Review: A White Ballad (2007)

Director: Stefano Odoardi | 78 minutes | drama | Actors: Nicola Lanci, Carmela Lanci, Simona Senzaqua, Sergio Fiorentini, Gordana Miletic

We will know that the film is about an elderly couple who do not communicate well with each other and never did. The old man (Nicola Lanci) and his wife (Carmela Lanci) who are suffering from a terminal illness are therefore hardly ever in the same room and voice-overs express their grievances from past and present and quarrel in a hopeless way.

To complete the revelry, an actress (Simona Senzaqua), who may be the younger version of the old woman or perhaps something else, who knows, moves through a beautiful landscape in an emphatically symbolic way and stands in tragic poses. beautiful ruins or on an unfinished viaduct or a viaduct that has collapsed and is missing a middle section. The latter, in particular, is a rather flat way of conveying the message. She deals with profoundly meant statements such as ‘we must slaughter the future’ (huh?) And has a mysterious connection with a stork.

Because of this overly artistic form, content and form are too far apart. The director has placed himself and his profound ideas annoyingly between the viewer and the film. Originally it was a play, but unlike a film, a play involves direct interaction between audience and actors. In that case, the stilted symbolism may actually be deeply moving. Here, however, slight irritation gradually creeps in and turns into outright annoyance.

What is beautiful then? The old man and the old woman are certainly moving. You see them scurrying around the house and they have beautiful, weathered faces. In a short period of time you also get a good idea of ​​their habits and hobbies and therefore of their lives. Furthermore, the images of the landscape and the music are of an incredible beauty. The playing children that probably depict the man and woman in their youth are, as intended, cute to behold in all their innocence.

It depends on what expectations you go to this movie. If you like beautiful images and a very poetically profound approach to the themes of old age, disease and human incapacity, you will certainly enjoy yourself here. If you want to feel the grief and confusion of those old people yourself, this is definitely not the right movie to watch.