Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Francesco Cianna, Margareth Madè, Giuseppe Garufi, Gaetona Aronica | Written by Giuseppe Tornatore
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 144 minutes | Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Set in 1940s Sicily, Baarìa is the local name for the town of Bagheria. Spanning three generations, this is essentially a small family drama with big ideas and issues at its heart. As the socialist politics of the time filter down to the provinces, young men with greater ambitions than servicing the local townsfolk with groceries and the like are drawn into a world utterly alien to the rural idyll that, occasional mafia interference aside, is Baarìa.
Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, who made his name with Cinema Paradiso, this is very much a love letter to his youth and as the special features reveal, he has painstakingly created an entire town to reflect his vision. And what a beautiful vision it is too. Tornatore certainly knows how to compose and frame a shot and the baking hot summers provide an atmospheric backdrop to the events unfolding on the streets of this sleepy town.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around Peppino (Scianna) and his life with local sweetheart Mannina (Madè). However, it’s more of a framework on which to hang a series of vignettes with has a cast of hundreds and where the emphasis is on characters and the minutiae of day to day life. There are some captivating scenes including a spaghetti-eating contest and a recurring character who stands on the street corner buying and selling currency, no matter what else is going on.
But while these realistic touches give the film a certain charm, in its entirety Baarìa doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts. Visually arresting and universally well performed though it is, in the end it doesn’t have enough drama or emotional pull to fully engage or excite for the lengthy running time. So although diverting and attractive, it lacks the substance to make this a truly memorable film.
EXTRAS ★★★ Backstage (29:31) – a ‘making of’ documentary with cast and crew; A conversation with Giuseppe Tornatore by Mario Sesti (25:51)– an analysis of the sound mix of the film, which is a largely untold story in filmmaking and as a result makes for a fascinating insight; Deleted scenes (01:48) – four scenes which didn’t make the final cut.