"Il giovane Mussolini" (1993) TV mini-series

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Gianluigi Calderone

Writers:

Vincenzo Cerami (writer)
Mimmo Rafele (writer)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

The story starts at the point in Benito Mussolini's life when, at the age of nineteen, he gave up being a schoolmaster...

Plot Keywords:

Mussolini | Benito | TV Mini-Series | Historical | Character Name In Title

Cast

Antonio Banderas	...	Benito Mussolini
Toni Bertorelli	...	Primo
Valentina Lainati	...	Giulia Ferrari
Ivano Marescotti	...	Giacinto Serrati
Franco Mescolini	...	Ferrari
Anna Geislerová	...	Eleonora
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raffaella Azim	...	Margherita Sarfatti
Flavio Bonacci	...	Giuliani
Vitezslav Bouchner	...	Steelworks Foreman
Franco Castellano	...	Rocca
Hana Davidona	...	Anna Kulicioff
Alice Dvorakova	...	1st Woman Patron
Ladislav Gerendás	...	Ciccotti
Andrea Giordana	...	Naldi
Lidije Glavanakova	...	Renzi's Wife
Karel Hábl	...	Police Officer
Karel Hlusicka	...	Ambassador
Jan Hrusínský	...	Vautrot
Robert Jaskow	...	Cesare
Ivan Jirík	...	Libero
Hugo Kaminský	...	Don Dallabrida
Jaroslav Keyduk	...	Lawyer
Jindrich Khin	...	Gasparotto
Jan Klar	...	Fencing Instructor
Viktorie Knotková	...	2nd Woman Patron
Eduard Kolar	...	Leonida Bissolati
Claudia Koll	...	Rachele
Magdalena Kopicova	...	Rachele (10 years old)
Václav Kotva	...	Old Priest
Dan Krames	...	Duilio
Renata Kubisova	...	Damerini's Wife
Rudolf Kutilek	...	Vogler
Jan Laibl	...	Tagliatela
Susanne Lothar	...	Angelika Balabanoff
Hubert Marík
Steva Marsálek	...	Bussi
Eva Matalova	...	Annina
Jiri Meigl	...	City Councilor
Milos Mejzlik	...	Damerini
Pino Micol	...	Claudio Treves
Jirí Nemecek	...	Judge
Jan Novotny	...	Mazzoni
Jirí Ornest	...	Barrister Sarfatti
Zdenek Pechácek	...	Eleonora's 1st Escort
Memè Perlini	...	Renzi
Jaroslava Pokorná	...	Rosa Maltoni
Klára Pollertová	...	Carmen
Petr Pospíchal	...	Lazzari
Jan Preucil	...	Corporal
René Pribil	...	Gaudenzi
Pavel Rímský	...	Bertoni
Radan Rusev	...	Bacci
Jiri Schmiedt	...	Marinetti
Jan Sedlisky	...	Alessandro
Milan Stehlík	...	Magni
Karel Suchy	...	Bergonzi
Petr Svárovský	...	Valmaggi
Josef Vajnar	...	Eleonora's 2nd Escort
Jan Vala	...	Bonavita
Vlastimila Vlková	...	Renzi's Mother
Karel Vyborny	...	Filippo Turati
Gabriela Wilhelmová	...	Sirotina
Vlastimil Zavrel	...	Prisoner
Luca Zingaretti	...	Pietro Nenni

Also Known As:

"A Man Named Benito"
"Benito: The Rise and Fall of Mussolini" (USA) (DVD title)
"El joven Mussolini" (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

114 min | Finland:301 min (3 parts)

Country:

Czech Republic | Spain | Italy | Germany

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Company:

Microfilm

Nothing Here About the Fall of Mussolini

Mussolini was a bullying opportunist, a hooligan who would use shouting in an uninterupptible manner in is oratory discourse to overwhelm his debaters. He had little to no real understanding or belief in the socialism he professed to espouse. Rather he used the socialist party to build his own image and to further his own career. In this film this is perceived of him by both his wife, Rachele, and his sometime supporter, Angelika Balabanoff. However, neither had the gumption to stand by their convictions as Benito's significance to them had grown such that neither could ignore him. The film tries to conceal this point, but it does come out, knowing where Benito was headed after the film ends.

The English title is pretty misleading. The film ends in 1915, just before Italy enters World War I on the side of the Allies, as Mussolini intended. So there is nothing in the film about the "... Fall of Mussolini". The film deals only with "... The Rise ..." The Italian title is much more accurate, as it does deal pretty much with Mussolini's youth, 1901-1915. I watched the English audio version. Another reviewer stated the Italian version (English subtitled) was better because it was more passionate. That may well be, but both versions on the DVD are dubbed. That's not Antonio Banderas speaking Italian on the Italian version.

Perhaps for educational value, the film has some merit to get an idea what Mussolini's life was like 1901-1915. It seems chronologically accurate, though it may be debatable whether Mussolini resigned or was expelled and/or fired from his various positions. In the film he is portrayed as resigning from the socialist party, but per Wikipedia he was expelled. So the film may not be absolutely accurate, but one can get a feel for what Mussolini was like in the film as he bullied people and constantly espoused and provoked violence. I find it interesting that the film ends just before Mussolini is about to show his true colors as he enters the war himself (the war being opposed by the socialist party) and afterward promotes Fascism (diametrically opposed to the socialism he professed before the war).

I give the film a low rating based on its entertainment value. The film does have some educational value which is why I watched it. However, I find little entertainment value in the glorification of such a hypocritical opportunist as Benito Mussolini and for me film ratings are based on entertainment value.