John Sekerka
Italian biopic Il Divo illuminates a shady political arena
Beelzebub. The Hunchback. The Black Pope, The Sphinx, The Salamander. Il Divo. While most historical figures receive but one nickname, politician Giulio Andreotti had a bunch. Put down to the Italian obsession with such glorifications or not, the insatiable and ongoing need to pigeonhole this enigma still speaks volumes.
In his epic (in scope, not time) film, Il Divo, Paolo Sorrentino attempts to shed light on a very dark part of Italian politics. Presented in an impossible-to-follow array of names, connections and events, this convoluted political family tree of infinite branches suggests the far-reaching, palm-greasing corruption Andreotti must have been involved in to sit in parliament since 1946 (including a staggering seven terms as prime minister). And, yes, he is still sitting.
As a diminutive, slouching, well-mannered, soft-spoken mouse of a man, Andreotti is played to superb perfectionism by Toni Servillo. An unassuming figure often bathed in ghastly spotlighting, he moves about in an eloquent vampirish manner, flowing across a room as if on a moving sidewalk, and exits by retreating several steps before turning his back on a guest. It’s an exquisite performance of impeccable nuance and crafty minimalism, playing in stark contrast to the endless array of splashy, Godfather-style executions that serve as the other half of this movie.
Like Coppola, Sorrentino uses a broad canvas for a sprawling tale, presenting cinema that is a bold, visual feast, even when the plot begins
to tie itself into impenetrable knots.
In the end, Il Divo tries to leave well enough alone, just presenting the facts, but there is a clear bias here. It’s hard to believe this clever little intellectual (or any one person for that matter) was responsible for the endless accusations hurled his way, but there he stands in almost every frame, surrounded symmetrically by the world around him as if he is the centre of the universe, which, no doubt, he still believes himself to be.
Il Divo
@ Mayfair Theatre
Oct 2-4,7