Lazzaro felice

Loosely inspired by a true story of Italian farmers who were forced into near sharecropper conditions by the De Luna family in an isolated village, Alice Rohrwacher's HAPPY AS LAZZARO takes a fantastical approach to the material. The early scenes of the workers toiling to get by in the hamlet is, like Rohrwacher's previous THE WONDERS (bee farmers), full of attention to detail - both visually and aurally (the sounds of the wind and the distant howls of wild animals become their own soundtrack). The screenplay (a winner at Cannes) becomes a fable as it moves along. The peasants eventually settle into the city - but, their lives at the bottom of the run continue. A hearty band, led by Antonia (a superb Alba Rohrwacher, the Director's sister) struggles to survive in the modern world. As fate would have it, they cross paths with the remnants of the De Luna clan. Throughout all this, is Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo). A sort of benighted Forrest Gump figure, Lazzaro drifts among the characters blissfully unaware of the darkness around him. Rohrwacher's fantasy elements (THE WONDERS also had a few), gives the film (shot on 16mm) a different perspective. The symbolism doesn't always fully connect, but, you never doubt that her vision isn't firmly conceived. One thought becomes clear and lingers in the mind: The wolf may be at the door, but, who is the wolf?

"Happy as Lazzaro" feels like a parable with hints of magical realism, and the whole thing was just a bit too obtuse for me to fully enjoy.

There are themes of social repression, economic exploitation, and mankind's abandonment of nature for the more soulless landscapes of urban industrialization, all of which are certainly relevant to the world in which we live. But I found myself hard pressed to feel involved in any of it as explored by this film. Lazzaro is more an idea than an actual character, and I think one of the reasons he's offered as such a blank slate is so that the audience can project on to him whatever they want. I imagine there will be all sorts of different interpretations of this film, who Lazzaro is, and what it is he's meant to signify. I can and have expended that kind of mental energy on answering questions in other movies, and usually enjoy it very much, but I have to feel like the questions are going to be worth answering before I can get my head in that zone, and I didn't with this movie.

Grade: B

This was not at all what I expected, and I say that as huge praise. For a film to be able to surprise the way this does is a real achievement.

Literally transcendent. An innocent soul transcends time. I imagined this was Jesus Christ in his time. Meek, empathetic, poor, but so rich. Richer than the rich.

Tender, poetic, philosophical, allegorical tale of control and exploitation and funnily enough the picture of the absurd yet the-truest-that-I've-ever-seen state of contentment. The sheer atrocities of manipulation and shameless discrimination of the fellow earthlings is heart-wrenching and tough to watch yet the poetic whiff that imbues it draws an overwhelming feeling of self-realization and utter admiration and gratitude towards the author of this Film-classic that questions the destiny of innocence in the Contemporary world.