Il Divo
(2008/MPI Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture: B/C+
Sound: B- Extras: B- Film: B
A little while ago, an acquaintance of mine asked me what
happened to Gangster films. There had
not been many for a while and the few that did get made were laughable, lame,
derivative or everything we’ve seen before and forgettable overall. My response was to say that The Sopranos was so dominant that it
took over the genre, which happens when a work is so critically and
commercially successful in a genre.
However, that does not always apply to cinema elsewhere in the world and
2008 delivered two gems from Italy,
one of which is Writer/Director Paolo Sorrentino’s Il Divo.
An excellent, effective telling of the true story of the
scandal-plagued Giulio Andreotti (Played with amazing effectiveness by Toni
Servillo, also in the other great Italian Gangster film Gomorrah, reviewed elsewhere on this site) who was Prime Minster
seven times and held onto power with a chilling simplicity that left carnage
behind, involved Italian Mafia types and The Vatican. Sorrentino is very thorough in the way the
events happened and it took several attempts before he could even get the film
made.
However, the wait was worth it as this is a very effective
film on so many levels. The locations
are rich, the acting exceptional, editing memorable and story almost
unbelievable. However, what it has to
say about the Fascism in Italy
is profound and one of the boldest statements on the subject since Pasolini’s Salo.
Up there with the best films on the subject by filmmakers like Martin
Scorsese and his many Asian imitators, it has a rich structure like Michael
Cimino’s Year Of The Dragon (1985,
also reviewed on the site) and is a must-see for all serious film fans.
The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on the
Blu-ray is only a little soft from the stylized approach of Director of
Photography Luca Bigazzi, whose command of the scope frame is impressive
throughout. This was shot in the Super
35mm film format. Open spaces seem like closed
traps and furthers the impact of the already stunning story. The anamorphically enhanced DVD just cannot
handle the nuances of the darkness and various shades of black, brown and grey. Also, both formats only offer a Dolby Digital
5.1 mix when I hoped the Blu-ray would have lossless Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD
MA. The soundmaster sounds like it has
more to offer and between the score by Teho Teardo and hit songs, it is a smart
mix.
Extras in both formats include an FX Reel, Deleted Scenes,
Interview with Sorrentino and Making Of
featurette, all worth your time, but
only after watching the film. Don’t miss
Il Divo, especially if you have a
Blu-ray player.
For more on Gomorrah, see
our coverage of Criterion’s Blu-ray release:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9291/Gomorrah+(2008/Criterion+Collection
- Nicholas Sheffo
