VINCERE
Itay, 2009, 128 minutes, Colour.
Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Filippo Timi.
Directed by Marco Bellocchio.
Vincere, To win, to conquer, was a catch cry of Benito Mussolini, Il Duce, which rallied millions of Italian nationalists during the 1920s to the end of World War II. The film opens in 1914 with unionist, Mussolini, giving God five minutes to kill him. It took over 30 years for the partisans to do this.
After an awkward start, time and placewise, introducing Mussolini and Ida Dasler who became his lover and mother of his son, the film builds up the passion between the two, especially Ida's obsessive commitment to Mussolini, and the future Duce's personality, arrogance, bullying rhetoric, founding Il Popolo and his war service as well as being wounded on the front in 1915. Actor Filippo Timi portrays Mussolini in manner rather than in looks. However, after he assumes power and government, the film uses a great deal of actual footage of Il Duce himself rather than any performance. This becomes an extraordinary reminder of the histrionic style of Mussolini's speeches and self-confidence.
The film, while tracing Italian history during the era, including the Concordat with the Vatican and Italy's empire ambitions of the 1930s, is really about Ida Dalser. Giovanna Mezzogiorno gives an arresting and nuanced performance where she has to age thirty years.
Jealous of Mussolini's wife and paranoid about persecution and with delusions about Mussolini's love for her (so lengthily and intensely portrayed early in the film), she is confined, staying with a family in Trento, then deprived of her son (who dies in an institution aged 26), confined to asylums until she dies in 1937 of a cerebral haemorrhage. She insisted to the end that she was married to Mussolini and that he had acknowledged his son but she never produced the documentation.
So, this is a very sad film, not only with Mussolini's ultimate ruining of Italy and the alarming presentation of a nation embracing Fascism, but in the cruelty of Ida Dalser's internment, separation from her son and continued humiliation. Her story provides another, more personalised perspective on this significant period in Italian history.
1.Audience knowledge of Benito Mussolini, his background, career, his influence on the 20th century, World War Two, Italy in ruins?
2.1914 to 1945, Italy, Milan, socialist meetings, the war, pro-war and anti-war demonstrations? The domestic history of Italy? Politics? Relationship with the Catholic church? Mental institutions? The film recreating a sense of the period? Musical score?
3.The title, Mussolini’s slogan? Seeing him in action, his defying God (wanting God to destroy him within five minutes)? The reprise of this theme at the end? Initially a socialist, his participation in demonstrations, fleeing the police, the encounter with Ida? The editor of Avanti? The rhetoric of his speeches, his histrionic behaviour? In favour of the war? Becoming more bellicose? His arguments, the socialist meeting and Ida trying to get in, listening in? His being sacked from Avanti? Ousted from the unions? The founding of Il Populo, Ida selling her furniture to pay for it? The range of newsreels, the war, the audience shouting, the brawls? Mussolini’s service in the war, his being injured, return, in hospital? His saying he could have a change of mind? The showing of the film Cristos on the roof of the hospital, the crucifixion scene, the focus on Mary? The king arriving, praising him? Seeing the Black Shirts in action, their patriotism, his being influenced by them, leading them? His behaviour as an actor?
4.1922, the newsreel footage, Mussolini’s look, his political behaviour, his ruthless behaviour, the crowds in Piazza Venezia, calling him Il Duce, the signing of the concordat with Pius XI? The 30s and the dream of empire, the Mediterranean? World War Two, his death?
5.His personal story, being rescued by Ida, listening to her, love, infatuation? Her falling in love with him? Her commitment? His inability to say that he loved her? The time with her, passionate? His relationship with Rachel, marrying her, the children, Edda and her mother’s visit in hospital? Ida’s jealousy? In the hospital, the fight between the women? Rachel as protective? The marriage between Ida and Mussolini – visualised, her imagination or reality? Her not providing the documentation?
6.Mussolini abandoning her, Ida and her relationship with her son, overprotective? Her defence?
7.Her growing protest, shouting, anger, her love for her son, confined with the family, Ricardo looking after her? Her son being taken, going to the nuns, to the school? His growing up and his mother not seeing him? The military school, his studies, his becoming a sailor, his imitating Mussolini? Seeing Ricardo, writing the letter to his mother? His being interned, the information about his death at twenty-six?
8.The family and their kindness, Ricardo and his advice? The police raid, Ida being interned, the way she was treated, with the staff, with the nuns? Bernardi and his power of attorney, his cruelty towards Ida, not letting her see her son? The portrait of the various inmates, the ballet dancer, their advice for Ida to behave herself? The various transfers? The years passing, her writing the letters? The letter from her son, the compassionate nun, changing habit, Ida escaping, meeting the family, arrested? Interned, her death? The pathos?
9.The doctors, their treatment, the sympathetic doctor and his advice to her to be calm?
10.Communications developments in the 20th century, newspapers, giving way to cinema, newsreels, the movies? The Cristos being shown on the roof in the hospital? Charlie Chaplin and The Kid and Ida’s tears? The Italian epics of the 20s and 30s? The transition to a new world and the technologies for World War Two?
11.The finale, Ida’s death, an image of Italy – and Mussolini leaving Italy in ruins?
