MA 15+, 137 minutes
4 Stars
Review by © Jane Freebury
According to myth among the ancient Greeks and Romans, the most beautiful goddess of all was born in a scallop shell, emerging naked from a foaming sea. As depicted in Botticelli’s painting, the Birth of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty arriving on land is a striking image of the Renaissance.
For his latest film, Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino has borrowed the name of another mythological female, one who is also closely connected with the sea and has something of the goddess about her. Parthenope wasn’t a deity, but one of the sirens who, with honeyed voices, drove men mad with desire, luring sailors to their death along rocky coasts.
Had the heroic Odysseus not been tied to the mast by his crew when he listened to the siren call, the story goes, his boat would have been wrecked too, he and his men drowned. They sailed past safely and Parthenope flung herself into the sea. Her body was washed up on the coast of Naples, where Sorrentino’s film is set in the present day.
The story of this Parthenope, a contemporary Italian woman who is beautiful, privileged and accomplished, begins in the fairly recent present, in 1950, and follows the course of her life until her early 70s. The sea is a significant presence, connecting her with the Mediterranean from the moment that her mother gives birth to her in the waters off a beach below the family home.
Parthenope (chestnut-haired beauty Celeste Dalla Porta in the role) has grown into another woman who is fatally attractive to the male. Parthenope is born into a wealthy Neapolitan family who luxuriate on the terrace of their grand residence overlooking the sea. They enjoy a healthy bowl of porridge for breakfast, which is quickly followed by a cigarette. There is a notable amount of smoking here, true to the times, I suppose, as much is set during the 1970s.
Parthenope spends a lot of time in a bikini, and while often in the company of her brothers, she is ogled by the older chaps too. One of them asks her whether she would go out with him if he were 40 years younger. She responds with another question, would he go out with her if she were 40 years older.
The impact of feminine beauty, from allure to deadly obsession
Through the twists and turns of her life, the narrative explores the impact of feminine allure and how it can serve as an artistic inspiration or foment deadly obsession, even incest. How it can serve as a disruptor, distracting men from their true goal and purpose. Yet, despite all this, the gift of beauty is something to celebrate. The writer-director has set himself a big and difficult task, and there is little clarity in the director’s statement to complement the chaotic narrative that unfolds.
There are dalliances with influential men who may or may not become lovers. A famous writer she admires, John Cheever (Gary Oldman), languishing on the Italian south coast in search of new ideas, battling alcoholism. The elderly professor at her university with whom she bonds is more the avuncular type, intent on nurturing the development of his brilliant anthropology student.
She carries the weight of an unweildy enterprise, having to convince us she has that certain something
On the other hand, the film looks wonderful. Bringing ace cinematographer Daria D’Antonio on board was a sound move. Her work throughout, from the city on the bay to the shadowy interiors where characters hide their secrets, is stunning.
Young Dalla Porta carries the weight of an unwieldy enterprise, however, having to convince us that she has that certain something that distinguishes a Marilyn, a Brigitte or a Sophia from the rest. As the eternal vamp in her youth, her life takes some surreal turns before she turns to academia. The older Parthenope is played by Stefania Sandrelli with an easier task as a senior academic.
The medley of ideas sometimes gets the grotesque treatment. Sorrentino has more than a little debt to pay to one of Italian cinema’s grand masters, Federico Fellini. On the other hand, a sex scene on a tour of Naples’ back alleys critiques in scenes of graphic realism how the city’s governing elite maintains its influence, and we do a double take.
From time to time, Parthenope gets asked what she is thinking. As we experience this visually spectacular film, passengers on its intriguing if confusing journey, we may be wondering that too.
First published in the Canberra Times on 25 December 2024. Jane’s reviews are also published by Rotten Tomatoes