THE HAND OF GOD/ E STATO LA MANO DI DIO

Italy, 2021, 130 minutes, Colour.

Filippo Scotti, Toni Servillo, Teresa Saponangelo, Marlon Joubert, Luisa Ranieri, Renato Carpentieri, Betty Pedrazzi,Ciro Capano.

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

By this stage of his career, Italian writer and director, Paolo Sorrentino, has achieved high status in Italian cinema and in world cinema (many awards including an Oscar for The Great Beauty/ La Grande Bellezza). He has made distinctive films but he has also made an international impact with his television series, The Young Pope and The New Pope.

Many have asked who is Paolo Sorrentino, what is his background? Sorrentino has decided to answer these questions himself and made an autobiographical film. The main events in this film correspond to Sorrentino’s early life.

We are in Naples where Sorrentino hails from. It is the mid-1980s and his character, here called Fabie, Fabietto, is in his final year at school. He shares a room at home with his brother, Marchino. They are played by Filippo Scotti and Marlon Joubert. Marchino has ambitions to be an actor but he does enjoy the easy life. Fabie, on the other hand, is rather scrawny, sometimes a bookworm, and, it would seem, wanting to be a bit like the rest of the boys. And, at his age (and the reputation of Italian libido) he has something of a quietly roving eye.

The tone is set with the opening sequence involving Fabie’s Aunt Patrizia, an episode where she is visited, allegedly, by the Neapolitan St Gennaro, and taken to see The Little Monk (rather a little Franciscan child Friar) who promises her that she will be able to conceive a child. But, at home, her husband berates her for being a prostitute, not believing her – and her sister, Maria (Teresa Saponangelo) with her husband, Saverio (Toni Seervillo) hurry to her on the back of Fabie’s motorbike.

This touch of magic realism is then offset by a long realistic sequence where the extended family go out on the boat, have a picnic, wander through the woods – Fabie having his eye on his apartment as she basks in the sun.

There is some discord in the family, Saverio and his mistress, Maria and her propensity for playing pranks (even pretending to be Franco Zeffirelli’s agent ringing her neighbour to offer her a central role in his next film), Marchino and his failing at a screen audition, Fabie going to see some plays, enraptured in theatre, encountering the Neapolitan film director, Antonio Capuano, who, later in the film, will challenge Fabie in his beliefs in himself, in his desire to be a filmmaker.

And all of the action in the context of Maradona being signed to Napoli, matches, fans and enthusiasm, goals!

In the same house as the family is the Baroness, a haughty woman, who will later have a significant impact on Fabie and his sexuality.

The sad part of the film, and this relates to Sorrentino’s parents in real life, is their moving to a country house, a fireplace, there being overcome by carbon monoxide and dying.

As with Sorrentino’s other work, there are all kinds of snippets of scenes, relevant and irrelevant, but creating atmosphere – and more than a nod to Federico Fellini, his name being mentioned, and a scene of auditions for one of his films with a gallery of grotesques the Fellini himself might be envious of.

So, this is Paolo Sorrentino, the younger.

1. The cinema achievement of Paolo Sorrentino? Audience interest in him? His background? His storytelling, cinema style?
2. This film as a memoir, based on facts, remembered and imagined? The young Sorrentino? Some explanations of his life and career?
3. The setting, Naples, the 1980s? The Maradona background, Maradona in Argentina, the plan for him to come to Naples, the joy at the achievement, his playing, training, the scenes of the matches, the family in crowd support?
4. The opening, Patrizia, at the bus stop, the magical realism of San Gennaro, the meeting with The Little Monk, the promise that she would become pregnant? Her return home, the denunciation by her husband? The indication of her mental condition, problems? Sexuality?
5. The family hurrying to help her, on the back of Fabie’s motorbike? The introduction to the family, Saverio, age, experience, work (and the later revelation about his mistress and her child)? Maria, their meeting during the war, the happy life, their two sons? Maria, her sense of humour, the pranks, phoning the neighbour and pretending to be Zeffirelli’s agent and offering her the central role, the angry consequences? The parents and their relationship with their children?
6. The transition after the magic realism opening, the long sequence of the boat ride (and Patrizia sunbaking and Fabie watching), the trek, the picnic? Creating the atmosphere for the Neapolitan family?
7. The focus on Fabie, the young Sorrentino, his age, sharing the room with his brother, his brother as a young man about town, wanting to act, the audition, failing? Yet his support of his younger brother? Fabie, slight, studious? Yet the Italian roving eye?
8. Life in Naples, family, indication of time with watching Once Upon a Time in America? Indication of films, the audition, references to Fellini, the audition with the room full of grotesques? Sorrentino and his being influenced by Fellini? Sergio Leone? The introduction of Antonio Capuano, direction, the auditions, going to the theatre, his public denunciation of the actress, meeting with Fabie, the discussions about truth, storytelling, the making of films?
9. Difficulties with his parents, the clash because of the mistress, Maria for giving her husband, allowing him back? The prospect of the new house? The happiness, the fireplace – and the sudden news of the carbon monoxide deaths? The sons going to the hospital? And Fabie being distraught?
10. Fabie, sexuality, the Italian tradition of sexual initiation? The role of the Baroness in the house, her haughty manner, her encounter with Fabie, the sexual encounter and the consequences? And initiation and her urging him on to his full of life? His visit to Patrizia in the hospital and the bond with her?
11. An excursion back into life in Naples? Throwing light on Paolo Sorrentino’s life and career?