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by Guy Shaked
Keywords: Italian Cinema, Gianni Amelio, road movie, Shaked
Il Ladro di Bambini (1992) is a road movie as has been identified by Rascaroli for example [1], displaying movement by trains, bus and car as well as walking and running.
The movie displays the fate of the victim of crime that not only is hurt from the crime itself but from the inhuman and unfair attitude of society and state and their institutions (so is a victim of course Rosetta but also Antonio at the end of the movie).
The film is organized around three main dialectic axis. The first is the stylistic axis of light versus darkness.
The movie is divided around this axis in two ways. First there is the division of the movie to two parts between the north and the south (sud). In the north darkness and shadows prevail.
The heroes are seen mainly in train stations and inside trains in dark movement in the north. Only when movement is somewhat suspended as they walk or inside buildings do we see more light than usual.
In the south there is light – bright light that diffuses and de-clarifies lines of contour of the heroes bodies. In fact the arrival of the heroes to Antonio’s home in the south is marked in bright light as the bus they go down from stops at station.
Yet, the intentional “play” of the director with light and darkness has another aspect. That of hope and good human relations in contrast with no hope and depression. For example when Luciano has an asthma attack and he and Antonio get closer in human interaction this happens in light despite the fact that they are not yet in the south (unless one calls Rome the south).
In the south – Rosetta’s depression after she was harassed by the lady at the family party for appearing in the newspaper (gossip newspaper) as a prostitute – this depression is manifested by the darkness of night after which she does not sleep as she cries all night. Later their detour with Antonio at the beach and with the French tourists were they are encouraged for a moment and become hopeful is marked by bright sunlight.
The “game” of light and darkness in the movie is most meaningful at the ending. They drive by night and darkness depressed from the ending of their stay together and the eminent entrance to the orphanage.
Yet when morning comes – light rises – and Antonio becomes hopeful – perhaps he could join a football team at the orphanage.
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The second axis along which the movie is concerned is close versus open – train versus car. The movement in the north is marked in closeness. After which there is a small pause in riding a bus in the south, later followed by movement in the car in the south – freely in the open plain in contrast with north movement in the close space of the train. The interlude in the movie of the detour in the south in the car to the sea and tourist location is strong effect because of its difference from the closeness of the rest of the movie.
The final part of the movie is a metamorphosis of the openness of the car because they are driving in the night where they are closed in the space of the car (film vise) and they at the end go to sleep in it – a place of closure. This brings back to the viewer the uncomfortable feeling of closed spaces that prevailed in the north.
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The third dialectical axis along which the movie is organized is male solidarity to the young versus female rivalry and aggressiveness.
Toward Luciano there is sympathy from the adult males in the movie. Manifested in the mother’s friend patting “Lucio” on his cheeks when he enters the house, continued by the adult watching the cards trickster pushing gently Luciano away from the unfitting for a child place. And of course manifested in Antonio’s developing relation with the child.
Yet toward Rosetta the adult women of the film manifest judgmental aggressive attitude. So is the case with Rosetta’s mother, the woman at the family gathering in the south. Even the red head tourist attitude towards her despite being seemingly that of pity, she and her female friend leave immediately as not wanting to be involved in this sordid story.
Read more of Guy's work in the book: Masters of Italian Sculpture
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[1] Rascaroli Laura, “New Voyages to Italy: Postmodern travelers and the Italian road film”, Screen 44:1 (Spring 2003), pp. 78-79
© 2006
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