An Italian masterpiece

Title: Malena (2000)
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Writing Credits: Giuseppe Tornatore
Cast: Monica Belluci, Giuseppe Sulfaro

As the tagline goes: A world at war. A young man coming of age. And the woman who changed his life forever.

Often mistaken and dismissed as smutty and mildly pornographic, Malena is anything but that. Italian cinema can be perceived as rather queer for people fed on a staple Hollywood diet, including me. The acting is unrestrained, the actors are very expressive both with their body language and voice inflections, as it should be in real life with real people. It was even mildly amusing to me in the beginning. But Italian cinema stands for a simple and powerful method of storytelling as is evident in Malena and other movies made by Giuseppe Tornatore viz Starmaker and Cinema Paradiso.

Malena, set during World War II is a story told from the view of an adolescent boy, Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro) who is enamored by Malena (ravishing and captivating, Monica Belluci). His feelings towards Malena metamorphosises from ogling, fantasizing, pity and protectiveness. As it happens, her husband is called to war and pronounced as killed in action in a public function. Widowed and beautiful, all the men in the town take to lusting her with their tongues sloshing the ground she walks, inspite of their jealous wives. But Malena still yearns and pines for her husband, her only true love. Drooling husbands, jealous wives, rumor mongers, townspeople who refuse to sell her good food in the market and denying her any means of living, Malena is pushed to desperation. While all this happens, Renato, still young and unable to protect her from lies and half truths resorts to beseeching God, all the while endearing himself to the viewer. How Malena survives through the period of war and what happens to her after the war is told very beautiful from Renato's point of view. The climax does not have a twist or an extraordinary ending but packs quite a punch and cracks you up real good. Be ready to get emotionally bombed.

Giuseppe Tornatore, builds a masterpiece from a simple storyline, loaded with great shots of Italy and a wonderful soundtrack. Renato, as the boy carries off a very challenging and complex role. Monica Belluci, as Malena, shows what a class act she is. She does not have more than five lines throughout the movie but speaks a thousand words through her eyes and makes you weep for her plight. On a personal note, I always considered Belluci one of the most beautiful women but after seeing this movie Moi has two posters of Belluci on my walls; she beats everybody else hands down fellas. The movie maybe about just three people; Renato, Malena and Tornatore, but they provide a wonderful and poignant film experience.

Caution: if you plan on seeing the movie, do not read the following passage until you have seen the movie. Its loaded with spoilers and provides a sneek peak into the directors mind.

Giuseppe Tornatore, writer and creator of the movie, says the character of Malena in many places alludes to his homeland, Italy. He alludes that Italy as a country, is raped, tortured and is left as a desitute after the war, much like Malena. Speechless.