OMBRA DI CARAVAGGIO, L’/CARAVAGGIO’S SHADOW

Italy, 2022, 120 minutes, Colour.

Riccardo Scarmachio, Louis Garrel, Isabelle Huppert, Micela Ramazotti, Tedua, , Michele Placido, Vinicio Marchoni, Lolita Chammah,Nadia, Brenno Placido, Gianluca Gobbi, Gianfranco Gallo, Michelangelo Placido, Moni Ovadio, Gianluca Gobbi, Gianfranco Gallo.

Directed by Michele Placido.

Every person casts their own shadow. Celebrated 16^th-17^th century Italian painter, Michelangelo Merisi, best known as Caravaggio, certainly cast a long shadow, in his low life in the slums of Rome and beyond, in the world of art in his own time, in his artistic heritage. However, all that it is very evident in this portrait of Caravaggio. But the “Ombra”, “Shadow” of the title refers to the agent of the Vatican, an Inquisitor, who is commissioned to investigate Caravaggio and provide a report about his life, his being charged with murder, to the Pope.

This portrait is in pieces, something like jigsaw pieces, visualised for the audience, highly dramatic, not in chronological order, moving backwards and forwards in time, many flashbacks, providing the audience with images and insights for them to finally put together all these pieces for some kind of understanding and appreciation of Caravaggio, his character, his behaviour, his art, his and morality and yet a moral sense and religiosity, a genius and an opportunist.

The film has been cowritten and directed by veteran actor, Michele Placido, who also appears as a patron of the artist, Cardinal Del Monte. Caravaggio himself is played by internationally known and popular Italian actor, Riccardo Scarmacio, often a dark and brooding presence, complex, content in the underbelly of Rome, happy with the Regal patronage, especially from the Marquesa Colona, played by Isabelle Huppert  always speaking dialogue in French, contacts with cardinals, unreliable, moody, sexually profligate, but with an innate sense of the Jesus of the Gospels, appreciation of the gospel narratives and a burning desire to re-create them in his art.

The Shadow of the title is played by French actor, Louis Garrel, always convincing in serious roles, less so in light or comic roles, but perfect here in the relentless investigator, ambitious, single-minded, even rigid as regards doctrine and ecclesiastical order, who pursues his investigation, personal interrogations, resorting to water torture, interviewing the prostitutes and vagrants with some disdain, unafraid in challenging the nobility, finally a confrontation with the artist himself. This is a frightening portrait of an ecclesiastical Inquisitor, admiring the works of art, but unhesitatingly condemning the artist for his life.

Set design and costumes and decor are marvellously portrayed to re-create the period, immersing the audience, especially in the low life of Rome. And, so many of Caravaggio’s paintings are brought to life, the finished works as well as the process of choosing the models, set-ups and posing, the artist and his work of painting. And the lighting of the film evokes the chiaroscuro light and darkness of the works at the beginning of the baroque period.

Riccardo Scarmacio plays Caravaggio with all his faults, sins, but with a deep innate sense of admiration for the Gospel stories, evoking audience sympathy for him, no matter what. And, he notes that in his choices of prostitutes as models for portraying Mary, the mother of Jesus, and himself, after his throat is slashed by the vengeful brothers of the man Caravaggio fought in a duel and killed, the right choice for the image of Goliath. And some of the prostitutes themselves, exploited and persecuted, note that being chosen to portray Mary was a highlight of their lives.

Evocative, interesting, taking us back into a complex period of church history, with some interesting sequences featuring Giordano Bruno, burnt at the stake as a heretic, the young artist, Artemisia, and St Philip Neri of the Oratory, seen sympathetically in the midst of the hardships and squalor in which he ministered.

Evocative also in raising all kinds of questions about artists in their times, their moral lives and choices, the relationship of these choices to the quality of their art and achievement.

1. An interesting and provocative visit to Italy and the baroque period? The world of Caravaggio?
2. Audience knowledge of the painter, of the period, of the baroque, painting styles, chiaroscuro, the paint, the canvases, the choice of models, the posing…?
3. Costumes, decor, the period, Rome, the papal court, the church, the underbelly of the slums? Naples and other Italian cities? Atmosphere? The musical score?
4. The structure of the screenplay, moving around in time, end of the 16^th, beginning of the 17^th century? Dates and places? A Mosaic of scenes and sequences, the connections made, the audience making connections, references, and ultimately putting everything together?
5. Riccardo’s Camacho as Caravaggio, a brooding presence, artistic genius, his background with the Contessa, religious background and religious sense, connection with the gospel stories? Poverty, at home in the low life of Rome, the beggars, the poor, the prostitutes, the sexual connections?
6. The central situation for the film, point of reference, the murder? The audience eventually seeing the confrontation, the fight, the death – in the background of Caravaggio’s relationship with the brothers, in the dealings in the underbelly of Rome? Their vengeance on Caravaggio, stabbing his cheek and mouth? (And his deciding that his image was that for Goliath?)
7. The role of the Pope, Rome ecclesiastical and secular, the condemnation of Caravaggio, the possibility for apartment? The Pope, meetings with the Cardinals, Cardinal Del Monte and his support of Caravaggio and his art, the Pope’s nephew and his dealings?
8. The title of the film, the Inquisitor as the Shadow? Louis Goel and his presence, performance? Sinister? Dressed in black? Devotion to the Pope, his understanding of the church, doctrine, rigidity and traditionalism? His mission, the range of his encounters, interrogations, using water torture, violence? His discovery of Caravaggio’s art, the models, questioning, admiration of the art, yet condemning Caravaggio? Eventually meeting him, the setup, Caravaggio travelling, the sea, the attack, death? And the Inquisitor reporting finally on the mission accomplished?
9. The Contessa, speaking French, her husband, her care for the young Caravaggio, the meetings with him, the discussions, her sensuality, sexuality, reputation? With the Inquisitor? With her son, his responsibilities, dealings, Caravaggio?
10. The range of prostitutes, on the streets of Rome, the harshness, the men, sexual violence, exploitation, the young women, some standing their ground, children, pregnancy? Squalor?
11. Caravaggio and the women, his relationships, over the years, their response to him, posing for the portraits, their being condemned for portraying the Virgin Mary? But this being an affirmation of their lives? And the status of the paintings and where they finished?
12. A violent era, a religious era, an era of art and achievement? Especially in Italy, Rome? The range of Caravaggio’s paintings, the film highlighting them, the completed works, works in progress, models posing for them?