CUORE SACRO (SACRED HEART)

Italy, 2005, 116 minutes, Colour.
Barbara Bobulova, Camille Comencini, Andrea di Stefano.
Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek.

Cuore Sacro is another impressive film from Turkish-born director, but resident of Italy, Ferzan Ozpetek. Moving from his native Turkey, he studied film in Rome and continued to make films there. He was assistant director to many celebrated directors before his own film debut, Hamam, The Turkish Bath, 1998. He also made an interesting film about another enclosed society, homosexuals in Rome, Le Fate Ignoranti. He then followed this with a wider-based drama about relationships, The Window Opposite, La Fenestre di Fronte.

With Cuore Sacro he explores Italian society, the world of business, the poorer Rome. Eventually he moves into religious themes as indicated by the title of the film. However, Sacred Heart does not refer to the pictures of Jesus and his heart. Rather, one of the characters in the film writes a letter about people having two hearts, the normal physical heart and a more genuine hidden heart which is sacred. If they were to follow that heart, their lives would be different.

The film stars Barbara Bobuloba (Where Are You?). She portrays a very successful businesswoman, supported by her aunt. She is an award winner, an achiever. When she goes to the palazzo where her parents lived, she discovers more about her mother who spent her life in an enclosed room. She also plans to tear down the palace to make apartments. When she encounters a cheeky young girl, and is the victim of a con that the girl perpetrates pretending to be assaulted in the street, she becomes attached to her. The little girl is involved in distributing food to the poor, working for a priest in the area. The girl is suddenly killed, the businesswoman goes to see the priest, goes to visit the hospital, meets the mother – and then decides to continue the work of food distribution.

The film changes from realism to fantasy in the middle – especially where the young woman is in her mother’s room, trying to decipher the writing that is on the wall, reflecting on the meaning of her mother’s life. She descends from the room and goes into the basement of the building which is now a soup kitchen. The film shows her involvement in works of charity, the support of the priest, his taking her to the authorities in the Vicariate of Rome and her going to a railway station after being pressed by the poor and stripping herself of everything, something like St Francis of Assisi.

The film is very interesting as a social drama. However, in its imaginative exploration of matters of justice and holiness, it is quite a striking drama.

1. A portrait of contemporary religion, holiness, the needs of the poor and their being met by church, holy people?

2. The opening, the glimpse of the Vatican, the Rome settings? The affluent world, business world? The contrast with the world of the poor near the Colosseum, the soup kitchens? The settlements of the poor in the ruins of Rome?

3. The musical score, the songs, the sacred music, the dramatic music?

4. The title, the explanation, the mother saying that everybody had two hearts, that the good heart should overcome the lesser heart and the world would be good?

5. The blend of reality and illusion? Sanity and madness? The madness of wealth and power, the madness of giving everything to the poor?

6. The parallel with the gospel story of the rich young man and his giving everything away? The railway station and the parallel with St Francis and his stripping himself, literally, of everything? The taking of everybody else’s burdens and the Christ figure?

7. The structure of the film: starting in reality, the encounter with Benny, the effect on Irene, Benny’s death, the encounter with Father Karres? The transition to the swinging scene, Irene’s sense of Benny’s presence, referring to Benny as Mother? The transition to the soup kitchen, her going in her dressing-gown? The story following this, everything for the poor, the soup kitchen, the St Francis parallel? Turning the empty mansion into a soup kitchen? The final presence in the hospital, the institution, the interview with the doctor?

8. The Marchetti couple, the preparation for the dinner, their clothes, the beautiful meal, dismissing the maid? Their sudden suicide? Intercut with Irene’s success, the award, her responding to the media? The support of her aunt? The aunt dealing with the news about the suicide, handling everything, the press, the business? Irene at the meetings, Francesca’s arrival and her spurning her money, the effect on Irene – and later, in the hospital, seeing the kindly ghosts of her parents?

9. The apartments project, changing the old into the modern, profit? The back-story of Irene’s family, her father in business, his sisters? The visit to the aunt in the institution, wanting her to sign the papers, her pleasure in defying her sister? The mother, her singing, her madness? Irene’s speech of thanks, to her influential aunt? Going to the palazzo, meeting Aurelio, opening up the windows, seeing the writing on the wall, their being no mirror, the light and air opening up the place? The mystery, what her aunt told her about her mother, her desire to know?

10. The scene outside, Benny, the couple quarrelling, the stealing of the wallet, the chauffeur chasing, bringing it back?

11. Benny, her personality, age twelve, her stories about her family, her life? The set-ups? Her stealing, the mobile phones, the diary as a gift for Irene? Her return, the dinner in the café? The phone calls from the owners of the mobiles? Her wanting to distribute the bags, getting Irene to help, the old lady, Giancarlo? Giancarlo calling her Sarah and her being afraid? Benny in the house, the chase, the rooms, accusing her of wanting to steal? Their looking in the cupboards, the clothes? Benny’s observation about her mother?

12. Irene continuing to distribute the bags, her wanting to meet Father Karres, going to the church, going to the hospital, the sadness of Benny’s death? Meeting her mother? The ghosts encouraging her? Her visit to Benny’s mother, the visit to Father Karres, the discussions about faith, the influence of Benny?

13. Irene in her business world, activity, her changing, the French deal and the pressure from her aunt, the speech and her collapse, the emphasis on creating unnecessary needs in developing countries?

14. The swim sequence, the sense of eeriness, her sensing a presence in the house?

15. Benny’s coming to her, her reference to her mother? Going into the soup kitchen, her being a saint in her work, doing all the cooking, cleaning, serving? The crowds of people? The proud woman with her own cutlery? Her aunt’s assistant helping her? Giancarlo coming to her, his pathos, her tending to him, a Pieta sequence?

16. Her aunt coming to confront, pushing through the crowds, the issue of the French deal? Telling her about her mother, her mother’s madness in thinking she had given birth to a saint, her trying to drown her daughter so that she would come alive? Aurelio saying she died in her sleep? The significance of the writing on the wall – and Benny’s ability to read it? The truths about life?

17. Father Karres, his personality, hard work, with Benny, with Benny’s parents, helping in the soup kitchen? His going to the Vicariate of Rome, Irene accusing him of having sold out, his explanation of the need for organisation, a tour of the ruins and the life of the poor? The effect on Irene, going into the station, taking off her clothes, the dramatic music, like St Francis?

18. In the hospital, the rational discussion with the doctor, commenting on the care of the plant? The doctor’s recommendation about her being relieased?

19. The empty house, no photos of her mother, the finale and the picture on the wall – and her mother’s picture with Benny’s face? Benny as the influence on her life, her mother through Benny – as a person, delight, mischief, initiative? Death? The theme of the film of coming