STRANEZZA

Italy, 2022, 104 minutes, Colour.

Toni Servillo, Salvatore Ficarra, Valentino Picone, Luigi lo Cascio.

Directed by Roberto Ando.

A mainstream audience may find the strangeness of this story difficult to enjoy – and, sometimes, to follow. However, it is a film very much for an Italian audience – but also for an audience interested in theatre, the history of theatre, Italian theatre and the playwright and author, Nobel Prize for Literature, Luigi Pirandello.

The setting is 1924, a visit by Pirandello to his home city in Sicily, Agrigento. His nanny from the past has died and he wants to be present for the funeral. But, this is Italy, this is Sicily. There is bureaucracy, mislaid papers, delays – all leading to the presentation of a bribe. Atmosphere of southern Italy! (And beyond.)

The two men involved in the funeral arrangements and grave digging other comedy duo of Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone. Different in appearance, and styles of speaking, they are an expert duo in contrasts. But, not only do they do the funeral arrangements, they are putting on the play in the local theatre, writing, producing, acting. Pirandello is invited to the performance. There are glimpses of rehearsals, the local amateur actors and their eccentricities, and then the performance. Pirandello is in a box, somewhat detached, but amused. The audience participates, often and loudly. And part of the performance is a satire on the money-grabbing bureaucrat and his relationships, denounced by his wife from the audience.

While the funeral eventually proceeds, Pirandello returns to Rome and draws on the Sicilian experience for his classic play, Six Characters in Search of an Author. The two Sicilians have been invited to Rome, an exciting train expedition, amazed at the city, the theatre, puzzled by the performance. However, the new player has drawn very much on Pirandello’s Sicilian experience and the characters. The play is denounced, booing from the audience, projectiles. However, there is also acclaim for it and it becomes a classic and, in 1934, Pirandello wins the Nobel Prize.

1. The title, the focus on the life and work of Luigi Pirandello, his approach to life, to literature, to drama, his experiences of strangeness?
2. The setting, the 1920s, the era of fascism, life in Sicily, in the city of Agrigento? The local people, families, workers, funeral arrangements and grave digging…? Pirandello theatre, participation and enjoyment? The authorities, finance and bribes? Satire against them?
3. Audience knowledge of Pirandello, his background, his literary achievement, the 1934 Nobel Prize for literature? His personality, observations of characters and life?
4. The status of his play, Six Characters in Search of an Author? The initial hostile reception? Its status as a classic? This film speculating on its origins and development?
5. The presence of Tony Servillo as Pirandello, his status, arrival back in Sicily, the death of his nanny, wanting to be at the funeral? The situation with the arrangements, the delay, his staying, connections with people in the city? The discussions with the gravediggers? The invitation to the theatre? His sitting in the box, observing, sometimes amused, interested in the characters, the repartee, the political satire, the audience response? The variety of the cast and what they represented, deadlines, delivery? His creative response?
6. The two men working for funerals, grave digging, the casting of the comedy duo, their interactions, repartee, clashes? At work, the demands of the arrangements, the funerals, the graves? Bureaucracy, delays, paperwork, bribes? And Pirandello agreeing to this?
7. The theatre, writing the lines, performance, the friendships, the rivalries, relationships, actresses, marriage, the bureaucrat in the audience and his affair, his wife…?
8. The usual aspects of “putting on the show”, difficulties, the actors, people remembering their lines, the actor with one line and his declaring it, the actor and his dressing as a woman, performance, the issues of the play, reflecting life in the city?
9. The participation of the audience, delight, laughter, reactions, satire on the bureaucrat…?
10. The range of personalities of the actors, their self-image, presence on stage, performance, range of actors?
11. Pirandello, his play, the funeral directors on their travel, the invitation, their being overwhelmed, puzzled by the theatre, the performance of the play?
12. The performance, mirroring the Sicilian experience, the characters, the dialogue, the nature of the characters and the plot, their search – and Pirandello as the author? The hostile audience response, catcalls, projectiles…? Those in favour?
13. The touches of realism, the atmosphere of surrealism, memories of Italian theatre in the early 20^th century, audiences, and the status of Pirandello?