Lengthy earlier than Benito Mussolini turns to the digicam and says, “Make Italy nice once more” — talking in English for the one and solely time in Joe Wright’s eight-hour restricted collection — it’s clear whose identify would precede “Son of the Century” if MUBI had been to greenlight a twenty first century installment.
After all, Donald Trump possible looms bigger than different trendy fascists for me, given my (more and more embarrassing) American roots, however “Mussolini: Son of the Century‘s” chosen timeline maps its tyrant’s rise to energy so plainly onto that of the US’ wannabe-dictator, it’s laborious to argue coincidence. Fascism is on the rise all over the place, however this thrumming critique has its sight set on one explicit blackshirt, and he’s stained in orange.
Take, as an illustration, the place the collection begins: with Mussolini the “journalist” railing in opposition to socialism whereas crafting entertaining propaganda that furthers his personal agenda. Certain, Trump “solely” used tv to manufacture his popularity as an excellent businessman, reasonably than write Fox Information chyrons first-hand, however media manipulation remains to be media manipulation, then and now, in print or on TV. A extra specific reference comes seconds later, when Mussolini (performed with boisterous tenacity by Luca Marinelli) mocks his right-hand man for having “the smallest fingers.” (“I can’t think about his cock,” Mussolini provides, talking on to the digicam.) Then, nonetheless inside 10 minutes of the primary episode, a mob of fascists brutally batter a peaceable group of socialists.
The ghastly scene units up the collection’ ongoing central battle (establishing the villains and heroes, if you’ll), and — regardless that “Son of the Century” was made lengthy earlier than right-wing media painted Zohran Mamdani as an existential menace to America — fascists and socialists tossing barbs at each other (or, extra precisely, fascists tossing grenades and socialists shouting accusations of grenade-tossing) nonetheless brings the battle between Nineteen Twenties Italian political events roaring into 2020s New York Metropolis.
Mussolini truly was once a socialist, even operating their official newspaper earlier than he was ousted as a warmonger and pivoted to fascism. When Mussolini explains it (on to the digicam once more, as he so usually does), fascism is a motion of contradictions: “We’re not a celebration,” he says, “we’re an anti-party.” They don’t have interaction in politics as a result of they’re anti-politics, and the identical goes for elections, the monarchy, and the church. “Fascism is all the pieces,” Mussolini says, “and the alternative of all the pieces.”
So… it’s nothing. Accepting such ruthless adherence to victory with out that means is the inspiration of Mussolini’s motion — “Our solely doctrine is motion,” he says — so it’s no surprise he steadily betrays every of his oppositional positions to be able to transfer up the ranks. Anti-politics? Not if a little bit politicking brings him extra energy. Anti-elections? Not if he can win them (democratically or in any other case). Anti-monarchy? Not if he has an opportunity to be king. Anti-church? Who’s God to a person like Mussolini, besides one other affect to be introduced below his command?
If none of this brings Trump to thoughts, to begin with, I envy you greater than you possibly can presumably think about, and secondly, congratulations in your current escape from that enormous rock. Wright’s restricted collection is a livid fever dream connecting the previous to the current. Occasions span simply over 5 years of Mussolini’s life, ending proper earlier than his decades-long dictatorship formally begins, however they nonetheless cowl his pivotal March on Rome (when Mussolini known as for an “riot” as a substitute of elections), the fascist social gathering’s infiltration of Parliament (“[They] suppose they’ve domesticated us, however they’ve solely legalized us”), and a number of scenes foregrounding Mussolini’s violent remedy of ladies. (He’s proven raping a newspaper staffer, and his spouse, Rachele, brags that their first time collectively was “by power.”)
Wright captures the madman’s vitality together with his trademark kinetics. There are rear-projections of previous newsreel footage forged in opposition to foregrounded black-and-white photographs of his forged; iris ins and outs that emphasize Mussolini’s isolating, irreparable ego, or reveal short-term reduction through his throngs of admirers; ornate events, rallies, and clashes stuffed with scores of extras and set inside shadowy, palatial areas; and, after all, there are prolonged monitoring photographs galore.
Marinelli — a two-time Finest Actor winner on the Venice Movie Pageant (“Don’t Be Unhealthy,” “Martin Eden”) who Wright known as “one of many best actors of his technology, if not the best actor of his technology” — is on the middle of all of it. His forceful speechifying is usually captured from a low angle, positioning the viewer like Mussolini’s awed front-row viewers, however such formal assists are largely pointless relating to appreciating the character’s gravity. From enunciation to intonation, gesticulation to cadence, he nails the propulsive rhythm of Wright’s scenes (co-written by Stefano Bises and Davide Serino) and earns your consideration with out elevating Mussolini above the opportunistic, shitty little man he was. Marinelli’s efficiency is well-measured, even when his character is hifalutin and brash.
Nonetheless, “Mussolini: Son of the Century” comes up quick relating something outdoors of Mussolini’s viewpoint. We’re so carefully tied to the central character’s perspective — he’s in practically each scene, he narrates his personal story, and he sucks up all of the oxygen by design — that it’s not possible to see him how the general public should have seen him then. He talks of casting “magic tips” on Parliament and the proletariat alike, however we’re concurrently too removed from the spectators to understand the phantasm and too near the magician to see something however a liar.
The collection additionally shares a standard battle with different tales of Trump relating to dissecting a psyche devoid of ideas and that means. “We fascists haven’t any preconceived concepts,” Mussolini says, not lengthy after he defines fascism as “the alternative of all the pieces.” Hinging a prolonged biography on an individual whose complete id comes all the way down to procuring energy doesn’t make for a dynamic portrait; it’s a easy one, and “Son of the Century” does a tremendous job acknowledging as a lot. That’s what makes fascists so harmful, in any case — they don’t consider in something, which makes them each unpredictable and ruthless — however it doesn’t lend itself to a layered, growing narrative.
Mussolini will say something and do something to additional his private agenda, and his private agenda quantities to hoarding energy. There’s nothing else to him — all bluster and no substance — and as sincere as that characterization could also be, it’s dramatically inert. For as keenly as Wright’s route represents Mussolini’s bombastic flash because the plot ticks off historic second after historic second, the story tied to them can really feel repetitive, acquainted, and hole.
What that leaves is an eight-hour collection with the emotional influence of watching the information. The message is effective and pressing — nobody’s disputing the necessity to establish Nazis so Indiana Jones can instantly punch them within the mouth (figuratively talking) — however the packaging of that message does little to deepen our understanding for or appreciation of the anti-fascist motion. Mussolini was Trump earlier than Trump, and Trump is the trendy Mussolini. OK. No argument right here. What else ya received?
Grade: B-
“Mussolini: Son of the Century” is now out there on MUBI.