GFF 2010: Vincere

Marco Bellocchio previously explored the impact of national politics on a personal level with Buongiorno, notte, a quietly observed depiction of the kidnapping of Italian political leader Aldo Moro by the Red Brigade. Vincere also considers the impact of high politics on the lives of individuals through the tragic story of Ida Dalser, the secret wife of Italian fascist leader Mussolini. Dalser helped fund the leader’s early political career but was quickly sidelined and subsequently silenced when he began to gain increasing notoriety. Mussolini then went on to marry his long term mistress Rachele Guidi. Dalser’s constant assertions about her true relationship with the leader meant she was forcibly retained in a psychiatric hospital for much of her life and separated from her son. Vincere (which translates as ‘to win’) highlights the destructive effects of Mussolini’s actions on a very personal level. It’s a handsomely shot feature and an absorbing account of a side of Mussolini’s life that was kept secret for many years.