Skip to main content

PostModernissimo's Collection of Arthouse Films & A Bellocchio Adventure

Fabrizio Falco in "Il Lotto"
Recently, I discovered Postmodernissimo, a website dedicated to quality cinema, entertainment and visual arts.

Named after the Modernissimo D'Essai, Perugia’s oldest cinema which had closed its doors for nearly two decades, the website came about following an effort to get the cinema back up and running. After that goal was achieved, organizers broadened the cinema’s international reach by making a rotating selection of films available online. With Italy’s country-wide quarantine, the list of films was recently expanded.

Looking through the titles, I noticed a short film by Marco Bellocchio, “La Lotta” (The Fight). I watched it today. Then I watched it again, and again. I felt that I was missing something because there are so many elements and layers. I enlisted the help of our resident producer, Mauro Ianari, who produced our 2019 short about the pioneer documentarian Luigi Di Gianni. We went through the film together and noticed a name on a monument dedicated to World War II heroes- Giuseppe Bellocchio. That led to an adventurous search on the internet and we both learned so much.


Giuseppe Bellocchio was born in Bobbio, located in the region of Emilia-Romagna, in 1889 and enlisted in the Royal Army in 1908. He took part in WWI, reaching the rank of major and after being in command of some Alpine battalions, was placed in command of the Operations Office of the 7th Czechoslovak Division, a unit consisting of ex-soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was decorated with a silver and a bronze medal for military valor. After the war, he attended the Turin War School (Scuola di Guerra di Torino) for three-years and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1926.

Between 1928 and 1931, he was sent to Albania as an instructor for King Ahmed Zogu, who had just come to power with the support of the Kingdom of Italy. Bellocchio was promoted to colonel in 1936, assuming first command of the 3rd Alpine Regiment and then at the command of the Army Corps of Milan for special assignments. 

During the early years of WWII, he was in the region of Piedmont and helped to carry out a special assignment at the territorial defense of Bolzano. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to brigadier general and assigned as commander of the Military Zone of Alessandria. On March 28, 1943 he was promoted to the rank of division general. 

On the night following the armistice of September 8, 1943 between Italy and the Allies, the city of Alessandria was invaded by the Germans. Bellocchio managed to escape capture, and the next day, with the help of a police marshal, took refuge temporarily on a farm in the Alessandria countryside, later joining the partigiani (civilians fighting against the enemy) to help liberate Italy.

After retiring from the military, he returned to Bobbio and passed away there on March 7, 1966. 

It is not completely clear to us if this is the Giuseppe Bellocchio referred to in the film because, in the film, he is listed under "caduti," which means fallen. It could be another Giuseppe Bellocchio in the film or just a fictional scene. I would love to know for sure. In any case, I really enjoyed learning about this general and seeing his enchanting old pictures, which have made me so curious as to if there is a relation to our great, beloved director, Marco Bellocchio.

Giuseppe Bellocchio with his siblings and parents 
So the film, “La Lotta," I feel, is open to interpretation because there is little dialogue and many visual clues and references. It’s the story of Tonino (Fabrizio Falco), a young man who visits the local partigiani in two dreams. In the middle of these dreams, when he is awake, he talks with his mother (Ione Bertola) and girlfriend (Barbara Ronchi), raising concern about his state of mind. The cinematography is beautiful and of course upon seeing Daniele Cipri’s name in the credits, I knew why. The same can be said about the music, which was written by Nicola Piovani. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018 and is a project of Marco Bellocchio’s “Fondazione Fare Cinema,” which was established in his hometown of Bobbio in 1995 to encourage young, promising filmmakers.

“La Lotta” is available on PostModernissimo’s website until May 31. Click here to watch it. Click here to learn more about the film through the production company, Kavac Film. Click here to visit PostModernissimo’s homepage. Click on DI/Stanza to see the complete selection of arthouse cinema and documentaries, which include another short by Marco Bellocchio, the 2017 "Per una rosa," which I'll be watching very soon. 

Follow these links to learn more about Giuseppe Bellocchio..
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Conversation with Sergio Castellitto

Sergio Castellitto has made a profound impact on world cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. Born in Rome in 1953, Castellitto graduated from film school in 1978 and credits American cinema with pushing him toward a career in acting. His work has garnered numerous accolades, largely due to his immersive, original approach to projects in film, television and theatre. Castellitto is fluent in French and English, which has contributed mightily to his international stardom. But it's the actor's trademark brown eyes and charming everyman qualities that have lent his various characters -- even the ones that are rough around the edges -- an air of dignity that other actors might not have achieved. Sergio Castellitto and Margaret Mazzantini, 2005 Films such as "Paura e Amore," "L'uomo delle stelle," "Caterina va in città," and "Bella Martha" heralded Castellitto as a versatile artist with far-reaching abilities. But it ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Interview: Cristina Scabbia of Italian Heavy Metal Band- Lacuna Coil

Photo by Jeremy Saffer ( http://store.jeremysaffer.com/collections/tenthirtyoneinc ) Lacuna Coil is a heavy metal band whose unique sound and creative music videos have catapulted them to international stardom. The band consists of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro on vocals, Marco Coti Zelati on bass, Cristiano Migliore and Marco 'Maus' Biazzi on guitars and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati on drums.      All members hail from Milan and bring to the table their own signature talent. A few years ago, the internet buzz about Lacuna Coil's music videos prompted me to check them out on YouTube. I've been hooked ever since. Their videos are creative vignettes shot all over the world, directed by cutting edge filmmakers in Europe and the United States.   Although Lacuna coil is considered a heavy metal band, the unique melodies in their songs are rarely found in traditional heavy metal.   The range of the band is also something you rarely see in this genre of mus...
Post a Comment
Read more

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait  “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann.  Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ettore Scola explores enduring friendships and lost ideals in 'C’eravamo tanto amati'

A scene from "C'eravamo tanti amati" Mixing both tragedy and humor, Ettore Scola ’s 1974 film “C’eravamo tanto amati” (“We All Loved Each Other So Much”) follows 30 years in the lives of three men and the woman they each adore. By examining how his generation changed after the war, Scola makes a film that reflects its era. Scola explores the moral, political and emotional evolution of Italy’s postwar generation and, in doing so, creates a film that is a chronicle of its time and a love letter to cinema. The story begins in the aftermath of World War II. Three friends — Antonio ( Nino Manfredi ), Gianni (Vittorio Gassman) and Nicola (Stefano Satta Flores) — emerge from the Italian Resistance with a shared dream of justice, equality and social renewal. They are united by their hope that the sacrifices of war will lead to a better world. But the decades that follow prove to be challenging as Italy undergoes massive social changes, from the postwar economic boom to the politi...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Life and Work of Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci as Malèna Born in Umbria in 1964, Monica Bellucci is one of the most recognizable faces of international cinema. But she didn't always have her sights set on the spotlight. She went to college to study law and modeled to pay her tuition. Her success in the fashion world coupled with the offers that were pouring in to appear on the big screen eventually took over, changing her fate. Bellucci made her on-screen debut in the 1990 television movie, " Vita coi figli." Just two years later, she scored her first American role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula."   In addition to her native language, she speaks fluent English and French, which has made for a smooth transition from Italian to international cinema. Stateside, she has acted in blockbusters such as "The Matrix-Reloaded,"     " The Passion of the Christ" and " The Sorcerer's Apprentice." She has also appeared in several French films, a...
Post a Comment
Read more