Le ragazze dello swing – The Swing Girls (2010)

Directed by: Maurizio Zaccaro | 212 minutes | drama, war | Actors: Lotte Verbeek, Elise Schaap, Andrea Osvart, Sylvia Kristel, Viviana Dragani

They did not become as known worldwide as the American Andrew Sisters, but in Italy everyone still knows the songs of the Trio Lescano. The popularity of the three Dutch sisters Leschan rose to unprecedented heights in the fascist stronghold of Benito Mussolini in the second half of the 1930s. The fact that Alexandra (Sandra), Judith (Giuditta) and Kitty (Caterina) had a fat Dutch accent did not hinder their success. The newspapers labeled them “the personification of the heavenly trinity.” Not bad for three Jewish girls from The Hague. Between 1939 and 1943, the trio became the symbols of the fascist regime. Initially, it was no problem at all that the girls had Jewish roots, apparently Mussolini’s personal favorites were left untouched. In 1943, however, Alexandra, Judith and Kitty were still arrested on suspicion of espionage. The innocent-sounding lyrics of their songs may well contain a message for the Allies…

The story of the Trio Lescano had fallen into oblivion until the last remaining sister Judith died in 2007. Little was left of the wealth she had once experienced – she died lonely and in poverty. Gabriele Eschenazi came up with the idea to film the story of the Trio Lescano. Maurizio Zaccaro and Laura Ippoliti wrote the screenplay for the television film ‘Le ragazze dello swing’ (2010), in which two parts look back on the rise and fall of the famous trio. The Dutch actresses Lotte Verbeek (Judith) and Elise Schaap (Kitty) were cast together with the Hungarian Andrea Osvart (Alexandra) in the lead roles. Sylvia Kristel plays the role of their mother, the former opera singer Eva de Leeuw. You can see how the sisters Leschan grow from waitresses and variety show girls into a swinging act of international allure, thanks to the right contacts. Their discoverer is the failed clown Gennaro Fiore (Gianni Ferreri), but the really big successes only come when the corpulent but shrewd impresario Pier Maria Canapa Canapone (Giuseppe Battiston) takes care of them. When Mussolini’s fascist party takes power, the girls are bombed into national symbols. Completely against their will, because the Jewish sisters have no interest in glorifying fascism.

In more than two hundred minutes, director Zaccaro gives us a glimpse of an almost forgotten part of Italian history. Although it all starts quite innocently, it is immediately apparent that the atrocities of the Second World War are lurking. However, the emphasis in the first part of this miniseries is on the discovery of the Leschan sisters as a musical sensation. Light and airy, with swinging musical intermezzos and budding romances. In the second part, at the outbreak of the war, it gets a bit heavier, but even then ‘Le ragazze dello swing’ remains easy to digest. It is very unusual for Italian standards not to dub dialogue spoken in foreign languages, but in this miniseries you can really hear unadulterated Dutch. Of course, this contributes to credibility. Verbeek, Schaap and also the Hungarian Osvart (who also speaks Dutch) form a charming and convincing central trio – Verbeek in particular knows how to bring depth to her playing. Kristel will never be a great actress – here too she spoons up her text rather woodenly and without expression – but they forgive her. And the fact that her accent goes through the bone actually works to her advantage here. In the supporting roles we see solid Italian (television) actors such as Gianni Ferreri, Sergio Assisi and Giuseppe Battiston. The renowned actress Marina Massironi (‘Pane e tulipani’, 2000) can also be seen.

‘Le ragazze dello swing’ is not always subtle, here and there a bit over the top and on some fronts the story could have been worked out more carefully. For example, it seems that an apotheosis is being worked towards, but in the end it does not materialize. But the story of the three Dutch sisters Leschan is certainly compelling, especially thanks to the excellent playing of Lotte Verbeek, Elise Schaap and Andrea Osvart. The atmosphere is quite convincing (thanks to excellent camera work by Fabio Olmi, the son of director Ermanno Olmi, beautiful sets and costumes) and the music still sounds great. ‘Le ragazze dello swing’ is a fine mini-series that lacks depth but is pleasant to look away and highlights a subject that has not yet received much attention but does deserve it.