Luca, living with his uncle, becoming involved in his uncle’s drug-dealings, having his own personal problems – and a client of Dino’s wife, Roberta. It is in her waiting room that he encounters Serena, which leads to the final complications.
The film keeps the interest, throwing light on the wealthy class in Italy, the business dealings, especially with the financial crises in Italy. It also throws light on the less wealthy classes, their struggles, their ambitions.
For audiences who are on the lookout for strong, well-written and well-acted dramas, Human Capital can be recommended.
1. The title? The explanation given at the end? The definition by insurance companies, their criteria? The literal meaning? Symbolic meaning?
2. An Italian film, nominations and awards? An Italian story? Universal? 21st-century? 2010 and the consequences of the global financial crisis?
3. The settings, Dino’s world, ordinary? Carla’s world, affluence? The mansion, interiors and exteriors? The grounds? Tennis court? The old theatre? Shops? Social events? The school, the celebration? Luca’s world? The psychologist’s? Homes, parties, drugs, the neighbourhood? The musical score?
4. Structure: the opening, the school celebration, the waiter, the accident, the car leaving? The different chapters, the time lapses, six months? The focus on specific days? The interlinking of the chapters, through the characters relationships, business?
5. Dino’s story: his age, personal style, go getter, real estate? Divorcing his wife, the affair? Marrying Roberta? The news of her pregnancy? his daughter, Serena? The tensions? Dropping Serena at the mansion, his staying, talking with Giovannni, invitation to the tennis, asking about the fund, the scenes of his borrowing so much money, signatures and possibility for fraud? Investment? Giovanni dropping him? The visit to the house, the meeting, the news about the financial failure? The company gambling on Italian finances to drop? Dino’s reaction, the possibility of partnership with the other estate agent? Going to the dinner, Roberta wanting to go to the hospital? Serena, her computer, the memory stick, going to the theatre and the blackmailing of Carla, wanting a kiss? His future?
6. Carla’s story: introduction to her, her marriage to Giovanni, coming to the celebration? Her being upset? Going shopping, her whims, going to her friend’s shop, the souvenirs? Going to the theatre, the collapse, her going inside, the explanations, wanting to buy the theatre? Giovanni agreeing? The board meeting, the various members, the satire on critics and theatrical types? Donato, his coming with the film, the sexual relationship with Carla, memories of the past? Massimiliano seeing his mother? His concern, her guilt? In the theatre, Dino and the blackmail, her reaction to the kiss?
7. Serena’s story: audience expectations after seeing the other two chapters, finding out that suspicions were false? Serena and her father, her mother leaving home, cool towards Roberta, moving more to trust her? The relationship with Massimiliano, the break? At Roberta’s office, the encounter with Luca, his sketch, her attraction, the visit to his house, the accusation about the drugs, covering for his uncle, the sexual relationship, the phone call, his driving and the accident, not stopping? Serena covering for him? Her computer, the message, her father seeing it, her going to Roberta, the news of Luca’s suicide attempt, her going?
8. Massimiliano, at school, the relationship with Serena, his father and contempt, his mother and seeing her with Donato, not getting the award? His drinking, everybody suspecting him of the hit-run?
9. The theatre board, the variety of types, the discussion, points of view, Carla and her agreeing with everyone? Carla breaking with Donato and his petty response?
10. The school, the celebration, the priest, the items, the award and the candidates?
11. Roberta, marrying Dino, pregnant, the contractions at the dinner? Her work with Luca? Serena turning to her, their going to Luca’s house?
12. Luca, mental state, his uncle, the drugs, covering for him, his art, the relationship with Serena, driving the car, not stopping after the accident, his attempted suicide? Accepting the prison sentence? Serena going to see him?
13. The fourth chapter, Human Capital, the information about Luca, his sentence, the family and the deal with the insurance, the victim’s family, receiving money as human capital?
