10/09/2022 - VENICE 2022: Francesco Carrozzini’s debut film wins over audiences with its well-measured tension and great cast, even if some twists are somewhat predictable

This year’s Venice Film Festival is closing with the intriguing Italian-British drama-thriller The Hanging Sun [+see also:
trailer
film profile], marking the directorial debut of Francesco Carrozzini who’s a photographer and the author of various music videos. Based upon Jo Nesbo’s novel Midnight Sun and scripted by Stefano Bises (Exterior Night [+see also:
series review
trailer
interview: Marco Bellocchio
series profile], the Gomorrah series), the film follows John (Alessandro Borghi) who’s on the run after betraying his mob boss father (Peter Mullan) and is now being hunted by his brother Michael (Frederick Schmidt). John takes refuge in a remote Norwegian village where he meets Lea (Jessica Brown Findlay) and little Caleb (Raphael Vicas). This woman and her child are ongoing victims of abuse, courtesy of Aaron (Sam Spruell), a violent and psychotic husband and father who has recently disappeared.

John tells people he’s a passing hunter, and he’s taken in by Lea and Caleb in their small cabin, slowly connecting with the latter whilst keeping his eyes well-open, only too aware his family are still hunting him down.

Generally speaking, Carrozzini and Bises manage to produce a story with a good level of tension, keeping viewers’ curiosity alive from beginning to end when it comes to Aaron’s fate, John’s past, his family’s origins and the oddities and bigotry of the local community headed up by Lea’s father, a possessive priest played by Charles Dance.

Little by little, the puzzle pieces come together, though often by way of predictable narrative twists and well-oiled narrative mechanisms found only too often in other noir films and thrillers.

The way in which several characters’ storylines are concluded, for example (with the exception of the protagonists), feels rushed and somewhat forced. This is especially the case for the final appearances of Lea’s father, Michael, and Aaron’s twin brother Nicholas (also played by Spruell), who seems interested in taking the place of his brother who has disappeared from Lea and Caleb’s lives. One of the writing’s strong points is its depth of characterisation: for example, we discover that Caleb’s somewhat polished and old-fashioned way of speaking is a sort of “therapy” he resorts to, to stop himself from stammering.

From an aesthetic viewpoint, meanwhile, Nicolai Brüel’s photography faithfully reflects the story’s dark and depressing atmospheres, helped by the snow, the clouds and the harsh, unspoiled landscapes of the film’s Nordic setting. Andrea Farri’s soundtrack is also a perfect fit, playing a key part in creating suspense and in emphasising the inner void of all the characters, who either work constantly in order to defeat their own demons or are now totally in thrall to them.

Overall, Carrozzini successfully transposes a captivating story about hate and toxic family relationships to the big screen, assembling an effective cast and lending the movie great pace. Just like Fulvio Risuleo’s Notte fantasma, the present title might do well at the box office, both in Italy and elsewhere.

The Hanging Sun is an Italian-British production by Sky Studios (UK), Groenlandia (Italy) and Cattleya (Italy). Vision Distribution are handling distribution in Italy while NBCUniversal Global Distribution are steering international distribution on behalf of Sky Studios.

(Translated from Italian)