Review: Paolo Sorrentino's 2022 Oscar Nominated "The Hand of God"

Based on his own life growing up in Naples, Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, “The Hand of God” (È stata la mano di Dio) recounts the heartbreak and growing pains that shaped the man and filmmaker he is today.

The film opens with a stunning coastal aerial shot of Naples at dawn, which leads up to the moment Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti), the main character, develops a teenage infatuation with his voluptuous, unstable Aunt Patrizia (Luisa Ranieri). From that point, we are introduced to the eccentric members of his family that undoubtedly gave a young Sorrentino material for his future filmmaking career. The close-ups of a few zany and grotesque characters reflect the visual homages to Federico Fellini that are often present in Sorrentino’s work. He goes a step further in “The Hand of God” to offer an account of Fellini’s first influence on his life and eventual career path.

Fabietto’s brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert), an aspiring actor, attends an audition for a Fellini film held in Naples. Discouraged after being told he has a conventional face, the face of a waiter, he tells Fabietto about a conversation he overheard between Fellini and a journalist in which the director states that cinema isn’t good for anything except for serving as a distraction from reality. Fabietto is perplexed, not knowing what to make of such a declaration, but the statement stays with him and he later draws on it when rationalizing his desire to become a film director himself.

At the center of Fabietto’s life are his parents. He has loving relationships with both of them and although his parents are in love with each other, his father (Toni Servillo) is involved in a complex affair with another woman. When Fabietto learns of the affair and sees the agony it causes his mother (Teresa Saponangelo), he has an uncontrollable physical reaction.

Renato Carpentieri as Uncle Alfredo

The whole story plays out during the mid-1980s when Argentine soccer player Diego Maradona is rumored to be in talks with the Napoli soccer team. It seems too good to be true for members of the Schisa clan but when the deal goes through, the family and all of Naples are ecstatic. Then tragedy strikes, and Fabietto's Uncle Alfredo (Renato Carpentieri) helps him realize the profound impact of Maradona on his life. Sorrentino addressed this fate in commentary about the film. “Hovering above everything, so close and yet so far, is Maradona, that ghostly idol, five foot five, who seemed to sustain the lives of everyone in Naples, or at least mine,” he stated.

In fact, the film’s title reflects a phrase that was associated with Maradona throughout his career. “The Hand of God” came about during the 1986 FIFA World Cup when Maradona used his hand to make a game-changing goal. He later described it as "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God."

The family tragedy sets the stage for a period of confusion and self-reflection. There is a part of Fabietto that does not want to move on and forget the past but a realistic side that tells him he must. Little by little, through intimacy and friendship, he discovers a newfound liberation and enthusiasm for the future.

The film concludes with an encounter between Fabietto and the Neapolitan filmmaker Antonio Capuano (Ciro Capano) who rose to fame during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Capuano gives the indecisive Fabietto some tough love suggesting he muster up some courage, starting with replacing the “etto” of his name, which in Italian means “little,” with an “o.” Fabio takes Capuano’s advice and the rest is history.

“The Hand of God” has been shown at numerous festivals including the 2021 Chicago International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival where it was awarded a Silver Lion and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Filippo Scotti’s performance. The film is Italy’s entry for the 2022 Oscar race and has thus far made the short list.

Click here to watch the film on Netflix. It is accompanied by an 8-minute documentary titled, “The Hand of God Through the Eyes of Paolo Sorrentino,” which features commentary by the director at the actual locations of the film and his feelings on returning to tell this moving story about his life.

Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the March, 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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