Rapiniamo Il Duce, the new tragicomedy by Renato De Mar with Pietro Castellitto, Matilda De Angelis and Renato De Maria, has been shown at Rome Film Fest.
Let’s rob the Duce: What is it all about?
April 1945. Milan is in ruins. The war is coming to an end. The fascists are ready to flee and will leave Milan, taking all the treasure they have accumulated over the years.
Isola (Pietro Castellitto), now the king of black market, along with Marcello (Tommaso Racgno) and Amedeo(Luigi Fedele), would love to have that gold but need helpers with special skills. He summons Molotov, an expert in explosives construction, Hessa, a feline in movements, and Fabbri, a fast pilot in Italy.
As with any self-respecting mission there is always a risk that must not be underestimated. A weakness that could put the lives of the entire gang at risk. Isola’s weakness is Yvonne (Matilda De Angelis), the charmant singer from Cabiria, and lover of Achille Borsalino (Filippo Timothyi).
The declaimer (“This is a true tale. This story almost) warns the viewer not to take seriously the events he is about witness.
Rapiniamo Il Duce is a story-telling play that plays with history. It does this from both a narrative perspective by distorting (but not excessively) the events of those years and from a stylistic standpoint with comic strip interludes by Giuseppe Camuncoli.
These fools are part of a resistance who wants to survive the world war. They choose to steal rather than to heroism.
The writing of We Kidnap the Duce is poor. It lacks rhythm and shines the characters’ interpretations. There are too many dialogues that slow down the narrative flow. We regret that this was a missed opportunity. Although there were good premises, the screen did not convey everything well. Too many interpretations seem restrained.
Perhaps the most beautiful rendition is by Matilda De Angelis, Isabella Ferrari and Isabella Ferrari. They are two artists on the rise, each competing for Filippo Timi’s attention.
