With over 100 years worth of films to choose from, and many of these now available at the click of a button, it can be extremely difficult to narrow your choices down to pick a film to watch. Although cinema has been around for over four times longer than my life on this earth, I have spent what some may consider an unhealthy amount of these years delving into the history of films to discover some of the best hidden gems out there.
This series of articles aims to highlight the overlooked masterpieces and fascinating curios that I have unearthed whilst exploring the forgotten recesses of cinema. Take a gamble on any one of these films and I guarantee that you will be eagerly awaiting all future instalments in this series. You may well have heard of a number of these films; my aim isn't merely to shine a spotlight on the most obscure films out there, but to share my enjoyment of those films which don't have the cult following I believe they deserve.
A
Special Day (Una Giornata Particolare)
Director
– Ettore Scola
Country - Italy
Year - 1977
Runtime - 110 Minutes
On May 8th, 1938, Hitler visited Rome to meet with Mussolini and
strengthen the union between Germany and Italy as the rise of fascism was
taking hold of many parts of Europe. This was a special day for Italy and the
residents of Rome who attended a magnificent parade that served to swell the ever-burgeoning
national pride in the movement. For housewife and mother of six, Antonietta
(Sophia Loren), this day would prove to be an eye-opening experience - but not
for the reasons we may expect.
After rousing her family from their slumber and sending them off
to watch the parade, Antonietta remains at home to work on a never-ending
barrage of chores whilst listening to the day's events on the radio. In a brief
moment of carelessness Antonietta leaves their pet bird's cage open and it
flutters out of a window into the apartment building's central courtyard. She
enlists the help of a neighbour, Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni) - who seems to
be one of the only other people not at the parade - to assist in the bird’s
rescue. The two down beaten strangers find solace in each other's company and
spend most of this unforgettable day deliberating over their current stations
in life.
Ettore Scola's politically charged drama offers a scathing social
critique on the popular stance of the era it depicts through the amicable clash
of two people with opposing views. Both Gabriele and Antonietta are portrayed
as warm and tender individuals who share an instant connection, but this
friendship is tested when discussions turn to their perspectives on the current
state of their beloved Italy. Antonietta is the wife of a proud fascist and
although on the surface she appears apolitical, she takes an interest in her
husband's passion, creating scrap books filled with newspaper cuttings about
the political movement. When Gabriele peruses one of these books we learn that
he is a staunch opposer of the fascist regime, for personal reasons he is
reluctant to disclose, and it transpires that this outlook is one of the
reasons why Gabriele lost his job as a popular and successful radio presenter.
As their conversations meander from friendly to flirtatious
interactions, and then to a revelatory expose on Italy's state of affairs, we
are drawn into the fascinating lives of Antonietta and Gabriele. You can sense
the longing for companionship from both characters; each have been pushed to
one side due to the proliferation of a dangerous political movement and they
have this in common, even if other aspects of their views are misaligned. This
simple premise of revealing dialogues shared between two strangers is highly
engaging due to the exceptional performances from Loren and Mastroianni. Loren
imbues her lonely housewife with a worn-down sadness that makes Antonietta's
desire for romance understandable. Her lustful thoughts over Gabriele appear to
be unreciprocated, as Mastroianni instills his character with a mysteriousness
that arouses Antonietta's senses, but not her suspicions.
The only music we hear throughout the film is that which is played
over the radio. The pomp and circumstance of the fascist parade gives rise to
the steady beat of marching drums and triumphant choruses as the roar of the
crowd increases and drowns out the instruments. This aural backdrop to the
blossoming relationship shared by our two protagonists intersects their
interchanges as it comes into focus during the day's defining movements. The
contrast between the ominous event, which is enrapturing Italians everywhere,
and the small-scale exchanges that transfix our attention couldn't be more
pronounced. This amalgamation of the two scenarios is a striking approach to
storytelling that enhances the impact of the union between these two lonely
souls.
Both the story and the impressive camerawork remain confined
within the grounds of the apartment building, but Scola makes great use of this
location; shooting the action in the stairwells, the central courtyard, and
even on the roof, to prevent his picture from remaining static. His composition
and framing consider the prominent architecture of the enclosed setting whilst
also making the audience feel like a fly on the wall as the day's events
unfold. We are invited into the lives of these fascinating characters even if
it seems to be an intrusion into an intimate and personal space that we sense
should be kept in privacy behind locked doors.
A Special Day
offers an invaluable insight into the lives of two people affected by the rise
of fascism and acts as a revealing time capsule of the cultural zeitgeist of
1930s Italy in the build-up to World War Two. Its stirring drama plays out in a
manner so as not to distance those who are uninterested in the politics of the
era, as the story can be taken at face value for the hopeful romantic interlude
it recounts between Gabriele and Antonietta. However, those wishing to delve
into the societal subtext of this suggestive screenplay will surely revel in
its intricate deconstruction of the outlandish attitudes that were shared by
the populace at large during this period in history. The prevalence of this
prejudiced viewpoint is a notion that is explored by Gabriele as he attempts to
challenge Antonietta's perspective during the fateful day of Hitler's visit,
which is fitting both historically and thematically as a backdrop for their
enchanting and enlightening discourse. A Special Day is a mesmerising
tale of liberation and, conversely, repression, that remains a landmark Italian
film for reasons both of cultural importance and for fanning dreams of escapism
borne from chance encounters that have a profound impact on the lives of those involved.
If you take the time to watch A Special Day then it would be awesome if you could also take the time to let me know what you thought of it, either by commenting below or tweeting me @filmbantha. Thanks, and enjoy!
No comments:
Post a Comment