Benito: The Rise and Fall of Mussolini (1993)

Rising quickly from within the ranks of the socialist party Mussolini secured local chief of the Italian Socialist Party at a young age where he developed his secure instinct for power and his talent for intrigue as he played off various sections of the left against each other. His dangerous rise to power ultimately played out against the backdrop of World War I and gave rise to a new and frightening government - Fascism. While the pacifists in the party pressed for neutrality Mussolini turned his back on his ideal and allowed himself to be bought by the Conservative government. The former anti-war campaigner turned opportunist revoked his opposition to the war and suddenly found himself on his own - and at the brink of collapse...System Requirements:Running Time: 308 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 012236197751 Manufacturer No: 19776 Product Description

surprisingly good

I was glued to this very long film. I seem to be the 15th review and I am distinctly in the minority in my enjoyment. Actually I agree with much of the criticism. Yes it was only his early life -- but you catch on to that right away. Obviously Banderas is not going to be playing the old Mussolini! The print is a bit grainy and off color much of the time.

It is also rather cerebral and not easy to follow. There are endless political party and ideological dealings. but while they are hard to keep up with and will be boring and indeed tedious for most viewers, they do give the flavor of an important time that we seldom think of carefully. I did a lot of backing up and playing sequences over. Yes the sets and costumes were great.

What I liked most was the characterizations. These were complex people caught up in complex issues in complex and dangerous times. Some of the acting was simply splendid in that it could bring color and dimension to these people. Mussolini and some of his colleagues are anything but one dimensional and I found myself involved in every dialogue and facial nuance trying to figure out what made them tick. I was left motivated to learn more about the real Mussolini.

But regardless of the real Mussolini, the hot headed and often overly macho womanizing Mussolini in the film comes across as a guy with abundant flaws and virtues and often it may not be realistic to judge which is which. One could say that is just him. Women can love him and be nauseated by him at the same time for example and still admire him. At times they judge him to be a "real man" and not just a man who acts manly. For some viewers the film may raise the issue of "what is a real man" and how does that attract women, and are they wise to be attracted or do they really see something worthwhile. And it is not just women. This Mussolini also had a charisma that men related to.

The women in the film are mostly great, and I don't mean just sexy, though some are quite attractive. There are some very interesting female characters.

One gets the feeling from the film that Mussolini could have gone on to be a genuine hero if he could eventually overcome some of his youthful stubbornness and could learn to control his fire. But of course we know from history that he became in fact an anti-hero. In this film we see the germs of his charisma and are not asked to pass judgment on his later life.

Again, whatever the real Mussolini was like, this was a fascinating film for me and well worth the work it took to watch it. I did not find it boring for a minute, but can easily understand why some would groan. I won't pretend that I could judge it by "objective" standards that would satisfy all possible viewers or even some hypothetical average viewer. That would be a fictional pretense. I will only say that I think it is possible to find a great deal of merit in it.I am really glad to have come across it.



August 17, 2008

The complete series is 3 dvds long

Sorry to say that this item contains only the first of 3 dvds which complete the whole series. If you check the title "a man named Benito Mussolini" which is an import from Latin America, you'll see what I mean. Unfortunately the Latin American version only has audio in English (aufully dubbed from the originaly Italian), but it is worth watching. February 29, 2008

Long, tedious look at pre WWI era Mussolini

This movie certainly doesn't deal with Mussolini at the height of his power, nor his downfall. The film covers the period of his life from about 1902 to 1915, prior to Italy's entry into WWI.

Perhaps a better title for this would have been "The Many Loves of Benito Mussolini" as he seduces his way across Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. With varying degrees of success, he uses his charms on every female he meets - from the most influential woman in the European socialist movement to a naive 17-year old. After debauching one young wife and mother, who is disowned by her husband's family and her own, Mussolini points out that socialism advocates free love and rises above petty bourgeois morality. (Although he has no plans to provide for this now homeless girl or her baby.)

For the most part, the film glorifies the youthful Mussolini's struggles and idealism. A few weak criticisms are offered by other characters, including his wife and influential members of the socialist party, who point out that what he truly wants is not the realization of ideals, but power - regardless of what it takes to acquire that power. Nevertheless, the film comes across as more of a tribute than a criticism of the future fascist dictator.

Politics aside, the film is gorgeous to watch. The sets and costumes are beautifully detailed and amazingly accurate. The music is lovely.

Antonio Banderas, as Mussolini, is probably the only member of the cast who will be familiar to North American audiences. The actors do a fine job with a script that consists mostly of discussion and dialog, with a few fiery speeches of socialist rhetoric thrown in.

The film can be watched in Italian or English. The English dubbing is laughable. It sounds more like the kind of dubbing you would hear in a 1960's Japanese cartoon or a "sword and sandal" import movie. The English voices step on each other's lines and don't allow time for reaction. Banderas does not read his own lines in the English version. The Italian language version sounds much better, but it's hard to read subtitles for over five hours; you miss a lot of what is happening on the screen.

There are no special features available on this two disc set.

I'm giving this two stars because of the beautiful "look" of the film, and the excellent cast. However, this is a terribly long, tedious film that manages to only deal with a fraction of the subject - a partial look at "the rise." Content wise, it's an objectionable valentine to one of the 20th century's most vile leaders. The English language soundtrack is horrid, and the subtitles aren't much better. Recommended only for the most ardent history buffs, or students of late 19th century Italian architecture. January 1, 2008

Benito: The Rise and Fall of Mussolini

If I could give this movie a 0 star I would. This movie has nothing to do with the rise and fall of Mussolini. What it has to do with is the formative years of Mussolini. It does not show how Mussolini morphed the Italian Socialist party into the the Italian Facisit Party, how Mussolini siezed power in Italy, or how Mussolini lost power. What it does show is a Mussolini that beds many women. November 8, 2007

Mussolini: Rise and Snore

Mussolini; we all know who this man is. Antonio Banderas stars in this 5-hour flick about the rise of Mussolini. Now, the title is misleading, there is no fall nor much of a close rise, infact, we get Mussolini's start and personally attempts to portray EVERYTHING about him. Really, Banderas is wasted, the movie is wasted, even the $5 you pay plus tax is utterly WASTED! And why? Because the title will lure unsuspecting movie-goers into a 5-hour sleep-fest. I would give more stars if it just said, "The RISE". It must've taken 5 seconds after a quick peek at the script for the creators to say, "Wow, this is going to be awesome."

The good news is that the acting was fair, though it isn't saying too much. Better to skip this fest and if you really want it, you will probably enjoy Mussolini when it is over. April 8, 2007

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