Engaging Italian WWII Drama Impresses but Falls Short of Riveting

World War II is raging across Europe, but in the mountainous village of Vermiglio, life continues much as it always has. The Italian writer-director Maura Delpero explores this in her second feature, capturing the village’s subtle adjustments during these turbulent times.

Inspired partly by her family history, the Venice competitor “Vermiglio” examines how global and local events impact the Delpero family. Caesar, the family patriarch and local schoolmaster, finds his life intertwined with Pietro, a Sicilian veteran who takes an interest in Caesar’s daughter, Lucia.

Despite a plethora of subplots that create a sense of torpor in its two-hour run, the film’s portrayal of a disappearing rural lifestyle remains compelling. The story’s richness might have been better served as a TV series.

Delpero, known for her work with actors in her previous drama “Maternal,” once again showcases her talent, especially with young and non-professional performers. The Delpero family’s children bring life to this story. Caesar, almost grandfatherly, enjoys his conjugal rights with his younger wife Adele, who has already had about ten children.

Adele spends much of the film either pregnant or breastfeeding, leaving her widowed sister Cesira and the older children to handle many household duties. Eldest daughter Lucia seems to find solace in her daily chore of milking the cow, escaping the noise and clamor of the house for a few moments.

Cesira’s son Attilio returns from the war, shell-shocked and injured, accompanied by Pietro. Despite his shy and reserved nature, Pietro forms a connection with Lucia, eventually proposing to her when she becomes pregnant. However, the end of the war brings challenges. Pietro leaves for Sicily to check on his mother, and when weeks pass without any word, Lucia’s sorrow and loneliness take a toll on her mental health.

The rest of the family grapples with poverty and wartime deprivations. Tensions arise when Caesar spends part of their limited income on a new gramophone record. Despite their struggles, Caesar finds joy in his passions, sharing music with his students through meaningful lessons. A significant decision looms over which child should be sent away for secondary education, as the family can only afford to send one to the city. The choice lies between the clever Flavia or the dutiful Ada.

Delpero accentuates the familial drama with the rhythms of seasonal change and farm work. Cinematographer Mikhail Krichman, acclaimed for working on Andrey Zvyagintsev’s features, captures the sublime in the sweeping vistas and mysterious forests. Nature, both sustaining and threatening, plays a critical role in the villagers’ lives.

The film projects a foreboding atmosphere about the village’s future post-war. With many longing to move away, the sense of community is at risk. This is poignantly illustrated when one sister considers becoming a nun to escape the burdens and shaming secrets of village life.

Source: Particle News