Passione in Naples
While Julia Roberts spouts stereotypes in Eat Pray Love, there’s an American – or rather, Italian-American – who delves behind the clichés, sometimes at the risk of succumbing to them, but more often exploring "with humble curiosity an extraordinarily complex city". So says John Turturro, director of Passione, the documentary/melodrama dedicated to traditional Neapolitan song, described in its subtitle as “a musical adventure” spanning almost a thousand years.
Turturro’s link with the Neapolitan tradition began on the set of Francesco Rosi’s The Truce. The connection was then cemented through the actor-director’s performance of Eduardo De Filippo’s play Three Ghosts. Almost inevitably, producer Carlo Macchitella thought of him for this journey through images and music whose only precedent is Ettore Giannini’s old film Neapolitan Carousel (1953).
Half a century later, Neapolitan music is still a boundless source of words, rhythms (often bearing unusual ethnic influences) and moods. This is a precious heritage in rather unhappy times for the city. "When I came up with the idea for this film”, recalls Macchitella, “Naples was on the front pages of newspapers across the world because of the rubbish scandal. I wanted to make a film that harked back to its best days, a past that shouldn’t be overshadowed by the present".
To pull off this feat, without lapsing into folklore, "we needed a foreigner’s gaze to filter this reality through his own culture". So what is Naples like in Turturro’s eyes? "A mysterious place, even for Neapolitans themselves. It has a lively, vibrant and timeless quality that can be sensed everywhere".
It can be sensed in the film’s classic songs: Totò’s "Malafemmena", performed by Massimo Ranieri and Lina Sastri; "Comme Facette Mammeta" brought back to life by the harsh voice of Petra Montecorvino (who also sings "Nun Te Scurda” with Raiz); Avion Travel’s theatrical rendition of "Era de Maggio"; and Peppe Barra’s faultless performance of his unbridled "Tammurriata Nera". Other songs include the timeless "O Sole Mio"; Carosone’s entertaining "Caravan Petrol" (sung by Fiorello Mattatore); the 13th-century "Canto delle Lavandaie del Vomero"; and the luminous "Faccia Gialla" imploring San Gennaro.
The film closes with Pino Daniele, whom we hear but don’t see, singing "Napul’è". So many songs, so many colours.
Produced by Skydancers and Squeezed Heart Production, Passione is an Italian/US co-production made with backing from the Campania Region, the European Union, the Campania Region Film Commission and the Italian Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with Cinecittà Luce (who will release it in Italy on October 22 on 50 screens), Rai Cinema, Madeleine and Beta Film. International sales are being managed by Beta Cinema.
(Translated from Italian)
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