Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Respiro



Film: Respiro
Registra: Emanuele Crialese
Recensione: Mike Peraino

Ognuno di noi ha un’immagine o una figura nella mente di quello che sarebbe il nostro paradiso; per alcuni sono le montagne, per altri, un lago. Per me, il paradiso è un’isola soleggiata in mezzo al mare cristallino. Fortunatamente ho avuto l’opportunità di vedere questo splendore naturale nell’isola di Lampedusa; è qui dove si svolge il film Respiro. Con questo film possiamo immergerci nell’ambiente della macchia Mediterranea, ed è qui dov’è possibile fare uno sguardo alla vita dell’isola.

Il film comincia con una vista panoramica dell’isola e con una visione delle piccole cose che creano la cultura e lo stile di vita. Ci sono il porto e le barche, le strade strette e fitte di vespe, il sole, il mare di colore blu e le rocce. E’ veramente un bel paese e sembra un paradiso, però, come sempre niente può essere perfetto e come l’isola è solitaria, così anche Grazia (la protagonista) è isolata dagli altri. Lei è tanto bella ed unica quanto l’isola.

Grazia vive con i suoi tre figli e suo marito in una piccola casa a Lampedusa. Lei ha un carattere molto appassionato e non vuole fare come gli altri e si ribella contro il modello di condotto della società. Le sa che in questa vita c’è più di quello che sembra e lei vuole vivere al massimo. Allo stesso tempo i cittadini vogliono che lei smetta di causare problemi.

Mentre il tempo passa vediamo che è difficile anche per un italiano da Roma (il poliziotto) ad abituarsi al dolce stil novo della vita a Lampedusa. Però scopriamo che lui non è l’unico ad avere problemi. Grazia ha dei problemi suoi. Quando lei diventa agitata o perde controllo delle sue emozioni lei ha attacchi di panico e i cittadini vogliano che lei vada a vedere uno specialista a Milano, però l’idea non va per lei e lei salta fuori con un’idea di evitare loro. In ogni modo il film termina con «un miracolo» e perché l’ambiente è così bello, un miracolo non è tanto incredibile.

Allora, basta con il sommario, se tu volessi sapere il resto, dovresti guardare il film.

Dopo aver visto questo film si può capire la diversità della cultura italiana da un paese ad un altro.


Interpreti e Personaggi
Valeria Golino = Grazia
Vincenzo Amato = Pietro
Francesco Casisa = Pasquale
Veronica D'Agostino = Marinella
Filippo Pucillo = Filippo
Muzzi Loffredo = Nonna
Elio Germano = Pier Luigi


Info sul Regista
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0187740/
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuele_Crialese

Info sul Film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiro
http://www.washdiplomat.com/03-07/bC_03_07.html

Video
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286516/trailers-screenplay




2 comments:

sassy_stonehill said...

The opening sequence and all those that follow thereafter where the young island boys are present remind me of visuals from "Lord of the Flies." There appears to be no order in this village, where even the police officers (or at least the newbie on the scene) can be persuaded with a short bathrobe to turn the other cheek regarding a traffic violation. And yet, somehow Grazia does not fit into this seemingly ambivalent community. It is true that she has problems and tends to wreak havoc on the town and her family (letting rabid dogs loose, swimming topless in the ocean, etc.), but who doesn’t have their share of problems? I, an outsider, found it difficult to find an established disciplinary system for the society or even for the family to follow (i.e. when Pasquale is reprimanded for throwing a rock at a neighbor boy, the executor of punishment is muddled—“here you spank him,” “do you want to spank him,” “should I spank him,”—and so forth), so I can only imagine how confusing it would be to grow up with such indecision.
We see that in the end, you learn to love the life that you have, and if you don’t then I’m sure you would have tried harder to get away from it. I think what is important to remember in films like this that hold beauty and individuality in high regard (the latter doesn’t come to full realization until a bit later) is that the lives of others are subjective; walking in another Italian’s sandals and what not. However beautiful the scenery is, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some longing for change lurking below the surface. A crystalline island does not a happy person make. And while I think that many viewers can agree that Grazia is a rabble rouser of sorts, she brings a much-needed spark to the island that is missed when she is gone. The end scene in the water when all of the citizens encompass her in the sea shows that she is, indeed, the life force of everyone around her.

Nora said...

Emanuele Crialese was born in Rome but has Sicialian background. Many of his films pay tribute to his love for Sicily. Infact, the island of Lampedusa, where the film takes place, sits between Sicily and Tunisia. Grazia, the main character in this movie really compliments the island itself, what is better than the sweet and gorgeous Italian girl from Tom Cruise’s Rain Man? Filippo Pucillo (also Filippo in the movie), the young boy, makes for some unforgettable and rather impressive acting, especially when find his sister with a guy. I thought when he was speaking dialect to the young man it was hilarious. Here is the scene if any of you want to take a look: (http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=mgm8gcX_IJg ).
I agree with Mike that Grazia’s beauty and uniqueness is equal to the beauty of the island. Another thing I agree with is what he said about Italian culture. Even as a tourist, it is undeniable how different sounds, scenery, and life become from one region to the next. The taste of the food becomes different and so do the people; it is a truly unique part about Italy and Italians. The young policeman shown the movie is a good model of it as he tries to get used to Sicily. Although from Rome he finds Lampedusa difficult, almost like another country, to get accustomed to.
I agree with the comment made that the last scene is symbolic with Grazia being encompassed by people in the water. Life is not meant to be serene and calm all the time. It’s like the very water she was in. The water is always steady and slow; it has storms and can be violent at times. Energy is what we thrive off of; it is what we live for. Energy is what makes us want to dance to the beat of a rhythm; it is what moves our inner selves. Grazia is the much needed energy among all of the beauty.