Movies Reviews

Passione – Movie Review

By Ron Wilkinson Jun 30, 2011, 10:36 GMT

A look at the musical roots and traditions of Naples, Italy, as well as its influence on the rest of the world. ...more

A multi-dimensional painting of the rich culture of Naples in sound and image.

John Turturro has established himself as one of the leading actors of this generation. As a result, he has some freedom to do what he wants. This film appears to be the ultimate in what John wants to do. It is a celebration of the music of Naples done is full gleaming color and with the ultimate in production values.

Although the movie borders on being more of a travelogue than a film it is a thorough pleasure to watch. It is impossible to take in this wonderful music, history and beauty of southern Italy and not feel director Turturro’s passion.

After a successful run in Italy this film will open June 22, 2011 at the Film Forum in New York. Turturro describes “Passione” as “a musical adventure that comes directly out of the people and the volcanic land they inhabit.”

In making it he pulled in the myths, legends, romance and heartbreak that have been Naples for thousands of years. Although this movie appears to have been produced for a reasonable budget it has an outstanding cast and crew and features great archival recording and footage.

The director pulled together an elite ensemble cast of musicians including Avion Travel, Massimo Ranieri, Lina Sastri, M’barka Ben Taleb, Gennaro Cosmo Parlato, Peppe Barra, Angela Luce, Max Casella, Raiz, James Senese, Fiorello, Pino Daniele and others. More to the point, when it came to the live music and performance of the cast and crew, Turturro made them feel his love of this project. It is through him that these images and music comes to life.

It is the energy of this movie that elevates it above being just another travelogue or advertisement for destination Europe. It is a bustling documentary about the rich and varied culture of Naples that comes at the audience in rapid-fire style.

Instead of conventional narratives, Turturro lets the city do the talking, drawing on a combination of live and archival footage. The archival footage, alone is remarkable chosen, preserved and presented. Even without the film it would make an excellent CD.

The sound track includes music dating back to the 1200s and the narrative fills in the gaps with the fascinating stories that provide perspective on how such music came to be.

The movie is reminiscent of Wim Wenders' & Ry Cooder's “Buena Vista Social Club” in that it is an unabashed review of a musical genre, as opposed to a conventional film. The downside of BVSC is that it had little history associated with it.

The extent of that history was the last fifty years. Granted, that was an exciting fifty years, but it nothing compared to the generations of frothy culture that have blossomed, faded and blossomed again in the Naples region.

This film displays 23 songs in full rich audio/visual production. Turturro illustrates the influences of Greek, Arab, French, Spanish, Norman and American culture in these works. These are the people who have come, gone, and been absorbed into the Naples region. These influences remain and have been handed down through generations in this music.

The themes of protest, pride, honor contrast with those of jealousy, poverty and superstition to make the words and music more of an adventure than a simple listening experience.

The filming for this film is a combination of handheld and static shots. This relatively conventional presentation allows the viewers to concentrate on the words and music without feeling bludgeoned by the visual images. DP is Marco Pontecorvo, part of the Italian filmmaking family going back decades.

He took home the Pasinetti award at the Venice Film Festival in 2008 for his work on “Pa-ra-da.” The sweeping images of the landscape remind one of the beauties of the region with its lush colorful farmlands and nearly eternal traditions.

Live sound is by Antonio Barba who has worked on dozens of international hits including his collaboration with DP Pontecorvo on award winner “Pa-ra-da” as sound editor and sound mixer.

This is a lark of a film. A great way to spend a rainy afternoon and an inspiration to visit all of Italy.

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Documentary
Directed by: John Turturro
Starring: John Turturro, Lina Sastri and Massimo Ranieri 
Release Date: June 22, 2011
MPAA: Not Rated
Runtime: 90 minutes
Country: Italy / USA
Language: Italian / English / Neapolitan / Arabic
Color: Color