LA GUERRA DI MARIO (MARIO’S WAR)

Italy, 2005, 100 minutes, Colour.
Valeria Golino, Marco Grieco, Andrea Renzi, Rosaria di Cicco, Anita Capriole.
Directed by Antonio Capuano.

Mario’s War is a strong Italian film with a Neapolitan setting.

The film was nominated for a number of awards, especially in Italy and the Locarno film festival where the young actor Marco Greico won a special children’s award. The main star, Valeria Gorlino, won the Donatella award in Italy for best actress.

The film focuses on a young boy who lives in a world of his own (which is filmed in black and white) He dreams about a criminal career, memories of his father. A couple decide to adopt him – and the film shows the difficulty of foster parents, their relationship with the child, the difficulties in their own relationship and the toll that looking after the child takes on them. The film is not easy in its presentation of the world of the child or of the difficulties in relationship with the foster parents.

The film also is a portrait of the mother of the boy, a rough and tough woman with a brash style, and her continuing to be pregnant. She also wants to give her new baby away.

Within this context, the film is an interesting study of contemporary Italy, the roles of men and women, the difficulties of family.

1. The Italian style and flavour of the film: focus on family, children, adults, the emotional aspects, the social issues?

2. The use of Naples, the environment, the city, homes, the different classes, the different neighbourhoods, the streets, the kids, adults? The school? College? Offices? The musical score, the mood, the melodies and tones of the south of Italy?

3. The title, Mario and his voice-over, his imagination, the info about his father, the info about killing people, the scenario continued throughout the film? Moving into black and white when he was in his other world? At the end, Mario in his created world? Living in his own mind – what would be the consequences?

4. The concern about Mario, the teachers and his behaviour in class, not writing, not having photos, talking, disrupting the class, his friend, painting the room red, acting on his whims? The teacher and her reaction, discussions with the principal? The principal and her stance (and her not wanting disruptive children in that area of the city)? The tutor and her concern? The interviews with the psychologist, her probing Mario, his shrewdness in his answers to her – even to commenting on her perfume? Her not being taken in? The meetings amongst the experts, the assessments, the various discussions with Giulia?

5. Mario’s situation, the juvenile court, taking him from his mother, entrusting him to Giulia and Sandro as foster parents? Their creating a home? Sandro and their not being married? His going to school, his various absences, meals? Giulia and her gifts, the mobile phone and its use, the piano? His playing the recorder, tinkering with the piano and actually able to play by ear quite well? His going out, his own say-so? His attitude towards Nuncia, knowing she was his mother, that she had given him up? His attitude to Giulia, Sandro, truth and lies? Praising Giulia’s beauty yet urging her to use lipstick etc? His controlling?

6. Giulia and her decision to foster Mario, the decision with Sandro, her taking the initiative? Her visits to her mother, her exasperation with her mother and her grief, her saying that she did not know how to bring up a child because of this lack in her mother? Her wanting to take responsibility? Her professional life, the lectures, the explanations of art, relating to the students, the lecture in the Metro and her acclaim? Her collapse in the class? Sandro and his moving out, her wanting him present, telling him what he should do, the phone calls, discussions?

7. Sandro, his love for Giulia, his difficulty with Mario and not relating well with him, leaving and going to stay with his parents? Coming and going? His attempts to relate to Mario and not succeeding, the meal, the games? His coming over to search for Mario? Giulia’s pregnancy? A future with her or not?

8. Giulia, her love for Mario, spoiling and pampering him, acceding to his every whim, her philosophy of free choice, her praising rebellion? Yet her lack of discipline, role modelling – and the consequences? Mario and his crossing the roads against the traffic, finding the dog and wanting the dog, Giulia going with him and offering the street kids fifty euros? His whim in crossing the road and getting the dog to cross against the traffic and its being killed? His wanting the snake – then getting sick of the snake? Phone calls and his offhand answers, painting the classroom red? Giulia and her continued concern, his night away, discovering him asleep in the car, her pampering him in the situation?

9. Nuncia, her brash and loud style, giving Mario away, the courts and their attitude towards her? Giulia and her discussions with Nuncia? Nuncia as rough, pregnant again? Wanting Giulia to be the godmother – and to give the baby away again? The appropriateness of meeting with Giulia or not? The birth of the baby, the party, raucous? Guido and his approach to Giulia and her rejection? Discussions, wanting money, Guido and Nuncia invading Giulia’s mother’s privacy? Nuncia desperate – and Guido going to Venezuela for a year and a half?

10. Giulia, her not listening to people’s advice, the meetings with the experts, her own philosophy?

11. The fact that Giulia was ruining her own life, alienating Sandro, pampering Mario – and his being taken away from her? The hearing with the judge?

12. Her being pregnant – her future attitude towards Sandro and to the child?