The Cannes Film Festival is buzzing with anticipation for Mario martone’s “Fuori,” a Palme d’Or contender that features Valeria Golino in an unexpected role. The film includes a prison fight scene involving Golino, a veteran Italian actress known to younger audiences for her role as Adèle Haenel’s mother in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”

Goliarda Sapienza: A Life of Turbulence

Goliarda Sapienza, born in 1924, lead a life shaped by Italian anti-fascism, religious nonconformity, and artistic radicalism. Her turbulent existence, though perhaps not promptly recognizable to international audiences, mirrors a “one-person prison fight itself.“

Mario Martone: Capturing Italian Cinema’s Essence

Mario Martone, with his third entry in the Cannes competition and seven appearances in Venice, encapsulates Italian cinema’s localism. His films often delve into Italy’s complex political, religious, and regional issues, resonating deeply with domestic viewers while sometimes baffling Anglophone critics.

“Fuori”: A Vibrant and Accessible Melodrama

“Fuori” distinguishes itself as one of Martone’s most vibrant and accessible works. It emphasizes the story of a powerful and beautiful older woman, transcending heritage concerns and evoking elements of classic melodrama or the “woman’s picture.“

Comparisons can be drawn to 20th-century literary biopics like “Shirley,” “Iris,” or “Sylvia,” highlighting the connection between authors’ personal troubles and the power of literature to neutralize them.

Incarceration and Solidarity

The film begins in 1980, with Goliarda booked into Rome’s Rebibbia women’s prison. “Fuori” is essentially a story of the effects of incarceration and the unshakeable solidarity that can grow in such environments, blooming further on the “outside.“

after separating from neorealist filmmaker Francesco maselli, Goliarda steals jewellery from a party host who humiliates her, leading to her imprisonment. This act marks the latest chapter in a struggle that includes previous institutionalizations and failures in publishing and acting.

Relationships and Realities

Goliarda forms connections with younger inmates Roberta (Matilda de Angelis) and Barbara (Italian pop star elodie). Their bond is emotionally intimate but not fully sexual, with Goliarda acting as a “mother superior” to them. In return, she recovers her youthful vitality and gains authentic material for her writing.

The film sometimes glosses over the harsher realities of incarceration,portraying the prison as more of a group home. Later, they reunite in Barbara’s beauty shop, evoking old times with a group shower, depicted erotically by Martone.

Roberta’s Troubled Past

Roberta’s bond with Goliarda is both close and fraught. Roberta, from a wealthy family, is drawn to the “low life,” with busts for heroin abuse and mysterious connections to the Red Brigades militia.

The narrative braids her prison experience, episodes from her earlier life, and her present and future reconstruction. The film attempts to find catharsis through a painful verbal fight and a surprise revelation, though the storytelling endpoint is not entirely smooth.

Soundtrack and Mindset

Martone incorporates Robert wyatt into the film’s soundtrack, notably during a joyriding scene. The film’s urban bohemian milieu is enhanced by this musical choice.

Politics, autofiction, progressive rock, and jail define the “Fuori” mindset.

Conclusion

“Fuori” offers a compelling narrative, blending personal struggles with broader social and political themes. The film’s exploration of incarceration, solidarity, and the power of self-expression makes it a noteworthy contender at the Cannes Film Festival.