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Il Divo (Italian pronunciation: , The Celebrity or more literally The Divine, from Latin divus, god) is a 2008 Italian biographical drama film directed by Paolo Sorrentino. It is based on the figure of former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. It competed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, where it was awarded the Jury Prize. The film also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010.
Il Divo | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Paolo Sorrentino |
Produced by | Francesca Cima Fabio Conversi Maurizio Coppolecchia Nicola Giuliano Andrea Occhipinti |
Written by | Paolo Sorrentino |
Starring | Toni Servillo Anna Bonaiuto Piera Degli Esposti Paolo Graziosi Giulio Bosetti Flavio Bucci Carlo Buccirosso |
Music by | Teho Teardo |
Cinematography | Luca Bigazzi |
Edited by | Christiano Travagliolo |
Distributed by | Lucky Red |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | Italy |
Language | Italian |
Budget | $6.7 million |
Box office | $11,260,366 |
Screenplay
As the film opens, Giulio Andreotti gives an inner monologue observing how he has managed to survive his tumultuous political career while his various detractors have died. A montage shows the murders of various people connected to Andreotti, including journalist Mino Pecorelli, Carabinieri general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, bankers Michele Sindona and Roberto Calvi, and former prime minister Aldo Moro.
The story of Giulio Andreotti, a seven-time prime minister of Italy notorious for his alleged ties to the Mafia. The narration spans the period from Andreotti's seventh election in 1992, to his failed bid for the presidency of the Italian Republic, to the Tangentopoli bribe scandal, until his trial in 1995.
- Toni Servillo as Giulio Andreotti
- Anna Bonaiuto as Livia Danese, Giulio Andreotti's wife
- Flavio Bucci as Franco Evangelisti
- Carlo Buccirosso as Paolo Cirino Pomicino
- Piera Degli Esposti as Mrs. Enea, Giulio Andreotti' secretary
- Alberto Cracco as Don Mario
- Giorgio Colangeli as Salvo Lima
- Massimo Popolizio as Vittorio Sbardella
- Aldo Ralli as Giuseppe Ciarrapico
- Giulio Bosetti as Eugenio Scalfari
- Gianfelice Imparato as Vincenzo Scotti
- Paolo Graziosi as Aldo Moro
- Lorenzo Gioielli as Mino Pecorelli
- Giovanni Vettorazzo as Magistrate Scarpinato
- Cristina Serafini as Caterina Stagno
- Achille Brugnini as Fiorenzo Angelini
- Fanny Ardant as French Ambassador's wife
Il Divo | |
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Film score by Teho Teardo | |
Released | 2008 |
Genre | Film music |
Length | 64:21 |
Label | Universal |
Producer | Teho Teardo |
In 2008, the film score for Il Divo was composed by Teho Teardo and released on compact disc Universal in Italy. The soundtrack has not been released locally in North America or the United Kingdom and is only available by import.
Track listing
The film features also:
- Pohjola's Daughter (op. 49), Symphony n° 2 and Violin Concerto - Jean Sibelius
- Danse macabre (op. 40) – Camille Saint-Saëns
- I migliori anni della nostra vita – Renato Zero
- Conceived – Beth Orton
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Andreotti's win as an incumbent Prime Minister also reveals the theme of "Particracy, (partitocrazia) or rule by parties" in Italian politics - meaning the rule of Italian politics being strongly influence by a single dominant group of players who govern independent of the will of the voters. Some may argue that a new trend of populism rose in the politics of many European countries during the late 20th century, resulting in "a new breed of radical right-wing parties and movements" which gain majority favor through "charismatic leadership" and an appeal to "popular anxieties prejudices and resentments". In the movie, Andreotti served as Prime Minister multiple terms and some argue that he and many other political actors in Italy utilize what is termed “soft populism” which utilizes outlets such as media to appeal to the popular masses. However, in the movie, Andreotti does not seem to emphasize any specific policies nor even campaign. Through the portrayal of Andreotti, the movie displays how political actors are able to maintain their power/position with little to no explanation as to how they did so. Also, the inability to completely distinguish whether Andreotti was or was not affiliated with the mafia murders conveys the lack of clarity in the mechanics of Italy's government. Andreotti's incumbency reveals pentopartito, which consisted of five parties ranging from the right wing to center-right parties. This coalition formed essentially to prevent a left majority and was able to maintain a majority by strategic methods of give and take. By maintaining this system of taking turns, a “systematic corruption” formed where parties were no longer driven by the masses, but rather by their aligned parties, resulting in “exchanging resources”.
Il Divo received mostly positive reviews from critics. As of 14 December 2009, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported 44 positive reviews and 4 negative, giving the film a 92% critical approval rating.
In Peter Brunette's review for The Hollywood Reporter, he praises the movie, pointing out the capacity of entertaining, the brilliant acting and the quality of the soundtrack. He notes that the movie will probably not have a great success outside Italy. The same elements emerge from the review of Jay Weissberg from Variety, who define the movie a masterpiece that will become a comparison stone for the years to come.
Andreotti himself walked out of the movie and dismissed the film, stating that it was "too much" and that he would be, in the end, judged "on his record".
Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano were nominated for Best Achievement in Makeup for the 82nd Academy Awards. The film was nominated for the Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics.
- Cannes Film Festival
- Prix du Jury (Paolo Sorrentino)
- Prix Vulcain (Luca Bigazzi and Angelo Raguseo)
- Sannio FilmFest
- Premio "Capitello d'Oro" Migliore Attore (Carlo Buccirosso)
- Premio "Sonora", una Musica per il Cinema
- Premio Migliore Colonna Sonora (Teho Teardo)
- Venice film festival
- Premio "SIAE" alla Creatività 2008 (Paolo Sorrentino)
- Festival du Cinéma Italien d'Ajaccio
- Prix Meilleur Acteur (Toni Servillo)
- Martini Premiere Award
- Menzione Speciale per la Locandina
- Premio "The Most Innovative Movie"
- Premio Internazionale Cinearti "La Chioma di Berenice"
- Premio Migliore Arredamento (Alessandra Mura)
- European Film Awards
- Best European Actor (Toni Servillo)
- Sevilla Festival de Cine:
- Eurimages
- Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
- Best directors of photography (Luca Bigazzi)
- Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
- Volta Award (Paolo Sorrentino)
- San Diego Film Critics Society Award
- Best Foreign Language Film (Paolo Sorrentino)