QUO VADIS, BABY
Italy, 2004, Colour.
Angela Baraldi, Gigio Alberti, Claudia Zanella.
Directed by Gabriele Salvatores.
Quo Vadis, Baby is actually a quotation from Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris – a film which features at various times here. The film tradition is also included with long excerpts from the film M, Fritz Lang’s film about the child molester, which has echoes in the fact that Ada’s father was abusive of her.
The film was a great success in Italy and led to a television series. It may be that this film served as a pilot for the TV series – with some aspects of character and plot not explored but left for the series.
Angela Baraldi is a rock singer and actress in Italy and this is one of her first major film roles. She portrays a private detective, a very tough woman nearing her forties, who is obsessed by the suicide of her sister sixteen years earlier. The two sisters had been close, but Ada had moved to Rome, wanted to be an actress, was in partnership with Giulio as well as pregnant to a mysterious man simply known as A. All this is revealed in a series of videotapes that she had made before her death. At the end, there is a final tape with the film M – but after Georgia has gone out, the tape continues with scenes between Ada and her father and his brutality towards her.
The film is in many ways a detective story as Georgia tries to find out the truth about her sister, goes to her partner Giulio, is in relationship with a film professor, the professor for her young detective assistant. He turns out to be the mysterious lover. They clash – but the audience realises that he did not kill her and that she killed herself.
The film is visually dark as well as thematically dark. Angela Baraldi is a tough, often unsympathetic heroine. Aspects of the murder mystery are signalled – but the film keeps the interest in the audience trying to work out what really happened. The film is a character study, a gradual unravelling of tangled relationships, a revelation of the truth as well as the solving of a murder mystery.
Gabriele Salvatores won an Oscar for his death Mediterrano. He has made a number of offbeat films including Denti (Teeth). He had great success with his thriller set in southern Italy, Io Non Ho Paura.
1.The film as a popular success in Italy? Universally? A television series?
2.The Bologna settings, the interiors, dark? Offices and homes? The streets and the city itself? The flashbacks to Rome? Musical score and songs?
3.The structure of the film: the introduction to Georgia, her work, her receiving the videotapes, her preoccupation about her sister, watching the tapes, her interactions with her assistant, interrogations of Giulio, the introduction to Andrea, the relationship with him, finding out his identity, the clash, the strained relationship with her father? The final tape – and her not seeing the solution but the audience seeing it?
4.The title, the quotation from Last Tango in Paris? The overtones of that film and its atmosphere? Sexual relationships, sexual experimentation? The victimisation of the woman? The self-centred middle-aged man?
5.Georgia as a character, her age and experience, working with her father’s detective agency? Her friendship with her assistant? Her discussions with him – and his explaining that he was gay? Her friend Aldo, the tapes, her looking at the tapes, the flashbacks to Ada’s life? Her decision to meet with Giulio, the discussions with him, the truth? Georgia and her friendship with Inspector Bruni, asking him for further investigations about her sister’s death? Lucio introducing her to Andrea? The dinner, the sexual relationship? Georgia and her showing the tapes to Giulio, knowledge of the pregnancy, his not being the father? Her visit to Rome, going to see Ada’s friend Anna? Anna knowing some of the truth but not the identity of the secret lover? Georgia’s return – and her father watching the tapes? The continued relationship with Andrea, discovering who he was? Her violent smashing of the apartment, attacking him? The details from Inspector Bruni about Ada’s body, the bruises? The confrontation with Andrea, the information about her father’s presence? Anna and her sending Georgia the video camera, the tape of Fritz Lang’s film? The inspector ringing, her going to meet him for discussion and dinner? Her not seeing what had really happened in the confrontation between Ada and her father? Ada and the accusations about him killing her mother, her demanding that he leave? The fact that Ada killed herself but Georgia did not see the evidence?
6.Ada, the older sister, the relationship with her father, her going to Rome, separating herself from the family? The relationship with Giulio? Her hoping to be film star, auditions, not succeeding? The relationship with A? Her pregnancy? Taking of the videotapes? Her death?
7.The father, the detective agency, the relationship with Georgia? Enigmatic? Drinking, his grief? Watching the tapes? The truth about his interaction with Ada on the night she died?
8.Giulio, the relationship with Ada, Georgia coming to interview him, watching the tapes, giving the information?
9.Andrea, the introduction by Lucio, the dinner, the relationship – and the irony of his relationship with both sisters? Her discovering the truth, her violent reaction and smashing things, attacking him? His being the father of the child?
10.Inspector Bruni, the friendship with Georgia, helping her with the information, the meetings – and the future relationship possible?
11.Anna, her friendship with Ada, giving information to Georgia, sending the video camera?
12.The film as a piece of detection? As an exploration of relationships? As intimating at the darker side of family relationships, sexual relationships?
