''Il divo'' (, ''The Celebrity'' or more literally ''The Divine'', from Latin ''divus,'' "god") is a 2008 Italian
biographical drama
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...
film directed by
Paolo Sorrentino. It is based on the figure of former Italian Prime Minister
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti ( , ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992) and leader of the Christian Democracy ...
. It competed at the
Cannes Film Festival in 2008, where it was awarded the
Jury Prize. The film also screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
and was nominated for the
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
for
Best Makeup at the
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m ...
in 2010.
Synopsis
The film presents the story of
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti ( , ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992) and leader of the Christian Democracy ...
, a seven-time
Prime Minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy, officially the President of the Council of Ministers ( it, link=no, Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri), is the head of government of the Italian Republic. The office of president of the Council of Ministers is ...
notorious for his alleged ties to the
Mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of ...
. The narration covers Andreotti's seventh election in 1992, his failed bid for the
presidency of the Italian Republic, the bribe scandal ''
Tangentopoli'' and his trial in 1995.
As the film opens, Giulio Andreotti gives an inner monologue observing how he has managed to survive his tumultuous political career while his various detractors have died. A montage shows the murders of various people connected to Andreotti, including journalist
Mino Pecorelli,
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
general
Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, bankers
Michele Sindona
Michele Sindona (; 8 May 1920 – 22 March 1986) was an Italian banker and convicted felon. Known in banking circles as "The Shark", Sindona was a member of Propaganda Due (#0501), a secret lodge of Italian Freemasonry, and had clear connec ...
and
Roberto Calvi
Roberto Calvi (13 April 1920 – 17 June 1982) was an Italian banker, dubbed "God's Banker" () by the press because of his close association with the Holy See. He was a native of Milan and was chairman of Banco Ambrosiano, which collapsed in o ...
, and former Prime Minister
Aldo Moro
Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and a prominent member of the Christian Democracy (DC). He served as prime minister of Italy from December 1963 to June 1968 and then from November 1974 to July ...
.
Cast
*
Toni Servillo as
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti ( , ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992) and leader of the Christian Democracy ...
*
Anna Bonaiuto
Anna Bonaiuto (born 28 January 1950) is an Italian actress. She has appeared in 48 films and television shows since 1973. She starred in ''L'amore molesto
''Nasty Love'' ( it, L'amore molesto) (released in the United States as ''Troubling L ...
as Livia Danese, Giulio Andreotti's wife
*
Flavio Bucci as
Franco Evangelisti
*
Carlo Buccirosso
Carlo Buccirosso (born 7 July 1954) is an Italian actor, theatre director and playwright.
As an actor, he's best known for his roles in comedy films, especially the ones by Vincenzo Salemme and Carlo Vanzina, in which he's often typecast as a st ...
as
Paolo Cirino Pomicino
*
Piera Degli Esposti as Mrs. Enea, Giulio Andreotti's secretary
*
Alberto Cracco as Don Mario
*
Giorgio Colangeli as
Salvo Lima
*
Massimo Popolizio
Massimo Popolizio (born 4 July 1961) is an Italian actor and voice actor.
Biography
Massimo Popolizio studied at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome in 1984, Popolizio started his career as a stage actor and, after gra ...
as
Vittorio Sbardella
*
Aldo Ralli
Aldo Ralli (21 October 1935 – 6 March 2016) was an Italian stage, film and television actor.
Life and career
Born in Pisa, Ralli started his career on stage, as the sidekick of popular comedians such as Erminio Macario, Carlo Dapporto and Beni ...
as
Giuseppe Ciarrapico
Giuseppe Ciarrapico (28 January 1934 – 14 April 2019) was an Italian entrepreneur, publisher and politician. He was president of the football club AS Roma from 1991 and 1993, and a senator of Italy for Silvio Berlusconi's The People of Freedom ...
*
Giulio Bosetti as
Eugenio Scalfari
*
Gianfelice Imparato as
Vincenzo Scotti
*
Paolo Graziosi
Paolo Graziosi (25 January 1940 – 1 February 2022) was an Italian stage and film actor.
Biography
Born in Rimini, Graziosi was rejected for the admission exams at the Academy of Dramatic Arts Silvio D'Amico in 1961. He then enrolled at the ...
as
Aldo Moro
Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and a prominent member of the Christian Democracy (DC). He served as prime minister of Italy from December 1963 to June 1968 and then from November 1974 to July ...
*
Lorenzo Gioielli as
Mino Pecorelli
*
Giovanni Vettorazzo as Magistrate Scarpinato
*
Cristina Serafini as Caterina Stagno
*
Achille Brugnini as
Fiorenzo Angelini
*
Pietro Biondi as
Francesco Cossiga
Francesco Maurizio Cossiga (; sc, Frantziscu Maurìtziu Còssiga, ; 1928 – 2010)
. was an Italian pol ...
*
Fanny Ardant as French Ambassador's wife
Soundtrack
The
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
for ''Il Divo'' was composed by
Teho Teardo
Teho Teardo is an Italian musician and composer.
He is a founding member of the rock band Meathead. In the 1990s he collaborated with Mick Harris, Jim Coleman and Lydia Lunch. With Scott McCloud ( Girls Against Boys) he started a new project ...
in 2008 and released on compact disc by
Universal in Italy. The soundtrack has not been released locally in North America or the United Kingdom and is only available by import.
Track listing
# ''Fissa lo sguardo'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Sono ancora qui'' – Teho Teardo
# ''I miei vecchi elettori'' – Teho Teardo
# ''
Toop Toop
"Toop Toop" is a song by French electronic music duo Cassius. It was released in 2006 as the lead single from the Cassius' album '' 15 Again''. The song combines Clash-style guitar riffs, dance beats and megaphone distorted vocals.
In 2008, M ...
'' –
Cassius
# ''Che cosa ricordare di lei?'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Un'altra battuta'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Il cappotto che mi ha regalato Saddam'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Notes for a New Religion'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Gammelpop'' –
Barbara Morgenstern & Robert Lippok
# ''Non ho vizi minori'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Ho fatto un fioretto'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Possiedo un grande archivio'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Double Kiss'' – Teho Teardo
# ''
Nux Vomica
''Strychnos nux-vomica'', the strychnine tree, also known as nux vomica, poison fruit, semen strychnos, and quaker buttons, is a deciduous tree native to India and to southeast Asia. It is a medium-sized tree in the family Loganiaceae that grows ...
'' –
The Veils
# ''Il prontuario dei farmaci'' – Teho Teardo
# ''La corrente'' – Teho Teardo
# ''Flute concerto in D major (Il gardellino): Allegro'' –
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread ...
# ''
Pavane, Op. 50'' –
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...
# ''
Da, da, da, ich lieb' Dich nicht, Du liebst mich nicht'' –
Trio
# ''E la chiamano estate'' –
Bruno Martino
The film features also:
* ''Pohjola's Daughter, Op. 49:'' ''Symphony n. 2'' and ''Violin Concerto'' –
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius ( ; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early-modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...
* ''
Danse macabre, Op. 40'' –
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Second Piano Concerto ...
* ''I migliori anni della nostra vita'' –
Renato Zero
* ''Conceived'' –
Beth Orton
Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician, known for her " folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weather ...
Themes
Andreotti's win as an incumbent Prime Minister reveals the theme of "
particracy" (''partitocrazia'', or "rule by parties") in Italian politics, the rule of Italian politics being strongly influenced by a single dominant group of players who govern independent of the will of the voters. A new trend of populism rose in the politics of many European countries during the late 20th century, resulting in "a new breed of radical right-wing parties and movements" which gain majority favor through "charismatic leadership" and an appeal to "popular anxieties prejudices and resentments".
In the movie, Andreotti served as Prime Minister multiple terms; some argue that he and many other political actors in Italy utilize the so-called "soft
populism
Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term develope ...
", which employs outlets, such as media, to appeal to the popular masses. However, Andreotti does not seem to emphasize any specific policies nor even campaign.
Through the portrayal of Andreotti, the movie displays how political actors are able to maintain their position and power with little to no explanation as to how they did so. Also, the inability to completely distinguish whether Andreotti was or was not affiliated with the Mafia murders conveys the lack of clarity in the mechanics of Italy's government. Andreotti's incumbency reveals the
pentapartito, which consisted of five parties ranging from centre-right to centre-left. This coalition formed to prevent a left majority and was able to secure a majority by strategic methods of give and take. By maintaining this system of taking turns, a "systematic corruption" formed where parties were no longer driven by the masses, but by their alignments, resulting in "exchanging resources".
Critical reception
''Il Divo'' received mostly positive reviews from critics. ''Il divo'' has an approval rating of 92% on
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, based on 50 reviews, and an average rating of 7.51/10. The website's critical consensus states, "While the web of corruption in this Italian political thriller can be hard for a non-native to follow, the visuals and the intrigue are compelling and thrilling in equal measure".
It also has a score of 81 out of 100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Peter Brunette of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' praised the movie, pointing out the capacity of entertaining, the brilliant acting and the quality of the soundtrack. He noted that the movie will probably not have a great success outside Italy. The same elements emerged from the review of Jay Weissberg from
''Variety'', who defined the movie "a masterpiece" that "will become a touchstone for years to come".
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic.
Biography
Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', while acknowledging that "the shadowy relationships among politicians, the Mafia and the Vatican are difficult to decipher" to the American audience as most of the real-life characters are little known outside Italy, describes the filmmaking as "a tour de force of indelibly flashy imagery" and ranks the film "alongside the best of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola".
Andreotti himself walked out of the movie and dismissed the film, stating that it was "too much" and that he would be, in the end, judged "on his record".
Massimo Franco, a journalist and biographer of Andreotti, related that upon seeing the film "he was angry, calling it scurrilous." However, a few days later, Franco wrote that Andreotti joked cynically: "I'm happy for the producer. And I'd be even happier if I had a share of the takings."
Accolades
Aldo Signoretti
Aldo Signoretti (born 1953/54) is an Italian make-up artist. He has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Makeup, the first time for his work in ''Moulin Rouge!'' (2001), the second time for his work in ''Apocalypto'' (2006), a ...
and
Vittorio Sodano
Vittorio Sodano (Victor) is an Italian make-up artist. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup for his work in ''Apocalypto'' (2006) and for '' Il divo'' (2010).
Born in Naples on 1 September 1974, at age 16, in London, he began h ...
were nominated for
Best Achievement in Makeup for the
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m ...
. The film was nominated for the
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
of the
Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics.
*
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
**
Prix du Jury (
Paolo Sorrentino)
**Prix Vulcain (
Luca Bigazzi and
Angelo Raguseo)
*Sannio FilmFest
**Premio "Capitello d'Oro" Migliore Attore (
Carlo Buccirosso
Carlo Buccirosso (born 7 July 1954) is an Italian actor, theatre director and playwright.
As an actor, he's best known for his roles in comedy films, especially the ones by Vincenzo Salemme and Carlo Vanzina, in which he's often typecast as a st ...
)
*Premio "Sonora", una Musica per il Cinema
**Premio Migliore Colonna Sonora (
Teho Teardo
Teho Teardo is an Italian musician and composer.
He is a founding member of the rock band Meathead. In the 1990s he collaborated with Mick Harris, Jim Coleman and Lydia Lunch. With Scott McCloud ( Girls Against Boys) he started a new project ...
)
*
Venice film festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
**Premio "SIAE" alla Creatività 2008 (
Paolo Sorrentino)
*Festival du Cinéma Italien d'Ajaccio
**Prix Meilleur Acteur (
Toni Servillo)
*Martini Premiere Award
**Menzione Speciale per la Locandina
**Premio "The Most Innovative Movie"
*Premio Internazionale Cinearti "La Chioma di Berenice"
**Premio Migliore Arredamento (
Alessandra Mura)
*
European Film Awards
The European Film Awards (or European Film Academy Awards) have been presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in 19 categories, of which the mo ...
**Best European Actor (Toni Servillo)
*Sevilla Festival de Cine:
**Eurimages
*
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, or PÖFF ( et, Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival), is an annual film festival held since 1997 in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. PÖFF is the only festival in Northern Europe or the Baltic region with a FIA ...
**Best directors of photography (Luca Bigazzi)
*
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
The Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF; ) is an annual film festival held in Dublin, Ireland, since 2003.
History
Dublin International Film Festival was established in 2003. It was revived by Michael Dwyer, international film critic and ...
**Volta Award (Paolo Sorrentino)
*
San Diego Film Critics Society Award
**
Best Foreign Language Film (Paolo Sorrentino)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Divo
2008 films
2000s Italian-language films
2008 biographical drama films
Films set in Rome
Italian epic films
Films directed by Paolo Sorrentino
2000s political drama films
Italian political drama films
Films about the Sicilian Mafia
Biographical films about prime ministers
Giulio Andreotti
Films set in 1992
Films set in 1993
Films set in 1994
Films set in 1995
Italian biographical drama films
Cultural depictions of politicians
Cultural depictions of Italian men
2008 drama films
Films with screenplays by Paolo Sorrentino