movie review: Vincere

The backstory: Admittedly, I had not heard of Vincere when it opened at my favorite independent movie theater, but I try to see almost every film showing there.


The basics: Vincere is the story of Ida Dalser, who was Mussolini's little known first wife and the mother of his child. It's in Italian with English subtitles.


Overall: I'll be honest. Vincere is beautiful, moving and absolutely depressing. If it weren't a true story, I would hate the writer and director for telling such a bleak story. I've seen several films about Mussolini, but this one unabashedly take a look at both him as a leader and a human being. He denied his marriage to Ida and denied being the father of their child. Ida was seen as desperate, crazy and frightening to the government. Her child was taken from her, and she was placed in a mental institution.


The verdict: See it, but be prepared to be depressed. 


Rating: 5 stars
Length: 128 minutes
Release date: It's still playing in a few theaters and will be out on dvd July 27, 2010
Source: I paid to see it at the Spectrum 8

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