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PEOPLE & ARTSFriday 2 February 2018
Italy: As election nears, film imagines Mussolini’s comeback
By NICOLE WINFIELD and Back,” which hypothesized
MARIAGRAZIA MURRU a modern-day resurrection
ROME (AP) — A new film of Adolf Hitler.
that comically imagines The comedy has gotten
dictator Benito Mussolini near-unanimous rave re-
returning to present-day views from Italian critics,
Italy and trying to stage a who have applauded its
comeback opened Thurs- implicit warning that the It-
day, in the middle of an aly of 2018 is susceptible to
election campaign that the same populist messag-
has been dominated by es that brought Mussolini
populist and neo-fascist to power nearly a century
sentiments. ago. Its opening coincided
“I’m Back” is an Italian with the 80th anniversary of
spin on the popular 2015 the introduction of Fascist-
German film “Look Who’s era racist laws that discrim-
In this photo taken during the filming of the movie “I’m Back”, actor Massimo Popolizio, who plays
the part of Benito Mussolini, stands in front of a giant image of the late dictator.
Associated Press
inated against Jews, and of Rome’s most multi-eth- solini, but rather a warning
comes just days after the nic neighborhoods, and shot.
world marked Holocaust from there embarking on “Unlike the Germans, Ital-
Remembrance Day. a cross-country road trip ians haven’t completely
Director Luca Miniero said with a willing documen- come to terms with their
the movie “touches the tary-maker to determine dictator,” he was quoted
belly of the country,” say- if he can stage a political as saying by La Repub-
ing Italians still harbor a bit comeback. blica. “I’m convinced that
of Il Duce in their souls. In one scene, Mussolini — if Mussolini were to return
He said that while a Musso- still in his military garb — today, he’d win the elec-
lini-style dictatorship com- asks a kitchen chef if he’d tions, except that he’d see
ing to power is remote, “I accept a dictatorship his government fall after
see the return of his popu- again. The chef responds two years.”
lism. In fact, we’re already affirmatively before add- Political analyst Federico
there.” ing: “but a free dictator- Santi said the film was
Campaigning for March ship, not one that’s too clearly a commercial en-
4 general elections has dictatorial.” deavor using the already-
been dominated by the Writing in the newspaper successful German adap-
anti-immigrant sentiment Il Fatto Quotidiano, critic tation of the Timur Vermes
of the center-right coali- Davide Turrini said the film book about Hitler’s imag-
tion that leads the polls, as finally confronted the Mus- ined return. But Santi told
well as the populist mes- solini taboo by using com- The Associated Press that
sages of the anti-establish- edy and political incor- resurrecting Mussolini now
ment 5-Star Movement. In rectness, “putting on cen- “highlights some of the
addition, far-right, neo-fas- ter stage the surreal and contradictions that are in-
cist groups such as Casa grotesque return of Il Duce herent in today’s society,
Pound have made inroads mixed in with today’s politi- and also I think show the
in local elections, exploit- cal humors.” dangers related to basical-
ing the migrant influx to At the press screening of ly extreme far right politics
rally Italians suffering from the film earlier this week that are so resurgent these
years of slow economic — staged at Mussolini’s days.”
growth and high unem- Roman residence at Villa He warned, though, that
ployment. Torlonia — director Miniero it might have the opposite
The film, starring Massimo said the film should in no effect in the eyes of some
Popolizio as Il Duce, imag- way be seen as an apol- audiences.
ines Mussolini literally fall- ogy for fascism or an ideo- “I think it ends up normaliz-
ing to the ground in one logical judgment of Mus- ing Mussolini,” he added.q
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