From the U.S. title given on most copies of this Italian production, one sees "The Rise and Fall of Mussolini," intimating that this long series takes us well into World War II and the country's turning on the man they held in high esteem for a short while.
Well, surprise, folks--there's no "Fall" in the 308 minute history lesson, and the man we meet is a vital, young Socialist who earns the respect of his people by standing up for what he believes. Not knowing this before I watched it, I kept expecting to see Banderas somehow evolve into the stereotyped Mussolini most of us know from either experience or history books, but that doesn't happen--the film, which is a literate, well-produced and intelligent biopic, ends in 191--long, long before World War II.
Some critics complain about the English dubbing--solution: watch it in Italian and add the excellent English subtitles! If you're looking for war action, this ain't it--but if you want to see Banderas and a competent Italian cast devote themselves to some fascinating, little-known history and an immersion in political theory--this is a good choice!
Well, surprise, folks--there's no "Fall" in the 308 minute history lesson, and the man we meet is a vital, young Socialist who earns the respect of his people by standing up for what he believes. Not knowing this before I watched it, I kept expecting to see Banderas somehow evolve into the stereotyped Mussolini most of us know from either experience or history books, but that doesn't happen--the film, which is a literate, well-produced and intelligent biopic, ends in 191--long, long before World War II.
Some critics complain about the English dubbing--solution: watch it in Italian and add the excellent English subtitles! If you're looking for war action, this ain't it--but if you want to see Banderas and a competent Italian cast devote themselves to some fascinating, little-known history and an immersion in political theory--this is a good choice!