Was impressed with the locations that the film makers chose film the externals.
The school "Luchino Visconti" is THE school that the roman elite has traditionally placed their kids. The curriculum here is pretty heavy in ancient Greek and Latin texts.
The town of Montalto Di Castro, shown in the beginning and the end. BTW, it is not in Tuscany, as many other commenter's claim, but still in the region of Lazio. The beach scene at the end shows a huge power plant in the background. That is a nuclear energy plant, and saying you are from Montalto Di Castro is synonymous to saying you are from Three Mile Island or Chernobyl. The folks there are on the front line should there be a radiation leak.
The run-down Tuscan-looking farmhouse where Margherita's father is living his second, and already struggling, marriage. Stereotypical living quarters of washed-down intellectuals.
The town of Sabbaudia, where Daniela's father travels to to attend a wedding. It was entirely built by Mussolini in the 1930's. Thus the obvious reference to its past with the group singing of a fascist song, "Inno Dei Giovani Fascisti". Text of the song is:
"Popol Di Destra, Che Forte Adempie E Rompe Con Ali E Fiamme, La Giovinezza Va. Fiaccole Ardenti Sull'Are, Sulle Tombe Noi Siamo Le Speranze Della Nuova Età. Duce, Duce, Chi Non Saprà Morir? Il Giuramento Chi Mai Rinnegherà? Nuda La Spada Quando Tu La Vuoi Gagliardetti Al Vento, Tutti Verranno A Te Armi, Bandiere Degli Antichi Eroi Per L'Italia, O Duce, Fa Balenare Al Sol Va, La Vita Va Così Ci Porta E Ci Promette L'Avvenir Una Vasta Gioventù Con Romana Volontà, Combatterà. Verrà, Quel Dì Verrà, Che La Gran Madre Degli Eroi Ci Chiamerà Per Il Duce, O Patria Per Il Re Noi Griderem Gloria E Impero D'Oltremar. "
And it is here that one of the most interesting storyline techniques is made: with the wedding party singing the fascist song, suddenly the storyline jumps forward to the future, showing Daniela's father in a car riding back to Rome, and commenting on the day's event, with short clips of the (past) wedding party and fascist song singing, then back to the future, then back to the past. He makes the point that he "knows these people well" and that it is his "responsibility to guide the Nation forward". So, although of the evident right-wing background, it is revealed that he is, after all, a politician with a conscience.
A similar ploy of storyline and imagery injection is done with the clip of Caterina's father crying along with the crying of Gianfilippo (tentative boyfriend).
The only location that doesn't mesh well is the Monte Dei Cocci in Testaccio, with a cross on top of a hill overlooking the city. The area is fenced, trespassing not allowed, and enforced. But then, it is accurate again, as only the grungy Margherita could think of going there, since the area has traditionally been known for squatters, gypsies, and an alternative music school.
BTW, the choice of using the character of the Australian kid, Edward, is a good one. Being from such a far away land, he is shown to be someone that can make an unspoiled and objective point-of-view (literally, from his soap-opera revealing bedroom window view). And from reading the blogs in Italy, it seems that all the teenage girls in Italy are all in love with him.
The school "Luchino Visconti" is THE school that the roman elite has traditionally placed their kids. The curriculum here is pretty heavy in ancient Greek and Latin texts.
The town of Montalto Di Castro, shown in the beginning and the end. BTW, it is not in Tuscany, as many other commenter's claim, but still in the region of Lazio. The beach scene at the end shows a huge power plant in the background. That is a nuclear energy plant, and saying you are from Montalto Di Castro is synonymous to saying you are from Three Mile Island or Chernobyl. The folks there are on the front line should there be a radiation leak.
The run-down Tuscan-looking farmhouse where Margherita's father is living his second, and already struggling, marriage. Stereotypical living quarters of washed-down intellectuals.
The town of Sabbaudia, where Daniela's father travels to to attend a wedding. It was entirely built by Mussolini in the 1930's. Thus the obvious reference to its past with the group singing of a fascist song, "Inno Dei Giovani Fascisti". Text of the song is:
"Popol Di Destra, Che Forte Adempie E Rompe Con Ali E Fiamme, La Giovinezza Va. Fiaccole Ardenti Sull'Are, Sulle Tombe Noi Siamo Le Speranze Della Nuova Età. Duce, Duce, Chi Non Saprà Morir? Il Giuramento Chi Mai Rinnegherà? Nuda La Spada Quando Tu La Vuoi Gagliardetti Al Vento, Tutti Verranno A Te Armi, Bandiere Degli Antichi Eroi Per L'Italia, O Duce, Fa Balenare Al Sol Va, La Vita Va Così Ci Porta E Ci Promette L'Avvenir Una Vasta Gioventù Con Romana Volontà, Combatterà. Verrà, Quel Dì Verrà, Che La Gran Madre Degli Eroi Ci Chiamerà Per Il Duce, O Patria Per Il Re Noi Griderem Gloria E Impero D'Oltremar. "
And it is here that one of the most interesting storyline techniques is made: with the wedding party singing the fascist song, suddenly the storyline jumps forward to the future, showing Daniela's father in a car riding back to Rome, and commenting on the day's event, with short clips of the (past) wedding party and fascist song singing, then back to the future, then back to the past. He makes the point that he "knows these people well" and that it is his "responsibility to guide the Nation forward". So, although of the evident right-wing background, it is revealed that he is, after all, a politician with a conscience.
A similar ploy of storyline and imagery injection is done with the clip of Caterina's father crying along with the crying of Gianfilippo (tentative boyfriend).
The only location that doesn't mesh well is the Monte Dei Cocci in Testaccio, with a cross on top of a hill overlooking the city. The area is fenced, trespassing not allowed, and enforced. But then, it is accurate again, as only the grungy Margherita could think of going there, since the area has traditionally been known for squatters, gypsies, and an alternative music school.
BTW, the choice of using the character of the Australian kid, Edward, is a good one. Being from such a far away land, he is shown to be someone that can make an unspoiled and objective point-of-view (literally, from his soap-opera revealing bedroom window view). And from reading the blogs in Italy, it seems that all the teenage girls in Italy are all in love with him.