Plot introduction
ThreeyearsafterthelossofhisbrotherVittorio,withwhomhesharedhisentirecareer,PaoloTavianireturnstotheworksofLuigiPirandello,whichthepairadaptedin1984(Chaos)and1998(YouLaugh).InkeepingwiththeSicilianplaywright’svision,thefilmisnotatallwhatitappearstobe.Thetitlemaycomefroma1910novella,butthereisnotraceofthatbook’sjealousy-riddledplot.Instead,thefocusisonPirandellohimself,orrather,hisashes,whicharetransportedfromahastyburialsiteinfascistRometoapermanentrestingplaceinSicily,onatrekthattakesusthroughpost-warItalyanditsfilmedmemories,asseeninnewsreels,amateurfilmsandfragmentsofNeorealism.Havingburiedthemaster,Leonoraaddiothenshiftsgearfromroadmovietofilmadaptation,buthereitpicksadifferentPirandellostory,namelythelastone,writtenshortlybeforehisdeathin1936.Fromthefarewellofthetitletoitsreturntothewriter’slastwords,itishardnottoreadthiswork,sofreeandyetsomuchapartoftheTavianiworld,asamovingbrotherlyfarewellwhich,justasin2012’sGoldenBearwinnerCaesarMustDie,onceagainusescinematogivevoicetoliteratureandhistory. expand all
