SANGUEPAZZO (WILD BLOOD)
Italy, 2008, 148 minutes, Colour.
Monica Bellucci, Luca Zingaretti, Alessio Bonni.
Directed by Marco Tullio Giordana.
While running for two and a half hours, this is a continually absorbing film which has the sub-title, An Italian Story. Director Marco Tullio Giordana had been trying to make this film for more than two decades but, after his success with The Best of Youth, he was able to raise the money. It is a large project.
During the course of the film, there are two stories running parallel. The first takes place during the five days before the end of World War II and the setting is Milan. The second is in flashback to 1936 and then through to early 1945. In the first story, a famous actor, Osvaldo Valenti, a matinee idol who continued to appear in Fascist-backed films, gives himself up to the Partisans and saves his co-star and partner, Luisa Feridi. The Partizans accept this, especially former anti-Fascist director and exile, Golfiero Goffredi. However, they must stand trial for their complicity with the government and answer rumours that they had participated in the torture of prisoners.
The flashbacks tell the story of Osvaldo’s career, a Don Juan character with a cocaine and heroin problem, who survived and even became leader of a Fascist division. It also tells the story of Luisa, a country girl who wanted to be an actress, was seduced by Osvaldo, directed by Golfieri and became one of Italy’s leading celebrities, leading a wild private life while continually supporting Osvaldo.
As a picture of Italian cinema, production, the Venice festival, the government financed popular entertainments and the collapse of the Fascist agencies, the film is fascinating. As a human drama, it has its harrowing moments in the brutal experience of war. As an Italian story, it is a very good film. Luca Zingaretti as Osvaldo Valenti gives a mesmerisingly memorable performance and is supported well by Monica Bellucci as Luisa.
1.The scope of the film, its subtitle as An Italian Story? The title and the Sicilian phrase about passion and wild blood?
2.The Italian feel of the film, the era of fascism, World War Two experience, the partisans? The life of cinema in the 30s and 40s? Politics? Liberation and resistance? A civil war?
3.The settings in Milan, Rome, Venice? The Italian countryside? The fascist buildings? The movie sets? The lavish hotels? Prisons? The ruins? The musical score?
4.The experience of the war, the last five days of the war, in Milan, the prisons and torture, the partisans in the countryside, the ruins, the German occupation?
5.The structure of the film: the opening in 1945, the last five days of the war, culminating in the deaths of Osvaldo and Luisa? The flashbacks to 1936 continuing through to 1945?
6.The 1945 story: Osvaldo, his smashing the drug files, leaving, going through the lines, the uniform, surrendering? The suspicions? Golfiero and Vero? Golfiero knowing him? Questioning, sending Golfiero on the mission to rescue Luisa? Golfiero, the German uniform, his passing through the lines, rescuing Luisa?
7.The partisans, wanting to kill them? Golfiero not? Hiding them, Irene and the partisans in the countryside, Irene and Luisa talking, the gift of the necklace? The talk, the attack, their being taken, the partisans killed, Luisa and her grief for Irene? Wanting her to be buried next to Pietro? In the city, the sniper, Golfiero being wounded, Luisa tending him, the memories, his death? Vero and his taking them with the group, saying they were free, their being shot? The partisans agreeing that this was justice? Golfiero saying that he would come back if justice was not done? The rough notice placed over the bodies?
8.Osvaldo and his past, his status, performances, seeing him as Richard III, his mockery of the director, his voice being dubbed, his tantrums? His later films and the portrayal of heroes? The girl and her fluffing the line and his insulting her about being the mistress of the minister? The women in his life, meeting Luisa, her tough stance, her name and his criticism of it, their spending the night together, the bond, his giving her the money, her later returning it? Gatecrashing her success party, dancing with her? His life during the years at work, his influence, popularity, everybody knowing who he was? The government? His dependence on drugs, his certificate as a cocaine addict? Sturlo and his being his right-hand man, supplying him with everything, the drugs? Sturlo’s presence and knowledge of what happened? The war, the dangers, the ministers, 1943, the head of production and his giving him the letter nominating him to the department, his shooting himself, Osvaldo destroying the letter? Count Borghese and Division Ten, his getting a uniform, his vanity, going into action? His Mussolini look? On the tram, with the nun and the girls, his giving autographs? Seeing Golfiero, telling the story about the woman and the two men she loved? Letting him go? The decision to go to Milan, not having any work, the arguments with Luisa? Encountering the head of the SS, the dinner, his girlfriend, filming them, going to the torture chambers, filming that? His ambition to make a film? Buying the drugs from the doctor, the SS shooting the doctor? His finally smashing the drugs, going to give himself up? Carrying his film with him? Portrait of Osvaldo Valenti?
9.The portrait of Luisa, the country girl, her name, an extra, meeting Golfiero, resisting him, his taking her to the studio, to the dinner, helping her with her manners? Meeting Osvaldo, spending the night with him, the deal? Repayment? Success in the film, the scene from the film, the applause, the party, Osvaldo dancing with her? Golfiero being homosexual? Life with him, the drugs, her administering the drugs? Popularity and celebrity? The war, her being recorded and the blackmail from the minister? The public persona? Osvaldo and the getting of the drugs, going to Milan, the dinner with the SS, the girlfriend, the prurient observation, the lovemaking? Her being rescued?
10.Golfiero, a wealthy count, his films, homosexuality, with Luisa, with Osvaldo? The film? His being exiled, the escape? The return, Taylor as his code name, on the tram, Osvaldo not arresting him? The partisans, the uniform and the rescue, his wanting justice to be done and their having a trial, the sniper, his illness and death?
11.Vero, the tough partisan? Irene and the other partisans? Vero and his attitude towards Osvaldo and Luisa?
12.Cardi, the head of the film production, a fascist, the speeches, the examples of fascist films and documentaries, the Venice film festival? The type of films made during the fascist era, popular entertainments rather than propaganda? Their dislike of the Germans? Cardi and his handing over to Osvaldo, shooting himself?
13.The SS officer, his gold tooth, ruthless, his girlfriend, the dinner, watching them behave sexually, going to the torture chamber?
14.The scope of the film, the war, memories, Italian conscience and consciousness, the film industry?
