This movie is a good example of showing that it is possible to produce high quality films without spending too much. The scenario is very well written and characters are well chosen. Every single person fits their role very well that I couldn't help thinking that such a village really exists. Especially Grazia and her younger son are acting very well. The younger son is so natural and has great talent. As for the Grazia, she is showing the character of a caring and sometimes crazy mother with her gestures and talks. The landscape in the film makes you feel like going holiday in the Mediterranean. The sea, sky and the landscape are absolutely beautiful. After seeing this film, I have realized that the rural lives by the sea in many countries are similar, the differences are in the languages, but the feelings are same.
49 Reviews
Miracle in Lampedusa
jotix10012 June 2003
This is the first film by Emanuele Crialese that has played locally, I think, or if any other has come in, it hasn't played commercially.
The film is beautifully done with the fantastic backdrop of the Italian island of Lampedusa. This is a very arid place with almost no vegetation at all. The heat, obviously, must be oppressive, as the sun punishes this land and its people constantly to the point that children act as savages, as proven by the opening scenes.
Among these rascals are Pasquale and Filippo, the sons of Grazia, the housewife at the center of the story. She lives in her own world. She is a rebel and a free soul. Grazia's actions are seen as madness by her husband Pietro and his mother, who lives next door. It is the classic family from forgotten towns such as this, where everyone knows everyone's business. The only solution for Grazia's problems is to send her away to a Milan institution that perhaps will turn her into a vegetable. Her only sin is to be different, therefore, she is the town's eccentric. All her neighbors think she's a lunatic.
By Grazia withdrawing from the world, she appears to be a maladjusted person, which she isn't. She just loves to be free; swimming is her passion and her life, running around the island in her scooter is another form of freedom from the realities of home. In trying to escape her lot in life, Grazia discovers how much her son Pasquale loves her. The final scenes after the disappearance with the search party on the beach are typical of the same society that condemned Grazia but never took steps to show her any kindness. The miracle that occurs at the end is that perhaps Pietro realizes that in spite of his wife's apparent madness he has found how much he really needs her.
This is a simple story told with a sure hand by the director, who also wrote the screen play.
Valeria Golino, who has spent a few years in minor roles in Hollywood, is very effective as Grazia. She shows a great range of emotions under the sure direction of Crialese. It is amazing no one has made anything worth of Ms. Golino's talent, or that she has been forgotten by the Italian cinema; or that no one has come to her with projects such as this film.
As her husband, Vincenzo Amato is very effective. Also, Francesco Casisa as Pasquale makes a splendid appearance. This young man with the proper guidance has the potential of making a big splash in the Italian cinema.
The film is beautifully done with the fantastic backdrop of the Italian island of Lampedusa. This is a very arid place with almost no vegetation at all. The heat, obviously, must be oppressive, as the sun punishes this land and its people constantly to the point that children act as savages, as proven by the opening scenes.
Among these rascals are Pasquale and Filippo, the sons of Grazia, the housewife at the center of the story. She lives in her own world. She is a rebel and a free soul. Grazia's actions are seen as madness by her husband Pietro and his mother, who lives next door. It is the classic family from forgotten towns such as this, where everyone knows everyone's business. The only solution for Grazia's problems is to send her away to a Milan institution that perhaps will turn her into a vegetable. Her only sin is to be different, therefore, she is the town's eccentric. All her neighbors think she's a lunatic.
By Grazia withdrawing from the world, she appears to be a maladjusted person, which she isn't. She just loves to be free; swimming is her passion and her life, running around the island in her scooter is another form of freedom from the realities of home. In trying to escape her lot in life, Grazia discovers how much her son Pasquale loves her. The final scenes after the disappearance with the search party on the beach are typical of the same society that condemned Grazia but never took steps to show her any kindness. The miracle that occurs at the end is that perhaps Pietro realizes that in spite of his wife's apparent madness he has found how much he really needs her.
This is a simple story told with a sure hand by the director, who also wrote the screen play.
Valeria Golino, who has spent a few years in minor roles in Hollywood, is very effective as Grazia. She shows a great range of emotions under the sure direction of Crialese. It is amazing no one has made anything worth of Ms. Golino's talent, or that she has been forgotten by the Italian cinema; or that no one has come to her with projects such as this film.
As her husband, Vincenzo Amato is very effective. Also, Francesco Casisa as Pasquale makes a splendid appearance. This young man with the proper guidance has the potential of making a big splash in the Italian cinema.
teases but doesn't deliver
stephenb9 June 2003
Effectively imposes a sense of dismal despair and numbing boredom, and has many build ups that lead one to expect either some ominous catastrophe or titilating event but none come to pass. There is abundant religious imagery and symbolism but with one exception, there is virtually no recognizable religious dialogue or events. Depite the gorgeous stars, ocean and shore, this film is as bleak as the island on which it is filmed.
Breathe Deeply
alexinaus17 April 2003
In Emanuele Crialese's lyrical drama Respiro, the sky is gorgeous. The sea is gorgeous. The harsh landscape is gorgeous. The children, even when they are behaving like little monsters, are gorgeous. The lead actress is gorgeous. There is so much obvious and intentional gorgeousness about this picture that we have to dig far down, past the scene painting, to find the story.
Although subtitled Grazia's island (Grazia is the lead role, magnificently realised by Valeria Golino), Respiro could have well been called "Scenes from rural Sicilian life", as the scenography, cinematography and tableaux-like imagery seem as important to the director as her thin narrative line. Respiro's locale is Lampedusa, a tiny island far off the west coast of Sicily. About the same latitude as Malta, this place is about as remote as it gets - Tunis is closer than Palermo. It can be safe to say that Italian time here has pretty much stood still for decades; this is Italy of de Sica and Mascagni, not Fellini and Prada. The men go out to sea, the children play, women pack fish, old black-clad crones meddle and the languid summer air of total boredom hangs down from the cloudless sky.
The story is fairly typical, the type that a few great (and many, many average) Italian filmmakers have been serving up for the last three generations - life in the sun drenched rural, ritualistic and tribal south and the saga of one village denizen who dares to break the moulds. How long since Cinema Paradiso?
Grazia (incidentally, the name means "grace" - get it?) is a loving, rebellious humanist - she loves her children, she loves music, she loves swimming in her panties, she loves the Vespa-propelled wind in her hair and loathes the suffering of any living creature. She does not love to cook, or put on rubber wellies and plastic smock to pack sardines. This high-spirited recklessness is just a bit too much for this dusty place and she is duly deemed mad. Golino, who acts in four languages and has had decent parts in Leaving Las Vegas, Immortal Beloved and Frida, is a joy to watch. There is not a moment forced or unnatural about her performance and this is saying a fair bit, considering her several mad scenes. She conveys brilliantly the purgatory of a loving woman who wants more, but knows neither what it is nor how to get it.
After two incidents (one just a bit lusty, the other bordering on a bit off) it is decided by the meddling crones and village busybodies to send Grazia off to a sanatorium in Milan, which might as well be Mars. She will have no part of this and her 13-year-old son hides her in a secluded cave. Her ensuing escape, seclusion and discovery offer us some more gorgeous imagery and displays the motherly bonding quite well. Yes, the imagery does go a bit down the obvious, biblical, redemptive female roads, but it well handled. Water, which has played quite a large role in the director's concept, stars in a few more scenes. It also features in the film's ending, which is spiritual, gorgeous and inconclusive in the same breadth. Love and human devotion may win, but this gal is not going to be packing sardines for much longer!
The movie, considering the almost rudimentary story line, is incredibly rich. The smallest characters are well defined and there is wonderful juxtaposition between formal Italian and the coarse regional dialect. Much of the cast is so natural you could believe them to be locals. The essence of life in such a village is well captured and the relationships within a family are well explored as well. And there is enough of the magical landscape of the place to make you want to board the next Alitalia jet. For a visit, that is.
Although subtitled Grazia's island (Grazia is the lead role, magnificently realised by Valeria Golino), Respiro could have well been called "Scenes from rural Sicilian life", as the scenography, cinematography and tableaux-like imagery seem as important to the director as her thin narrative line. Respiro's locale is Lampedusa, a tiny island far off the west coast of Sicily. About the same latitude as Malta, this place is about as remote as it gets - Tunis is closer than Palermo. It can be safe to say that Italian time here has pretty much stood still for decades; this is Italy of de Sica and Mascagni, not Fellini and Prada. The men go out to sea, the children play, women pack fish, old black-clad crones meddle and the languid summer air of total boredom hangs down from the cloudless sky.
The story is fairly typical, the type that a few great (and many, many average) Italian filmmakers have been serving up for the last three generations - life in the sun drenched rural, ritualistic and tribal south and the saga of one village denizen who dares to break the moulds. How long since Cinema Paradiso?
Grazia (incidentally, the name means "grace" - get it?) is a loving, rebellious humanist - she loves her children, she loves music, she loves swimming in her panties, she loves the Vespa-propelled wind in her hair and loathes the suffering of any living creature. She does not love to cook, or put on rubber wellies and plastic smock to pack sardines. This high-spirited recklessness is just a bit too much for this dusty place and she is duly deemed mad. Golino, who acts in four languages and has had decent parts in Leaving Las Vegas, Immortal Beloved and Frida, is a joy to watch. There is not a moment forced or unnatural about her performance and this is saying a fair bit, considering her several mad scenes. She conveys brilliantly the purgatory of a loving woman who wants more, but knows neither what it is nor how to get it.
After two incidents (one just a bit lusty, the other bordering on a bit off) it is decided by the meddling crones and village busybodies to send Grazia off to a sanatorium in Milan, which might as well be Mars. She will have no part of this and her 13-year-old son hides her in a secluded cave. Her ensuing escape, seclusion and discovery offer us some more gorgeous imagery and displays the motherly bonding quite well. Yes, the imagery does go a bit down the obvious, biblical, redemptive female roads, but it well handled. Water, which has played quite a large role in the director's concept, stars in a few more scenes. It also features in the film's ending, which is spiritual, gorgeous and inconclusive in the same breadth. Love and human devotion may win, but this gal is not going to be packing sardines for much longer!
The movie, considering the almost rudimentary story line, is incredibly rich. The smallest characters are well defined and there is wonderful juxtaposition between formal Italian and the coarse regional dialect. Much of the cast is so natural you could believe them to be locals. The essence of life in such a village is well captured and the relationships within a family are well explored as well. And there is enough of the magical landscape of the place to make you want to board the next Alitalia jet. For a visit, that is.
More of an experience than a story
=G=24 October 2003
"Respiro" will take you to a small fishing village on some Sicilian Island where it focuses on Grazia, a beautiful young mother who is either bipolar or just capricious with bouts of PMS or something in between. Regardless, her minor misbehavior becomes an issue with her family who wants to send her to Milan for some unknown fix. She doesn't want to go, she disappears, and yadayadayada. A fun little foreign frolic with a shallow story and little more than a lot of charm, personality, and rough seaside scenic beauty going for it, "Respiro" makes for an enjoyable watch though its lack of substance, story, and bells and whistles should put it the "must see when I get around to it" category. (B)
An unexpected treat.
droogiedim771 May 2003
This is a wonderful movie. I had originally only gone to a screening because Valeria Golino was going to be answering questions after the film. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I hadn't heard anything about this film before I saw it. All I knew was that it was in Italian with subtitles. There is a very naturalistic quality to this movie. It doesn't even seem like you are watching people act, more like just watching these characters interact in daily life. The lovely Miss Golino informed us after the film that she was the only real actor on the island where it was filmed. There is some beautiful scenery in this movie. It was shot on the southern most island in Italy, I believe the name is Lampadura. The story revolves around the troubles facing Grazia in her village due to her being a free-spirit. While it isn't as straight-forward as some American films, it still has a good pace and keeps you entertained for the duration. Fine performances by a cast of people considering they had never acted before. While the average movie-goer may not like this flick, I recommend it to any fan of indy-films.
The Italian Spirit of Suffocation
ferguson-626 June 2003
Greetings again from the darkness. The writer/director gives us Fellini meets DeSica. Visuals abound in this bleak fishing community in southern Italy. The plight of the citizens is such that they just get through one day at a time. The restlessness of the kids played against the surrender of adults is painful. The stunning Valeria Golina steals the picture - and should have been even more of the story. In the U.S., we are mostly deprived of Ms. Golina ("Rain Man", "Hot Shots" "Frida"), but it is always a wonderful treat to watch her on screen. Her youngest son, Filippo is excellent and provides a glimpse into the frustration, dominance and possessiveness that is stereotypical of the Italian man. Her oldest son Pasquale shows a sensitive side and the angst that goes with it in his society. Many disturbing parts of the story, but I do feel this could have been an even more insightful film if it concentrated on the spirit of Golina's character.
simply wonderful
dirkjot14 April 2003
This is really and simply a wonderful film. I saw it by accident, so it took me by surprise. The film is like other (very good) Italian films in that it features a simple story, wonderful characters, lots of 'couleur locale', and very good actors. And then add some very nice shots and a superb location.
If I was reading this, I would start to fear for a film that gets lost in its niceness and remains too light. But not Respiro (or Lampedusa, after the island it was filmed at). Already in the opening scenes it is made clear that there is a lot of violence and suspense in the air. Not that there is any blood to be seen in this film. There is a lot of fighting between groups of young boys and the adults defend their honor with physical violence, but things never get really mean.
Between the beauty of the island and the harshness of existence on it walks, no, floats, one woman named Grazia. The camera loves her, her sons love her, and even the other islanders love her. But she too different, too non-conforming to be tolerated in the long run.
In an interesting twist, it is not Grazia but her son Pasquale who is the story teller in this film. We see things through his eyes and it is only through him that we get to know his wonderful but mysterious mother. Like the rest of the village, Pasquale is torn between convention and love for her. With him being a 13 (or so) year old in a very traditional family, it is totally believable that we see Pasquale commanding his mother to not swim in the sea in one scene, and adoringly follow her in the next.
And this sums up the film for me: A simple but beautiful story, with an undercurrent of critique or bewilderment at the traditional family style and its low tolerance for being different; a very positive outlook and a love for life, which is shared by all and reflected in the end of the movie; and beautiful and sometimes magical atmosphere which is the most difficult thing ever to create in a movie.
Go see this movie!
PS I you like this movie, consider seeing Blier's "Un, deux, trois, soleil" which is so obscure that I wanted to mention it here.
If I was reading this, I would start to fear for a film that gets lost in its niceness and remains too light. But not Respiro (or Lampedusa, after the island it was filmed at). Already in the opening scenes it is made clear that there is a lot of violence and suspense in the air. Not that there is any blood to be seen in this film. There is a lot of fighting between groups of young boys and the adults defend their honor with physical violence, but things never get really mean.
Between the beauty of the island and the harshness of existence on it walks, no, floats, one woman named Grazia. The camera loves her, her sons love her, and even the other islanders love her. But she too different, too non-conforming to be tolerated in the long run.
In an interesting twist, it is not Grazia but her son Pasquale who is the story teller in this film. We see things through his eyes and it is only through him that we get to know his wonderful but mysterious mother. Like the rest of the village, Pasquale is torn between convention and love for her. With him being a 13 (or so) year old in a very traditional family, it is totally believable that we see Pasquale commanding his mother to not swim in the sea in one scene, and adoringly follow her in the next.
And this sums up the film for me: A simple but beautiful story, with an undercurrent of critique or bewilderment at the traditional family style and its low tolerance for being different; a very positive outlook and a love for life, which is shared by all and reflected in the end of the movie; and beautiful and sometimes magical atmosphere which is the most difficult thing ever to create in a movie.
Go see this movie!
PS I you like this movie, consider seeing Blier's "Un, deux, trois, soleil" which is so obscure that I wanted to mention it here.
Slow but pretty.
lee_a_scott20 August 2007
Hmmm. Euro-cinema. Lingering shots of the sea. Not a lot happening. Allegory in every scene. Oedipal yearning. Mood. Yep, all the above are present in Respiro, the lauded Italian film made exclusively for people who like to feel clever about film but lack the patience to watch something too hard going. Essentially, Valeria Golino is a little bit crazy, the Sicilian community are a little bit repressive and old fashioned, everybody (audience included) is a little bit bored, and it all builds and builds to a little bit of a release at the end. The acting's fine and the locations beautiful in the extreme, but this is an entirely serious and self-indulgent film which I don't recommend for, say, a lazy Friday evening sitting at home with a Pizza Hut takeaway. My girlfriend was more bored than me, so I don't think it's a chick-flick just a dull-flick.
Magic realism and natural beauty
howard.schumann9 November 2003
Emanuele Crialese's Respiro is alive, sensual, and transcendent. Set in Lampedusa, an island southwest of Sicily, it is a film about mothers and sons, accepting differences, and the power of love to bring renewal and reconciliation. Gorgeously filmed by cinematographer Fabio Zamarion, Respiro captivates us with its bright Mediterranean sunlight and the expressive faces of the people, tanned and strikingly beautiful. Winner of the 2002 Cannes Critics Week award, the film is based on a local legend about a mother whose behavior was found to be offensive by the community and whose subsequent disappearance was the catalyst that brought the people together. Crialese's film has the feeling of myth and legend but also the overtones of the great Italian realist dramas of the 50s and 60s.
As gangs of unsupervised pre-teens carry out intermittent warfare among the desolate beaches and rocky landscapes, everyday life centers on fishing. While the husbands do the fishing, wives work in the fish processing plant and the boys help out their fathers and catch fish to use as trade for a chance to win an electric train set. Grazia (Valeria Golino) is the wife of macho but loving fisherman, Pietro (Vincenzo Amato) and mother of three: 13-year old Pasquale (Francesco Casisa), younger brother Filippo (Filippo Pucillo), and older sister Marinella (Veronica D'Agostino). Golina is radiant as the headstrong young mother and Casisa's performance as Pasquale completely captures the budding sexual awareness of a pre-teen. The film reflects the warmth of the Italian family and the closeness that Italian sons feel for their mothers but also depicts the old-fashioned attitudes of the tight-knit community, especially the subjugation of women.
In a revealing scene, Pasquale's brother, the adorable but mouthy Filippo and his friends follow his older sister Marinella to a private meeting place where she is seeking privacy with a shy young policeman, Pier Luigi (Elio Germano). Affronted by their seeming public display of affection, Filippo, less than half their size, confronts the two lovers and threatens to beat them up unless his sister goes home immediately. Unfortunately, everything is not right on the island. Grazia's behavior is increasingly defined by erratic mood swings. She flings dishes across the room, swims naked with her sons, and releases a herd of dogs from captivity, but it is not clear if she is ill or just rebellious and the film walks a tightrope between suggesting madness or the eccentricities of a free spirit.
It is soon apparent that the community has their own thoughts about her actions and she is seen as a threat to the social order. When Grazia's antics threaten to reach the breaking point, Pietro's family decides to send her to Milan to receive psychiatric treatment. Pasquale, however, always understanding and protective of his mother, hides her in one of the many caves along the rocky shore, bringing her food and reporting news of the search for her whereabouts. The ending can be interpreted in many different ways but I was touched by its haunting beauty. Is it to be taken literally, a dream of Pasquale's perhaps, or a fairy tale constructed from legend? I'm not sure but in any case, Respiro's combination of magic realism, natural beauty, and humanistic message will have you pricing the tickets for a trip to Lampedusa.
As gangs of unsupervised pre-teens carry out intermittent warfare among the desolate beaches and rocky landscapes, everyday life centers on fishing. While the husbands do the fishing, wives work in the fish processing plant and the boys help out their fathers and catch fish to use as trade for a chance to win an electric train set. Grazia (Valeria Golino) is the wife of macho but loving fisherman, Pietro (Vincenzo Amato) and mother of three: 13-year old Pasquale (Francesco Casisa), younger brother Filippo (Filippo Pucillo), and older sister Marinella (Veronica D'Agostino). Golina is radiant as the headstrong young mother and Casisa's performance as Pasquale completely captures the budding sexual awareness of a pre-teen. The film reflects the warmth of the Italian family and the closeness that Italian sons feel for their mothers but also depicts the old-fashioned attitudes of the tight-knit community, especially the subjugation of women.
In a revealing scene, Pasquale's brother, the adorable but mouthy Filippo and his friends follow his older sister Marinella to a private meeting place where she is seeking privacy with a shy young policeman, Pier Luigi (Elio Germano). Affronted by their seeming public display of affection, Filippo, less than half their size, confronts the two lovers and threatens to beat them up unless his sister goes home immediately. Unfortunately, everything is not right on the island. Grazia's behavior is increasingly defined by erratic mood swings. She flings dishes across the room, swims naked with her sons, and releases a herd of dogs from captivity, but it is not clear if she is ill or just rebellious and the film walks a tightrope between suggesting madness or the eccentricities of a free spirit.
It is soon apparent that the community has their own thoughts about her actions and she is seen as a threat to the social order. When Grazia's antics threaten to reach the breaking point, Pietro's family decides to send her to Milan to receive psychiatric treatment. Pasquale, however, always understanding and protective of his mother, hides her in one of the many caves along the rocky shore, bringing her food and reporting news of the search for her whereabouts. The ending can be interpreted in many different ways but I was touched by its haunting beauty. Is it to be taken literally, a dream of Pasquale's perhaps, or a fairy tale constructed from legend? I'm not sure but in any case, Respiro's combination of magic realism, natural beauty, and humanistic message will have you pricing the tickets for a trip to Lampedusa.
Feel it
skinnybert6 August 2021
RESPIRO has a lot of glowing, high-rating reviews, and deservedly so: it looks great, and the actors are perfect. It captures the subjective feelings of its main actor ... or rather, her tween-aged son. Not a movie to think about so much as feel. What's not to like?
For starters, Grazia is not a free spirit; she creates problems left and right, from her vaguely incestuous mothering to her inability to perceive social appropriateness. Despite this, she is socially accepted -- the movie shows the villagers as sympathetic and supportive. Even when she behaves dangerously, the village response is to have her cared for, just somewhere else.
However, this is not a movie about how villages function (healthy or otherwise) but about how the protagonist feels -- or at least, how her son thinks she feels. So the villagers are depicted rather one-dimensionally, as busy-bodies and gossips, even after she impulsively threatens the entire town's livelihood. This isn't to say there isn't plenty to complain about: the tedium, the monotony -- and yes, they are a town of gossips, just like every town.
It may be accurate to a young boy's perspective, but annoyingly, everything in the movie feels incomplete. There's the new carabinieri in town, who becomes attracted to Grazia's daughter ... and that's left dangling. Do we need more? No ... but then why do we get any? A glance and a smile, and we can imagine the rest -- sure. But we get a first date and then that subplot disappears. Yes, it's a depiction of another part of life, but why?
Then there are the dogs in the abandoned building, which serve as Chekhov's gun in this story. I get why this exists for the story's purpose, but I cannot understand why such a place would be maintained in real life -- and we clearly see that it is. Is it the Lampedusan equivalent to a dog pound? Why? And why are there so many dogs on this small island?
And what's up with the gangs of boys? First they're fighting in abandoned ruins, then they're fighting in an abandoned pool -- and when we see them next, they're all building bonfires together. Problem solved off-screen, I guess, because it didn't reflect on Pasquale's mother-son experience -- but it just feels like a loose thread.
These issues don't change the fact that it looks wonderful -- right up there with Luchino Visconti's La Terra Trema for depicting life in a poor fishing village. The colors are warm, the sunlight perpetual, the heat palpative. Both Golino and Amato are intense, engaging actors -- as incomplete as this movie may be, the fantasy conclusion has its own kind of satisfaction.
For starters, Grazia is not a free spirit; she creates problems left and right, from her vaguely incestuous mothering to her inability to perceive social appropriateness. Despite this, she is socially accepted -- the movie shows the villagers as sympathetic and supportive. Even when she behaves dangerously, the village response is to have her cared for, just somewhere else.
However, this is not a movie about how villages function (healthy or otherwise) but about how the protagonist feels -- or at least, how her son thinks she feels. So the villagers are depicted rather one-dimensionally, as busy-bodies and gossips, even after she impulsively threatens the entire town's livelihood. This isn't to say there isn't plenty to complain about: the tedium, the monotony -- and yes, they are a town of gossips, just like every town.
It may be accurate to a young boy's perspective, but annoyingly, everything in the movie feels incomplete. There's the new carabinieri in town, who becomes attracted to Grazia's daughter ... and that's left dangling. Do we need more? No ... but then why do we get any? A glance and a smile, and we can imagine the rest -- sure. But we get a first date and then that subplot disappears. Yes, it's a depiction of another part of life, but why?
Then there are the dogs in the abandoned building, which serve as Chekhov's gun in this story. I get why this exists for the story's purpose, but I cannot understand why such a place would be maintained in real life -- and we clearly see that it is. Is it the Lampedusan equivalent to a dog pound? Why? And why are there so many dogs on this small island?
And what's up with the gangs of boys? First they're fighting in abandoned ruins, then they're fighting in an abandoned pool -- and when we see them next, they're all building bonfires together. Problem solved off-screen, I guess, because it didn't reflect on Pasquale's mother-son experience -- but it just feels like a loose thread.
These issues don't change the fact that it looks wonderful -- right up there with Luchino Visconti's La Terra Trema for depicting life in a poor fishing village. The colors are warm, the sunlight perpetual, the heat palpative. Both Golino and Amato are intense, engaging actors -- as incomplete as this movie may be, the fantasy conclusion has its own kind of satisfaction.
The odyssey of a rebel housewife
Aquilant6 June 2005
The movie gives us a vivid and ruthless description of the odyssey of a rebel housewife, described with passionate and emotional involvement without giving vent to any sort of conceptualism. This touching story has been inspired by the legend of a mysterious woman who disappeared a long time ago in Lampedusa (an island in the sea of Sicily, the southern point of Europe.). Grazia, the catalyst character of the story, a restless married woman of unusual habits, is considered a nut, an irresponsible person who can't participate fully in the life of society, being forced into total imagination. If it hadn't been for an out-of-date husband, maybe she would have turned her beauty to better account.
Unable to stifle her feelings and to bear the heavy burden of age-old customs, she blows a fuse, ready to abandon home, land and property to flee into the unknown. As the intolerant member of an archaic fishermen community whose behavior leaves much to be desired, not tuned to her same emotional wavelength, not contaminated by the standardization of the modern society, she's quite resolved to preserve every traditional values and social structures, without leaving space for human relationships not predetermined by time-honored customs faithfully handed on from father to son. In this forgotten land where the younger brothers strive to safeguard the reputation of their mothers, the alienated Grazia, (played by a touching and wonderful Valeria Golino), generally considered to be either a very wretched woman or, even worse, a lunatic one, is eager to undertake a journey towards the complete fulfillment of her hopes, yearning for the sight of her deep blue sea, complying with her inner desire for emancipation. In her unremitting efforts to achieve ultimate freedom, the same freedom bestowed by her upon the dogs waiting to be slaughtered, she strives to get over her existential dimension of illness, feeling like a fish out of water, with fear in her eyes, eager to feel the warm embrace of the sea, restored to a sort of primitive amniotic fluid and changing her uneasy feelings into unlimited pleasure.
The movie shows us the epos of a picturesque island where even the children's games reflect the savage nature of the surrounding environment. To be considered at the same time the celebration of a land and of rough people stubbornly bound together by a close friendship without any will to open up new horizons, conforming to precise religious rules (Our Lady's statue brought down the sounding-depth), careful not to mistake the will of sound emancipation for the abolition of every moral scruples. Decided not to be corrupted by vices of more developed social strata.
Unable to stifle her feelings and to bear the heavy burden of age-old customs, she blows a fuse, ready to abandon home, land and property to flee into the unknown. As the intolerant member of an archaic fishermen community whose behavior leaves much to be desired, not tuned to her same emotional wavelength, not contaminated by the standardization of the modern society, she's quite resolved to preserve every traditional values and social structures, without leaving space for human relationships not predetermined by time-honored customs faithfully handed on from father to son. In this forgotten land where the younger brothers strive to safeguard the reputation of their mothers, the alienated Grazia, (played by a touching and wonderful Valeria Golino), generally considered to be either a very wretched woman or, even worse, a lunatic one, is eager to undertake a journey towards the complete fulfillment of her hopes, yearning for the sight of her deep blue sea, complying with her inner desire for emancipation. In her unremitting efforts to achieve ultimate freedom, the same freedom bestowed by her upon the dogs waiting to be slaughtered, she strives to get over her existential dimension of illness, feeling like a fish out of water, with fear in her eyes, eager to feel the warm embrace of the sea, restored to a sort of primitive amniotic fluid and changing her uneasy feelings into unlimited pleasure.
The movie shows us the epos of a picturesque island where even the children's games reflect the savage nature of the surrounding environment. To be considered at the same time the celebration of a land and of rough people stubbornly bound together by a close friendship without any will to open up new horizons, conforming to precise religious rules (Our Lady's statue brought down the sounding-depth), careful not to mistake the will of sound emancipation for the abolition of every moral scruples. Decided not to be corrupted by vices of more developed social strata.
A compelling depiction of rural life
rdoyle2927 April 2023
Valeria Golino, wife of fisherman Vincenzo Amato and mother of three, lives on the island of Lampedusa and clearly suffers from a form of manic depression. It usually manifests as free-spirited, erratic behavior, but occasionally spirals into dark violence that requires sedation. Amato has had enough and, spurred on by his family and the rest of the village, plans on shipping Golino off to a clinic in Milan. She flees and goes into hiding, aided by her eldest son Francesco Casisa who has a perhaps too close relationship with her.
That's essentially the plot, which is fairly slight and resolves itself with a very poetic, if somewhat unsatisfying ending. The plot isn't really the attraction here. What really draws me to this film is it's very vivid depiction of life in this village, with tribes of unruly young men warring against each other, daughter Veronica D'Agostino pursuing a relationship with a young, inexperienced police man, and children turning in fish for lottery tickets to try to win toy trains.
I don't know if life on Lampedusa is or has ever been like this, but I'd like to think so because it makes for a really compelling film.
That's essentially the plot, which is fairly slight and resolves itself with a very poetic, if somewhat unsatisfying ending. The plot isn't really the attraction here. What really draws me to this film is it's very vivid depiction of life in this village, with tribes of unruly young men warring against each other, daughter Veronica D'Agostino pursuing a relationship with a young, inexperienced police man, and children turning in fish for lottery tickets to try to win toy trains.
I don't know if life on Lampedusa is or has ever been like this, but I'd like to think so because it makes for a really compelling film.
"Pretentious" is an over-used and mis-used term. However, in this case...
Asa_Nisi_Masa23 October 2006
... I am left with little choice but to employ it at least once during the course of my review of Respiro. Among other things, what defines pretension is in my opinion a lack of emotional sincerity on the author's part. Respiro seems made with an all too contrived and self-aware intent to be artistic, symbolic, spiritual, provocative, metaphorical... mythical, even. But luckily for all true artists out there, a predisposed formula to achieve artistic beauty and depth doesn't exist. Stunning natural locations (yes, these remote parts of Southern Italy look exotic even to most other Italians), pretty actors and some amusing, gutsy, spontaneous performances by a handful of attractive children won't elevate a substanceless movie beyond a pretty succession of images. Yet this insincere and vain, and ultimately hollow movie aches to be art, succeeding only to a very limited extent, perhaps in some cases by accident. I'll admit that the conceptually pompous ending does have a certain visual poetry to it. However, it's my belief that this was achieved in ways that had more to do with the beauty of the Lampedusa sea and the strong symbolic power of bathing and water (connecting it to so much that's mythical, mystical, religious, archetypical, etc) than with Crialese's talent.
Valeria Golino is gratingly histrionic and affected in her performance as Grazia. For a mentally unstable woman from a humble and provincial background, she sure has a fashionable wardrobe. Her flattering, floaty floral dresses and attractive, sun-kissed beach hair could have graced the pages of any Vogue summer edition. The fact she was a "nutcase" could in a way have been nothing but a fashionable addition to her trendy demeanour and look - that's how skin-deep her "condition" seemed to me. Golino's two-dimensional stereotype of the innocent, natural child-woman misunderstood and oppressed by her backward community was tiresome and irritating at worse, while leaving me unmoved and indifferent at best. I agree with the reviewer from London who wrote that mental illness is very badly served by cinema - during the course of the entire movie we never really get a sense of Grazia's illness and have no idea what is actually wrong with her (other than her being a tiresome stereotype of a "free spirit"). We don't know why she's given injections and is required to see a specialist in Milan. This generic way of writing mental illness is one of the main tell-tale signs of the movie's overall shallowness.
Another fairly insulting aspect of Respiro is the quaintification of its location. I struggled to figure out whether this movie was supposed to be set in the present day or the past, seeing as it aimed to make even an admittedly backward part of Italy (by comparison) seem a dozen times quainter and more conveniently primitive than it actually is. Again, this smacks of shallowness and a complete lack of sincerity on Crialese's part. Some non-Italian viewers will gleefully lap up the picturesque backwardness, the cliché of the possessive, macho Italian man as if it were common-place, so keen will they be to continue viewing my country as one culturally stranded sometime in the 1950s (the question I'd like to ask David Ferguson, the reviewer from Dallas, Texas is as follows: is YOUR country's mentality stuck in the 1950s? No? OK, then why should mine be?). Unfortunately for whoever still wishes to view Italy in such an anachronistic way, that aspect of Respiro is actually ridiculous and phoney even in the eyes of THIS Italian viewer. The subtly incestuous tension between Grazia and her eldest son was as tiresome and predictable as Fabrizio Bentivoglio's sexist-but-loving-husband routine. I especially loathed the scene in which Grazia joins her husband and male friend in some man-to-man banter over a bottle of beer, to her husband's macho embarrassment and displeasure. According to this movie, it isn't a woman's place to take part in a man's conversations. Ah, but our "loveable" "free-spirit" is too good for this place and doesn't understand the oppressive, unwritten rules of Lampedusan patriarchy! Not only does this scene depict something so fake, it should be enough on its own to discredit the entire movie's credibility. It also completely gets the wrong end of the stick of the culture it strives to depict, clearly showing that it was written without a clear understanding of the location or its population. I would challenge anyone who knows contemporary Italy to say otherwise.
For a truly accomplished contemporary Italian filmmaker, one who in my opinion deserves to be listed among the greats of Italy's glorious cinematic past (which alas, isn't the shadow of its former self!), look no further than Gianni Amelio - especially Lamerica, Così Ridevano and his latest, La Stella Che Non C'è. Unlike most contemporary Italian cinema, sadly derivative and stagnant, Amelio's is a fresh and independently creative voice. Despite my scathing review of Respiro, I am now more than willing to believe that Crialese's latest Nuovomondo, now showing in Italian cinemas, will be a worthwhile one. I therefore look forwards to enjoying it, though it won't be overly shocking to me if I don't (considering my feelings for Respiro!).
Valeria Golino is gratingly histrionic and affected in her performance as Grazia. For a mentally unstable woman from a humble and provincial background, she sure has a fashionable wardrobe. Her flattering, floaty floral dresses and attractive, sun-kissed beach hair could have graced the pages of any Vogue summer edition. The fact she was a "nutcase" could in a way have been nothing but a fashionable addition to her trendy demeanour and look - that's how skin-deep her "condition" seemed to me. Golino's two-dimensional stereotype of the innocent, natural child-woman misunderstood and oppressed by her backward community was tiresome and irritating at worse, while leaving me unmoved and indifferent at best. I agree with the reviewer from London who wrote that mental illness is very badly served by cinema - during the course of the entire movie we never really get a sense of Grazia's illness and have no idea what is actually wrong with her (other than her being a tiresome stereotype of a "free spirit"). We don't know why she's given injections and is required to see a specialist in Milan. This generic way of writing mental illness is one of the main tell-tale signs of the movie's overall shallowness.
Another fairly insulting aspect of Respiro is the quaintification of its location. I struggled to figure out whether this movie was supposed to be set in the present day or the past, seeing as it aimed to make even an admittedly backward part of Italy (by comparison) seem a dozen times quainter and more conveniently primitive than it actually is. Again, this smacks of shallowness and a complete lack of sincerity on Crialese's part. Some non-Italian viewers will gleefully lap up the picturesque backwardness, the cliché of the possessive, macho Italian man as if it were common-place, so keen will they be to continue viewing my country as one culturally stranded sometime in the 1950s (the question I'd like to ask David Ferguson, the reviewer from Dallas, Texas is as follows: is YOUR country's mentality stuck in the 1950s? No? OK, then why should mine be?). Unfortunately for whoever still wishes to view Italy in such an anachronistic way, that aspect of Respiro is actually ridiculous and phoney even in the eyes of THIS Italian viewer. The subtly incestuous tension between Grazia and her eldest son was as tiresome and predictable as Fabrizio Bentivoglio's sexist-but-loving-husband routine. I especially loathed the scene in which Grazia joins her husband and male friend in some man-to-man banter over a bottle of beer, to her husband's macho embarrassment and displeasure. According to this movie, it isn't a woman's place to take part in a man's conversations. Ah, but our "loveable" "free-spirit" is too good for this place and doesn't understand the oppressive, unwritten rules of Lampedusan patriarchy! Not only does this scene depict something so fake, it should be enough on its own to discredit the entire movie's credibility. It also completely gets the wrong end of the stick of the culture it strives to depict, clearly showing that it was written without a clear understanding of the location or its population. I would challenge anyone who knows contemporary Italy to say otherwise.
For a truly accomplished contemporary Italian filmmaker, one who in my opinion deserves to be listed among the greats of Italy's glorious cinematic past (which alas, isn't the shadow of its former self!), look no further than Gianni Amelio - especially Lamerica, Così Ridevano and his latest, La Stella Che Non C'è. Unlike most contemporary Italian cinema, sadly derivative and stagnant, Amelio's is a fresh and independently creative voice. Despite my scathing review of Respiro, I am now more than willing to believe that Crialese's latest Nuovomondo, now showing in Italian cinemas, will be a worthwhile one. I therefore look forwards to enjoying it, though it won't be overly shocking to me if I don't (considering my feelings for Respiro!).
A "breath" of island air.
ItalianGerry18 May 2004
RESPIRO is a lovely and intriguing film set on the lonely Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, between Sicily and Tunisia. The main character is Grazia, played by the marvelously beautiful Valeria Golino. She is a mother with a few problems connecting with reality, a wayward independent spirit who attracts the ire of the islanders, especially the women who view her almost as a witch and her husband Pietro (Vincenzo Amato) who is at his wit's end. It is a theme it shares in common with Tornatore's MALENA, made in 2000.
Grazia has three children: a lovely daughter who is attracted to and attracted by a policeman from the mainland, and two adoring sons, whose affection is overtly and uncomfortably oedipal at times. They spend much of their energies comforting their mom, defending her against verbal attacks, supplying her with food when she goes off into hiding from those who want to send her to Milan for treatment, which, in truth, she probably could use. The rest of the time they are chasing birds, hanging out on the main drag with the girls and other friends. Pantsing each other on the beach seems to have become one of the island's most common sporting activities among the young.
What I like most about the movie, besides the appealing scenery, was the interrelations of the characters, the humor, petty gossips, the impromptu emotional outbursts, the displays of maternal and filial affection. The two boys are tremendous: the older Pasquale (Francesco Casisa) is the more mature of the two. The younger Filippo (Filippo Pucillo) has an unregulated diarrhea mouth filled with hilarious and inspired ravings, often without sense. His rant against the busybody women is a treasure, as is his little-brother-as-big-brother protectiveness of his sister from the policeman-friend. The boy embodies an epic Italianate inflammability far beyond his years.
The mysterious end evocative ending, in which Grazia, believed drowned, emerges from the water's depths on Saint Bartolo's Day, is quite beautifully conceived. Fine too are the musical score by John Surman, and the precise and suggestive direction by Emanuele Crialese. I enjoyed this film so much I went to see it several times.
Grazia has three children: a lovely daughter who is attracted to and attracted by a policeman from the mainland, and two adoring sons, whose affection is overtly and uncomfortably oedipal at times. They spend much of their energies comforting their mom, defending her against verbal attacks, supplying her with food when she goes off into hiding from those who want to send her to Milan for treatment, which, in truth, she probably could use. The rest of the time they are chasing birds, hanging out on the main drag with the girls and other friends. Pantsing each other on the beach seems to have become one of the island's most common sporting activities among the young.
What I like most about the movie, besides the appealing scenery, was the interrelations of the characters, the humor, petty gossips, the impromptu emotional outbursts, the displays of maternal and filial affection. The two boys are tremendous: the older Pasquale (Francesco Casisa) is the more mature of the two. The younger Filippo (Filippo Pucillo) has an unregulated diarrhea mouth filled with hilarious and inspired ravings, often without sense. His rant against the busybody women is a treasure, as is his little-brother-as-big-brother protectiveness of his sister from the policeman-friend. The boy embodies an epic Italianate inflammability far beyond his years.
The mysterious end evocative ending, in which Grazia, believed drowned, emerges from the water's depths on Saint Bartolo's Day, is quite beautifully conceived. Fine too are the musical score by John Surman, and the precise and suggestive direction by Emanuele Crialese. I enjoyed this film so much I went to see it several times.
A most affecting film
christopher-underwood24 February 2007
A most affecting film and a fine cinematic achievement. It has been noted by others that there is barely a sympathetic character, little story and a largely bleak landscape. All the more wonder then that Crialese manages to so engage us with what is a truly scary film. We have seen westerns, even films of gangland where men are men and women do what they are told, but here children too are involved. This film must be hard to take for an Italian audience because, although here the events take place on a tiny island way off Sicily, the basic traits of Italian society are laid bare. All the men boss the women and children about but to see the young boys telling their mothers and aunts what to do is difficult territory for a 'civilised' audience. Of course, these traits are also still evident in all societies and it is all the more disturbing for these to be highlighted in this manner because we find it convenient to ignore them. I must also say that the music was impressive and the ending majestic. A must see film.
Probably the best Italian movie since Cinema Paradiso
bomanjee8 August 2003
This movie is storytelling at it's finest. This movie is set around a family - in particular a rather unstable and highly emotional mother (Grazia) - and their village on a small Sicilian island. The story centres around her actions and the reactions of the other islanders. An evocative story, brilliantly written, visualised and superbly acted by all of the cast. In my opinion this is one of the best movies made since Cinema Paradiso, with a bit of a heavier theme. I cannot but give this movie 10 out of 10! Choose a calm, relaxed mood to watch this with. Put aside your popcorn, open your eyes and your senses and absorb. On the big screen if you can!
Unsympathetic Characters Make for a Pathetic Movie
chron1 April 2004
The synopsis of this movie led me to believe that it would be a story of an unconventional woman challenging the conventions of the society in with she lives. I like strong female characters and expected a movie much along the lines of "Chocolat" with a less fairy tale and more bite. What I got was a cast of despicable characters.
For a character-driven movie to be effective, I need to feel a connection or compassion for the people. There was no one with whom I could relate in the movie. Grazia (Golino, whose work I admired in "Rain Man") portrays a mentally ill, probably bipolar, female that is often rude, aggressive and violent. Her husband bickers and yells, when he is not hitting or slapping someone. The children are rude brats. They yell at each other and the females in the movie. They attack other children with no provocation. Violence begets violence. This seems to be an island of unfeeling, aggressive, violent and rude people all the way around.
The direction is not compelling. There are intermixed scenes that attempt to be art, but instead bore the viewer. The location is exceptionally gorgeous, but even that fails to be captured to the degree that it could be on film.
I would have to recommend that you stay away from this failure of a movie.
For a character-driven movie to be effective, I need to feel a connection or compassion for the people. There was no one with whom I could relate in the movie. Grazia (Golino, whose work I admired in "Rain Man") portrays a mentally ill, probably bipolar, female that is often rude, aggressive and violent. Her husband bickers and yells, when he is not hitting or slapping someone. The children are rude brats. They yell at each other and the females in the movie. They attack other children with no provocation. Violence begets violence. This seems to be an island of unfeeling, aggressive, violent and rude people all the way around.
The direction is not compelling. There are intermixed scenes that attempt to be art, but instead bore the viewer. The location is exceptionally gorgeous, but even that fails to be captured to the degree that it could be on film.
I would have to recommend that you stay away from this failure of a movie.
un respiro profondo d'aria fresca..
pinkrebel5 September 2003
If you are religious, if you believe in miracles, if you believe that religion has nothing to do with miracles, if you HATE religion, if you are Catholic, if you are Roman Catholic, if you grew up in such a home, if you despise the hypocrisy of it all, you should see this movie. If you are Italian, if you speak Italian, if you are planning to travel to Italy, if you like Italian food, if you are learning Italian, if you even know anyone who is Italian you need to see this movie. If you've been affected by a psychological disorder, if you have a psychological disorder, if you are a psychologist, if you have a psychologist. If you have a mother. If you've seen Big Top Pee-Wee and thought "Gina" was hot. See Respiro.
I saw this movie in a small theatre and could tell who the aforementioned italomaniacs were in the crowd by the eruptions of laughter that would occur before the (occasionally poorly translated) subtitles appeared. The friend I went to see this with was wont to turn to me at choice moments during the film and inquire as to "WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" Charming, warm. Absolutely beautiful location. Vibrant characters. Simplistic filming. Multi-faceted story, bringing together a family and a community and managing to tell several stories at once, I can't find anything bad to say about this movie.
I saw this movie in a small theatre and could tell who the aforementioned italomaniacs were in the crowd by the eruptions of laughter that would occur before the (occasionally poorly translated) subtitles appeared. The friend I went to see this with was wont to turn to me at choice moments during the film and inquire as to "WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" Charming, warm. Absolutely beautiful location. Vibrant characters. Simplistic filming. Multi-faceted story, bringing together a family and a community and managing to tell several stories at once, I can't find anything bad to say about this movie.
Elegant and subtle.
magus-925 August 2003
This is a beautiful piece of work by a highly-talented film-maker. It is absorbing, entertaining, and, eventually, emotive and thought-provoking. I have to react against some of the other user comments here, which seem to have reacted negatively to the film's unaccentuated approach to character and narrative. This is not a film which deals in mainstream, realist modes of story-telling; it eschews the straightforward process of "here is our hero, this is where s/he lives, here are some scenes which establish his/her character, here is the sub-plot, here is a supporting character, look how funny he is" etc. This is a film that SUGGESTS and ALLUDES, that seduces the (open-minded) viewer into a sensual and elusive, shifting portrait of a real place (Lampedusa) and some semi-mythical and maybe unreal events. In short, the emphasis is poetic and suggestive, rather than narrative and concrete.. in contrast to many user comments, I found the characters to be beautifully delineated and the storyline to be clear and fascinating. Obviously it would appear that this approach doesn't work for everyone, but I found this film to be that rare thing: Real Cinema.
An Immersion Into The Sensuality of A Sunny Island
museumofdave9 May 2013
It's hard to put a grade on a perfect day at the beach, just as it's difficult to assess exactly what a Guilty Pleasure might be. But this quirky film has become one of my favorites; each time I watch it, the stark sensuality of the sunlit beaches, the halcyon quality of the sea and sky and the community which exists simply in the midst of all this nature become part of my own consciousness, comfortably.
Respiro is not an entertaining film in the usual sense of the word, and it's insights come from an immersion in the atmosphere, from the insistence that life is to lived freely and for the moment, and this never stated nor preached. The children are totally natural and appealing presences, the adults often like spoiled children; the sound of the sea is everywhere. While one may read valid personal or social significance into the film, I see it as is a simple experience, an immersion in the life and morality of the town for a day or two and that's quite enough for me.
Respiro is not an entertaining film in the usual sense of the word, and it's insights come from an immersion in the atmosphere, from the insistence that life is to lived freely and for the moment, and this never stated nor preached. The children are totally natural and appealing presences, the adults often like spoiled children; the sound of the sea is everywhere. While one may read valid personal or social significance into the film, I see it as is a simple experience, an immersion in the life and morality of the town for a day or two and that's quite enough for me.
Just Beautiful
MonteViste23 May 2011
I bought this film back in 2002 when I was first learning Italian, it's absolutely fabulous. Francesco Casisa and Filippo Pucillo are superb as Pasquale and Filippo and of course Valeria Golino as usual gives a perfect performance in her role of Grazia.
The DVD that I bought has American subtitles which are desperately awful in places but manage to convey more or less what's being said.
The soundtrack is very unusual, I love the original incidental music and its recurring theme which is repeated throughout the film.
This is also where I first heard La Bambola by Patti Bravo.
Some complain about the ending but I love it; watch the film to see what you think....
The DVD that I bought has American subtitles which are desperately awful in places but manage to convey more or less what's being said.
The soundtrack is very unusual, I love the original incidental music and its recurring theme which is repeated throughout the film.
This is also where I first heard La Bambola by Patti Bravo.
Some complain about the ending but I love it; watch the film to see what you think....
Interesting and compelling, mostly
yespat6 March 2005
Gorgeous film, beautiful people. Can Valeria Golina be more beautiful? I think not. And her hubby is gorgeous too. The scenery is also.
At first, I thought the movie moved rather slowly and I was ready to fast forward through it. Then it picked up and became rather compelling. I found myself quite engrossed until the end which made no sense to me and was a disappointment. By the time the ending came about, I was ready for a very satisfying finish which would tie up the loose ends. That did not happen. Instead an artsy ending was provided, which was lovely but ultimately unsatisfying as it did not answer the questions posed.
A good film flawed by an incomplete ending. Not sure I'd recommend it because of that.
At first, I thought the movie moved rather slowly and I was ready to fast forward through it. Then it picked up and became rather compelling. I found myself quite engrossed until the end which made no sense to me and was a disappointment. By the time the ending came about, I was ready for a very satisfying finish which would tie up the loose ends. That did not happen. Instead an artsy ending was provided, which was lovely but ultimately unsatisfying as it did not answer the questions posed.
A good film flawed by an incomplete ending. Not sure I'd recommend it because of that.
An interesting and beautiful look at life in a small, close-knit community but it does need a certain amount of patience
bob the moo20 June 2005
In a small Italian fishing village, the community is very close knit and gossip starts easily about anyone who upsets the status quo. So it is that the free-spirited ways of Grazia make her stand out from the other women in the village who are married to the fishermen and keep their children. As she continues to set tongues wagging and frustrating her husband as a result, Pietro starts to think that perhaps the time is right for her to see a specialist to treat her and, if necessary, section her. Getting wind of her fate, Grazia heads off and is taken to a hiding place by her son Pasquale in the rocks above the beach.
Those looking for a plot that is as strong as I have suggested would do well to just watch the final 30 minutes of this film because it is only then that this storyline is brought out. When it does eventually come, it is interesting and it builds on the things that have been done in the first hour in regards subtexts and relationship dynamics but I have to mention the fact that, for many viewers, the first hour does have the potential to drag and seem irrelevant. To some extent I did fall into this camp, because I thought that the subtexts had been well enough developed before the hour mark and that this aspect could have been worked into a story better. However it still manages to set up the downside of small village life a world where women are seen as lesser (even little brothers boss around older sisters), men are the all and even minor things can spark off gossip and rumours; it is a place that flies in stark contrast to the beautiful scenery and idyllic setting that the director shows us. This presentation does establish the final third well and, although it does need some patience, it does work very well.
It may be used as a contrast with the people but the direction is very impressive in terms of use of scenery and the framing of shots; it is very beautiful at times and it does help to highlight the disparity between the setting and the society. Golino is pretty good in the lead role pretty and free enough to convince as a character but perhaps a bit too young looking to have had so many kids of such ages; she does look a bit like a movie producer's idea of what an Italian mother of three looks like. Casisa is good but he seems to have brought out a strange semi-sexual chemistry with Golino; if this was deliberate then it I'm not sure why, maybe I was just seeing something that wasn't there. Amato is effective as the husband he seems to be frustrated not by his wife but by what others see in his wife; in this regard he fits the bill perfectly.
Overall this is an enjoyable film but it is not perfect and viewers should be prepared for the fact that the "plot" comes out almost reluctantly in the final third of the movie. Up till this time we have a thematic exploration of village life that is interesting but does require a bit of forgiving patience because it could easily have been done in less time or interwoven with a tighter story.
Those looking for a plot that is as strong as I have suggested would do well to just watch the final 30 minutes of this film because it is only then that this storyline is brought out. When it does eventually come, it is interesting and it builds on the things that have been done in the first hour in regards subtexts and relationship dynamics but I have to mention the fact that, for many viewers, the first hour does have the potential to drag and seem irrelevant. To some extent I did fall into this camp, because I thought that the subtexts had been well enough developed before the hour mark and that this aspect could have been worked into a story better. However it still manages to set up the downside of small village life a world where women are seen as lesser (even little brothers boss around older sisters), men are the all and even minor things can spark off gossip and rumours; it is a place that flies in stark contrast to the beautiful scenery and idyllic setting that the director shows us. This presentation does establish the final third well and, although it does need some patience, it does work very well.
It may be used as a contrast with the people but the direction is very impressive in terms of use of scenery and the framing of shots; it is very beautiful at times and it does help to highlight the disparity between the setting and the society. Golino is pretty good in the lead role pretty and free enough to convince as a character but perhaps a bit too young looking to have had so many kids of such ages; she does look a bit like a movie producer's idea of what an Italian mother of three looks like. Casisa is good but he seems to have brought out a strange semi-sexual chemistry with Golino; if this was deliberate then it I'm not sure why, maybe I was just seeing something that wasn't there. Amato is effective as the husband he seems to be frustrated not by his wife but by what others see in his wife; in this regard he fits the bill perfectly.
Overall this is an enjoyable film but it is not perfect and viewers should be prepared for the fact that the "plot" comes out almost reluctantly in the final third of the movie. Up till this time we have a thematic exploration of village life that is interesting but does require a bit of forgiving patience because it could easily have been done in less time or interwoven with a tighter story.
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