"Fiume O Morte " Brilliantly Dramatizes the Rise of a Demagogue
2 days ago
- #documentary
- #nationalism
- #historical-film
- Filmmakers often overestimate their ability to depict lives and histories outside their own experience, leading to fabrication.
- Igor Bezinović's film 'Fiume o Morte!' uniquely blends nonfiction and fiction, revealing the process of historical reenactment.
- The film focuses on Gabriele D’Annunzio's 1919-1921 dictatorship in Rijeka (Fiume), highlighting his oppressive rule and its global impact.
- Bezinović uses nonprofessional actors, archival materials, and local dialects to authentically recreate historical events.
- The film humorously and critically examines the process of historical reenactment, including casting locals to play historical figures.
- Bezinović replicates original compositions from archival photos, some taken by D’Annunzio's propaganda team, adding ethical complexity.
- The film connects past events to the present, showing how historical tensions persist in modern-day rivalries and nationalism.
- D’Annunzio's regime promoted racial hatred and ethnic cleansing, which the film dramatizes at actual historical sites.
- The film uses contemporary footage, like soccer rallies, to show how nationalism is still weaponized today.
- D’Annunzio's downfall is depicted starkly, contrasting his earlier martial pomp with the bloody aftermath of his failed war declaration.
- The film serves as a cautionary tale about demagoguery, showing how easily power can be seized by exploiting division and complacency.