LA FEBBRE (HOPES)
Italy, 2005, 122 minutes, Colour.
Fabio Volo, Valeria Solorino, Arnoldo Foa.
Directed by Alessandro d'Alatri.
La Febbre is directed by Alessandro d'Alatri, actor and director, especially of the award-winning film Casomai.
This film is set in the provincial city of Cremona and the audience is able to see the beauty of the city. However, it also focuses on the mundane realities in the administration of the city. It focuses on preparations for a visit of the president of the republic, the bureaucratic difficulties, the loss of money, a scheme to get money from contemporary people for the burial and lighting of the graves of their long-dead ancestors.
At the centre of all this is a young man, Mario, played by Fabio Barrovero (the star of Casomai). He is an earnest young man, living in the memory of his esteemed father, staying at home with his mother. He and his friends are planning to convert an old factory into a nightclub. He is attracted by a go-go dancer he sees at city celebrations.
When he does get a job with city administration, he falls out with his boss but is supported by his immediate superior, a genial man on the verge of retirement. When he falls in love, however, there is a great change – cantankerous with his mother, spending time with his girlfriend, falling out with his friends. When he is assigned to look after the cemetery, the bottom seems to have fallen out of his life.
However, this is a film about a young man who has a conscience, is basically good-natured and starts to rebel against the constrictions of bureaucracy. While he does find himself at the end, studying architecture, involved in some artwork with junk pieces, reconciled with his girlfriend on her return from America, he still is a symbol of criticism of Italy – with the final image of the film receding over the city of Cremona, over Italy, over the world – with an ironic touch in praise of Italy as still being a great country.
1. A glimpse of Italy at the beginning of the 21st century, life in an Italian city, difficulties, joys, hopes, dreams? The strong critique of the bureaucracy, Italy as a nation at this time? The role of society, bureaucracy, individuals?
2. The Cremona setting, the overview of the city, the public places, the private homes, the countryside? The centre, the cathedral, the piazza? The river? The cemetery? The musical score?
3. The opening, focusing gradually on the club, on Mario? The club and the building, the opening? The artwork? The focus of the building of the club, the permits and the difficulty of bureaucracy, the hard work of the individuals, the money, the artwork, the clashes?
4. The structure of the film: the focus on the city, on the club, on Mario? The flashback and the story of Mario and the club? Leading to the end, the global and cosmic view of Italy and the remark, “Wasn't Italy great?”
5. Mario and his story, age thirty, living with his mother, his relationship with his mother, her looking after him? His dead father and his admiring him? His friends, building the club? Getting the job, doing his study, his drifting through life, his questioning everything?
6. Mario’s mother, seeing her sewing, the meals, bringing him his morning coffee, concerned about him, joy at his getting the job, giving him his father’s letter? The extended family and their visit? His father’s portrait, the reading of the letter? The ironies of whether the father would have let the mother join the choir – and the importance of the operatic and religious musical interludes? In the church? His being a public servant, playing the instrument at the band, his reputation?
7. Mario going for the job, the interview with the boss, the story about the tightrope walker and the wheelbarrow and asking whether Mario would get in the wheelbarrow, his saying that if he trusted the acrobat? The friendship with Faona, the casual atmosphere, not having to wear a tie, the detail of the work, the secretary and his charm, friendship with everyone – and the growing envy of the boss? Giving Mario extra burdens and work?
8. Faona, a good man, forty years, pleasant manner, helping Mario, chatting with him, the vision of the vineyard, the wine? The irony of his dying after his farewell speech? His funeral?
9. Mario seeing the girl, the go-go dancer? The irony of meeting her and the question of the mould? Inviting her out, falling in love, the lyric and romantic scenes? Bringing her home, his mother finding them in bed, his mother’s rudeness during the meal? Not providing food that she could eat? The girl meeting Mario’s friends? Attractive? Her studies?
10. Mario and his changing because of his romance, becoming erratic, becoming angry, his outburst against his mother, moving out of home? The discussions with his friend and living with him? His anger with the friends at the club, pulling out? The drinking, collapsing in the street, his brother coming, knocking him out, going to hospital? Coming to his senses?
11. The visit of the president, the important event, the bureaucracy, the need for money, the scheme about taxing for lights on graves of people long dead? Seeing the president in the plane, his friend from Cremona, wanting to go to the grave? The president reappearing in Mario’s dream, having the drink, talking about bureaucracy, praising Italy, encouraging Mario?
12. Mario’s friend, severe with Mario, his artwork, out of scrap? Their building, the artwork, the achievement for the club?
13. The girlfriend, having to go to America? Mario not wanting any letters? Her return, her fear that Mario had forgotten her, the friend and his wife and being pregnant, the happy reunion?
14. Mario and his work at the cemetery, the plan, his having to visit all the people, their complaints? His going to the cemetery, fixing it for the president’s visit, getting the permit for the club? His scheme for helping the people with their money and their all praising him?
15. His achievement, study, a future?
16. Mario, the criticism of society, his talking with his superior, blaming him for not encouraging Italy to go further and take initiatives? The deadening effect on society by bureaucracy, bureaucratic officials, corruption? The role of the individual and the need for initiative?
