We all know that well-intentioned films that focus on marginalized individuals often risk trying too hard and losing the story along the way. Especially in Hollywood’s “anti-racist” narratives, black characters often are forced to represent a single experience. As if they all share a collective experience. Gay characters also have been infamously defined by their sexuality. One film director, Emanuele Crialese, decided it was time for a change. He wanted to challenge the expectations and tackle this delicate subject with purpose and power. His 2023 film L’immensità tries to avoid the stereotype pitfall by creating a movie about a gender-curious preteen named Adriana (played by Luana Giuliani) in early 1970s Italy. Crialese came out as transgender in 2022 and was influenced by his own experiences for the film. The director’s immersion and personal touch pay off as he captures the complexities of life beyond the realm of anti-trans oppression.
This film has a fantasy feel and an almost whimsical filter. Don’t let this fool you, though, as the film still goes deep. The film showcases typical teenage angst struggles while navigating a web of inequities. These topics include domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and class prejudice. While some feel that too many issues were taken on that took the audience away from the story, others disagree. Even though a lot was going on, that makes it realistic. One could argue that L’immensità is a reflective drama that explores the challenging path to adulthood. It isn’t supposed to be easy.
Giuliani’s character, initially named Adriana, is coming to terms with his gender idenity. Removing himself from Adriana, he becomes “Andrea” – primarily masculine name during that period. While Andrea never explicitly states a preference for masculine pronouns, it becomes clear that he identifies himself as a boy. He begins living a secret life where others perceive him as male. We see this in the early stages of the film after he and his younger siblings stumble upon a workers’ shanty town while exploring the surroundings of their new apartment. There, Andrea meets Sara (Penélope Nieto Conti). She accepts his gender identity, and he can fully embrace his masculine identity for a fleeting moment. Meanwhile, he struggles to get away from his problems; as his family problems begin to escalate, his father (Vincenzo Amato) becomes increasingly abusive, and his parent’s marriage begins to fall apart.
At one point, the siblings and their mother (Penelope Cruz) watch the original airing of Adriano Celentano’s famous satirical pop song, “Prisencolinensinainciusol,” on a black and white tv. This airing is when the singer playfully mocks the popularity of English-sounding gibberish. This song symbolizes the redemptive aspect of pop culture and gives individuals the acceptance to embrace their fantasies. We see this idea bought to life as Andrea reimagines this remarkable performance in his mind, casting himself as Celentano’s character and even his mother as the singer’s bleached-blond backup. However, his idealized version of the relationship with his mother is torn apart, as in a later scene, Clara attempts to join him and his cousins playing beneath a giant dining table, only to be rebuffed and reminded by Andrea that she should be with the adults.
Andrea has reached an age where he has to deal with adults and the things they can no longer believe in. He doesn’t understand why others can’t accept him how he is or why adults do certain things. He pushes down his struggles and trauma to survive. As he grows, he becomes more discerning with each experience. Judged by the deeply catholic community and the people around him, he ends up shouldering a significant burden as their family begins to unravel. The irony of adulthood is made clear here, as the adults are the ones who appear to be uneducated.
The title of this film translates to “The immensity,” which I believe can be referred to symbolize the idea of being forced to deal with growing up. The very concept of it is a sizeable vast space, too big to fill. It can be overwhelming and bleak. Cialese did not want the film to be too depressing, though, and tried to intertwine the weightier aspects of the story with a lively sense of childlike wonder to try and lighten the mood. His attempts were received as lukewarm by the audience. Most felt that the effort was rather lackluster and not very impressive.
While L’immensità is pitched as an intense, thought-provoking journey, it falters. We, the audience, want to be in these characters’ lives. However, the multiple lingering slow shots and attempt to give the audience time to process the film only cause it to lose meaning as the audience becomes bored. Penélope Cruz tries to make up for the dull and lingering beats with her fantastic acting, but even her presence isn’t enough to compensate for the weak moments along the way.
Score: 3 out of 5
If you are seeking an action-packed, fast pace adventure, this film should be avoided. However, if you have time to kill and want a coming-of-age story, I recommend it. Even though the film may be slow, it captures both the struggles and moments of transcendence in Andrea’s life – and life in general. We are not left thinking of a political agenda or message but rather a story of a young boy’s transformation.
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