LAMERICA
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0
Italy, 1994 U.S. Availability: undetermined Running Length: 1:55 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Enrico Lo Verso, Carmelo Di Mazzarelli, Michele Placido Director: Gianni Amelio Producers: Mario and Vittorio Cecchi Gori Screenplay: Gianni Amelio, Andrea Porporati, and Alessandro Sermoneta Cinematography: Luca Bigazzi Music: Franco Piersanti U.S. Distributor: Undetermined In Italian with subtitles
LAMERICA, which had its United States debut at the 1995 New York Film Festival, is a deceptively simple modern-day story steeped in history, national identity, and other quintessential issues of the "human experience." Written and directed by acclaimed Italian film maker Gianni Amelio (OPEN DOORS, STOLEN CHILDREN), this motion picture is a must-see for cinema purists, art film lovers, and those who enjoy thinking their way through a movie. LAMERICA is definitely not for those on a quest for escapist fare--they'll be asleep before the end of the second reel. This production is paced slower than a tortoise.
To understand the film, which takes place in 1991 Albania, a little history is necessary. In 1939, as documented by black-and-white news reel footage shown during LAMERICA's opening credits, Mussolini invaded and occupied Albania. Following World War II, a Soviet-supported Socialist dictatorship came into power, and nearly all communications with the tiny Balkan nation were cut off. No one was aware of the staggering level of poverty that persisted until 1991, when the government was overthrown, the borders were opened, and 40,000 Albanians fled to Italy. The immigrant crush was like the European influx into the United States earlier in the century, with Italy being viewed by the Albanians as "their America" (hence the title, with the absent apostrophe in "L'America" intended to represent the semi-literacy of the Albanians).
Once Albania converted to democracy, some of the first foreign investors came from Italy, and many of their proposals were thinly- veiled con games. LAMERICA opens by introducing two such swindlers, Fiore (Michele Placido) and his assistant Gino (Enrico Lo Verso, last seen in FARINELLI), who claim to be in the shoe-making industry. They choose a random homeless man who has suffered in a Socialist jail for fifty years as their company's chairman (corporations fronted by anti- Communist heroes are guaranteed government support). All they need is a "straw man" without relatives, so that once the deals are set and the financial aid comes in, they can take the money and run. But problems arise when their chosen chairman turns out not to be an Albanian native, but an Italian World War II deserter who was captured after the end of the war and thrown into prison.
In terms of the issues it addresses, LAMERICA is an exceptionally rich film., and as much a dark comedy as a straight drama. The story follows Gino's attempts to track his "chairman" after the old man escapes from confinement in a rest home. During this journey, we are given an eye-opening look at the raging poverty in Albania, and exposed to how the men and women cope with it. As time passes, Gino is gradually stripped of his material possessions and, eventually, he learns how little value money has in outlying villages. With no car, clothes, cash, or passport, Gino is forced to look inside himself and rely on the generosity of others to survive. In the process, he learns how a little girl can dance with abandon in the midst of a wasteland of want (that scene is perhaps the most lasting image offered by LAMERICA).
The "chairman", Michele Talarico (Carmello Di Mazzarelli) by name, was born in Sicily some seventy years ago, but his identity is now obscured by the passage of time. His papers say he's Albanian, but he calls Italy his home. He has blocked out the fifty years spent in jail, so he believes that he's only twenty, and holds to this fiction no matter what evidence is presented to the contrary. As the film progresses, Gino--a young, brash, ignorant Italian at the outset--gradually loses his own sense of national identity until he's as much an Albanian as the hundreds around him, including Talarico. Italian, Albanian, or something else--in the trenches of life, at the most basic level of humanity, nationality has no meaning. When it comes to survival, who cares about politics?
The dynamic between Gino and Talarico is perhaps the most fascinating element of LAMERICA. The younger man starts out as the old man's keeper, but, when circumstances bond them together as equal castoffs of life, the relationship develops into that of a son and father. In this, the film recalls Amelio's STOLEN CHILDREN (about two orphaned children cared for by a young soldier). The presence of Enrico Lo Verso, who had the lead role in that film, emphasizes thematic similarities.
There is still other ground covered by LAMERICA, as it goes beyond its cornerstone themes to address such diverse topics as the influence of television, the dehumanizing power of greed, and the difficulties of immigration control. From start to finish, this film is crowded with thought-provoking issues, each highlighted by one or more vignettes. The downside to such a wealth of intellectual material is that characters occasionally become subservient to themes. Amelio's leads aren't the easiest to identify with emotionally, and there are times when they become nebulous as the script grapples with universal concepts.
LAMERICA certainly isn't for everyone. In fact, the "average" movie-goer will likely find this to be a dull two hours. For those in search of a deeper film experience, however, LAMERICA is a welcome arrival. The more you consider what's in Amelio's latest picture, the more impressed you become by the film's scope. LAMERICA is the kind of story that stays with a viewer long after the theater has emptied, and whose impact is magnified by thought and discussion afterward.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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