VIVA LA LIBERTA’ directed by Roberto Andò (Italy, 2013)
“Liberty, far from putting man in possession of himself, ceaselessly alienates him from his essence and his world” – Michel Foucault, Madness & Civilisation
This movie is adapted from director Roberto Andò’s own novel which bore the more Shakespearean title ‘Il Trono Vuoto’ (Literally, ‘The Empty Throne’ or a looser translation could be The Hollow Crown). This association is no coincidence since, as in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and The Comedy of Errors, the two protagonists are twins.
It stars the consistently excellent Toni Servillo who reminds me of the great Scottish character actor Alastair Sim because he has the same droll melancholy that lends itself well to drama or farce. In this film he is able to show both faces.
The first is as a tired, disillusioned politician Enrico Olivieri. As leader of an opposition party, his support is dwindling and his standing even among his own members is on the wane.
Weary of the rituals and close to a nervous breakdown, he takes an impromptu leave of absence leaving his party in a quandary. In desperation they opt for a high-risk strategy of using his estranged twin brother Giovanni Ernani as a stopgap solution.
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