As a seasoned movie critic who has spent years navigating the labyrinthine world of Italian cinema, I must say that “Sicilian Letters” is a captivating and thought-provoking masterpiece that truly stands out from the crowd. The directors, Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza, have once again demonstrated their remarkable talent for storytelling and their ability to delve deep into the complexities of Sicilian society.
The directorial pair Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza (“Sicilian Ghost Story”) narrate the authentic account of Matteo Messina Denaro, known as “the last godfather,” in their upcoming drama, titled “Sicilian Letters.” This film will premiere on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival
“In ‘Sicilian Letters’, Elio Germano, playing Messina, and Toni Servillo as his adversary Catello, a shadowy figure from the secret services, unite on screen together for the first time. The title is a nod to their covert communication via ‘pizzini’, small notes that were utilized by the Sicilian Mafia for confidential exchanges.”
The movie explores the period when Matteo Messina Denaro, a notorious criminal on the run from Italian justice for three decades, held his greatest power as a mafioso. In January 2023, midway through his undercover cancer treatment at an exclusive hospital in Palermo, he was apprehended. The man known as one of Italy’s most ruthless mob bosses, who was found guilty of orchestrating some of the country’s grisliest murders such as those of prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, passed away in a maximum-security prison last September
Below, EbMaster discusses with the directors their extensive exploration of Denaro’s character and his significant influence on Sicily’s profoundly corrupt society
The film is based on reality. Talk to me about your research.
Reality is the starting point for us. We have been studying Matteo Messina Denaro for almost five years, and the most difficult part of starting to try and understand him is that there was not much out there that was believable. Just a lot of mythology. So it took time for us to separate what was really true and what was just legend. The “pizzini” helped us a lot. Through these letters, we started to understand him on a psychological level because his personality is really something completely different from the rest of the mafia people we had known up until that moment.
How did you portray Matteo Messina Denaro, who was among the final leaders of Cosa Nostra, when you had insights into his character?
Two aspects of Matteo stood out to us prominently. One was his bond with his father-influenced life, shaped by his father in a seemingly patriarchal and archaic environment, is one. The other is that despite being a criminal with narcissistic tendencies, he was immersed in the world of the bourgeoisie. Somehow, through his social circle and his chosen lifestyle, he found books. His reading abilities were evident from the books discovered in his final hideout, which included works by Andre Agassi, Vargas Llosa, Baudelaire, and Dostoyevsky. In simpler terms, Matteo, a son of a powerful godfather, was both a deeply patriarchal figure and a reader who enjoyed diverse literature from various authors
Talk to me about working with two of Italy’s top actors, Elio Germano and Toni Servillo.
They adopt contrasting methods when portraying their characters. Toni prefers immersing himself in written materials, while Elio strives to become the character himself. In essence, Elio embodies the qualities of a traditional method actor, aiming to embody the character he plays. During script development, Toni was more inclined to discuss the character with the team. However, Elio took a different approach – he relocated to Sicily, where Matteo’s life unfolded, interacting with real people and living in authentic settings. Upon his return, Elio had acquired a Sicilian accent and developed certain physical idiosyncrasies
Regarding your sources, it seems you’ve brought up Pietro Germi, known for his movie “In the Name of the Law,” which is often recognized as the initial Italian film portraying the Cosa Nostra
Absolutely. Our vision for the world revolved around Germi, as we admire him deeply. We appreciated his work, particularly its political edge combined with genre play, which intrigued us immensely. This resonated with our own aim to create a story that mattered to contemporary Italian public opinion, focusing on a high-profile criminal who had just been apprehended. Including such a reference enriched our narrative significantly. Employing genre in storytelling often leads into the domain of grotesque absurdity, and this is evidently reflected in the world we portrayed – a vivid Sicilian setting that comes alive on screen
I collaborated with a Sicilian songwriter named Colapesce, whose music has been influenced by ’60s Italian soundtracks. How did our creative process unfold together?
This skilled musician, hailing from our locality, carries a sharp wit with a dark edge. Our initial interaction included sending him the script and exchanging ideas about films and music. However, upon viewing the daily footage, Colapesce swiftly recognized that we were off course. He revisited the footage meticulously up to the first cut of the film. At first, he was somewhat reserved due to his observation of our previous work’s minimal use of music. But as time passed, he grew more engaged and suggested additional musical elements. We agreed, “It’s not excessive. It’s just right.” He then retreated and continued to contribute, and when we were almost at the final stage of editing, Colapesce presented us with a remarkable gift – the final song for the film. Thematically, it resonated deeply with the movie’s core message. Its chorus is “La malvagità serve al mondo intero,” or “evil serves a purpose for the entire world.” This profoundly reflects our perspective on Matteo Messina Denaro as a fugitive, who was at the center of a world that manipulated him for their own purposes
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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2024-09-05 13:47