CIAO PROFESSORE!
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (0 to 10): 8.8
Date Released: 8/94 Running Length: 1:40 Rated: No MPAA Rating (Language)
Starring: Paolo Villaggio, Isa Danieli, Esterina Carloni Director: Lina Wertmuller Producers: Mario and Vittorio Cecchi Gori Screenplay: Lina Wertmuller, Leo Benvenuti, and Piero De Bernardi based on ME, LET'S HOPE I MAKE IT by Marcello D'Orta Cinematography: Gianni Tafani Released by Miramax Films In Italian with subtitles
"The book [ME, LET'S HOPE I MAKE IT] is a fascinating, allegoric and desperate image of what the children were feeling. The focal point for me was to create the confrontation between the teacher who comes from the north and the children who are living the reality of the culture of the south. Telling a story about Naples would have been easier to do because in a big city there is a lot of criminality. But one of our choices was to make a film in a small village without the violence." - Lina Wertmuller, co-writer/director, CIAO PROFESSORE!
CIAO PROFESSORE! is the story of Marco Sperelli (Paolo Villaggio), a northern Italian teacher who gets dumped in the southern Italian town of Corzano because of a bureaucratic screw-up (he was supposed to get an assignment in Corsano). At the De Amicis school, he has been assigned to teach third grade, but when he arrives, he finds the place run by the janitor. Only three of his fifteen students are in class - the rest are out working on the streets, hustling black market goods and helping their families make ends meet. So, taking matters into his own hands, Sperelli makes a trip through the village to collect his delinquent pupils personally.
The story of a teacher and students learning from one another is a popular thematic mine that directors keep exploring. Just when you think all the ore has been removed, however, someone like Lina Wertmuller comes along and strikes a new vein. CIAO PROFESSORE! is a remarkable film, primarily because it possesses a level of honesty that most productions of this sort abandon in favor of mawkishness.
Wertmuller, who learned some of her craft from Fellini (she was his assistant director on 8-1/2), has primarily been known for controversial films. Those used to her normal fare (such as SWEPT AWAY and SEVEN BEAUTIES) will find CIAO PROFESSORE! a distinct departure. Instead of focusing on issues like sexuality, revenge, and madness, this movie makes do with a simple message of hope.
The bonding of Sperelli with his students is achieved with care and consideration. There is no single incident that galvanizes the process. Trust comes slowly, especially after the teacher slaps a belligerent young boy. Yet as they spend more time together, each side discovers a little more about the other and, through that learning, gains understanding. By the end, it's difficult to decide who has changed more: the professor, his pupils, or their families.
Given the time constraints of keeping this film to a reasonable length, Wertmuller does a marvellous job fleshing out a unique personality for each of the students. This is not a motion pictures where the children blend together into a faceless mass, with only one or two standouts. Through a series of short vignettes, the director tells something about the conditions that have shaped their individual lives.
CIAO PROFESSORE! is rich in humor, much of which is grounded in the raw language used by the children. Even in the most serious circumstances, Wertmuller never allows this motion picture to become maudlin or melodramatic. A relentlessly upbeat, occasionally-playful atmosphere pervades the film, as typified by the repeated use of the song "What a Wonderful World."
One of the key ingredients to the success of CIAO PROFESSORE! is the cast. The adult actors, especially Paolo Villaggio (who played one of Italy's most enduring film characters, Fantozzi, and was in Fellini's last film, THE VOICE OF THE MOON), do fine jobs. The most remarkable performances, however, come from the troupe of young actors cast to play the children. With their fresh faces and unforced style, each captures the essence of the character Wertmuller chose for them.
CIAO PROFESSORE! premiered to high acclaim on the international film festival circuit (where it was called by its original title, ME, LET'S HOPE I MAKE IT). The accolades are well-deserved. This is a rare movie- going experience--an artistic film that's both unpretentious and optimistic.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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