Camminacammina

In CAMMINA CAMMINA ("Keep on Walking") Ermanno Olmi has recreated the journey of the Magi as it might have been enacted by a village full of Italian peasants. Some refuse to make the trip; some drop out grumbling along the way; some persevere in search of a miracle - and all for the best of reasons. Olmi knows the strengths and limitations of the human spirit, ancient or contemporary, and fills his sublime and haunting pageant with suspense, gentle comedy, and ironic climax. This is a biblical story for our time, etched in a visual style as clear and mysterious as faith itself. What a tragedy that this towering film is virtually unknown in the United States except for presentations at a few international film festivals.

It is almost unbelievable that this film was made with an amateur cast, very few of whom have a second entry in the IMDb. The lead actor Alberto Fumagalli is tremendous, and the boy Rupo, Antonio Cucciare, has so much talent and charm. Incredible that these two were lost to the industry.

The tale is a retelling of the nativity story through a doubly framed narrative. We begin with what looks like a modern day re-enactment of a medieval religious pilgrimage, that somehow warps into a genuinely medieval world, with a priest and his acolytes leading a group of villagers through the pristine Italian countryside. A star in the sky, that sounds like an aeroplane, invests the event with religious excitement, and the pilgrims become convinced they will find the new Saviour. The parallels with Matthew's gospel then become even stronger, first as they bump into two Eastern princes, complete with camels and elephants, also following the star, and then as they find a new Herod, concerned that his authority is being usurped and suspicious of the travellers. Suddenly the pilgrims seem to be part of the events already narrated in the Bible they have been carrying around with them.

The priest is eloquent and devout, but lacks courage. He leads the procession across rivers and mountains, but his doubts about whether a bridge might be safe to cross portend a far more serious test for his faith. The ending is tragic yet ambiguous.

The film is long, but doesn't outstay its welcome. The camera observes unobtrusively, with little flashes of gentle humour, capturing a world that is simultaneously alien and a foundation of modern European civilisation. Great events are hinted at, but humanity, in all its imperfections, always shines through.