Padre padrone

This film made in the late seventies in Italy describes a rural family in the island of Sardinia. One year later, another film on agrarian society, "L'albero degli Zoccoli", also made in Italy, was a smashing success. The success among the italian audiences was attributed to a nostalgic remembrance of agrarian societies and lifestyle, also seen in Bertolucci's "1900". This film had a profound effect in many third-world countries. People from Turkey and from Madascar that came from rural patriarcal families whose economy was based on sheep farming saw this movie as their life manifesto. The struggles of the young son as he grows in his father's sheep farm are depicted in Taviani's style of symbolism. Notable is the army buddy that is a medical school graduate played by Nanni Moretti, who eventually became one of Italy's current leading film directors. See this movie with "Banditi a Orgosolo" (1960) if you can find it.

(1977) Padre Padrone (In Italian with English subtitles) AUTO BIOGRAPHICAL

Adapted from the book by Gavino Ledda written and directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani that has a father (Omero Antonutti) pulling his very young son, Gavino (Fabrizio Forte) out of class to get him to work as his sheepherder. He does though promises his son a proper education by the time he reaches the age of twenty years. As we see Gavino as a little boy with strict orders to the time the movie jumps to as soon as he turns twenty years old, Saverio Marconi how he obtained his first musical instrument, which is an accordion. And of course, when Gavino's father promised him an education, he only able to learn how read and write through the correspondence once he was enlisted in the military.

That although the father had other siblings, why is he the most hard on him when there are others who can work on the farming and the gardening as well. It states the father's abuses as well as his ways but without any explanation or clarity about his reasons why he does the things that he does which raises more questions than it answers, and instead expect viewers to accept the way it was.

At the opening of the movie, viewers see an adult man carving the twigs out of a thin tree limb before he hands it to the father who was pulling his son out of class at a very young age. At the time I didn't think much of it up until the very end where he is shown again and this time he tells viewers he is Gavino Ledda and is 35 years old. That the young man I saw at the opening is what "Gavino Ledda" looked like now the current time the movie was made back in 1977.

It was also interesting how, the we be able to hear what some of the characters are thinking and not just it's two main characters of Gavino and his father.

The life of an Italian peasant who was forced out of school by his father so as to be a shepherd in the remote country side. The loneliness and the father's brutality has an effect on the boy who grows up to be a late learner in reading and writing. This new knowledge he uses as a weapon against the everlasting battle with his tyrant father. The first half drags on but the second half all comes together.

This is the true story of Gavino Ledda,a Sardinian shepherd,who though illiterate until he was twenty,is now a doctor in glottology.His father takes Gavino out of school when the boy is six year old;he has no choice:education is a privilege of rich people and Gavino has to be shepherd.Taken out of school,he spends most of his adolescene up the mountains looking after his father's sheep and living an isolated life.Gavino tries to leave from Sardegna,but the father does not give him the written consent that he needs.In the meantime the father sells the cattle,sends his daughter to be servant,and his sons to work.Later,it suits his father to have Gavino join the army and learn a trade;so he becomes also the teacher of Gavino in order to make him get the diploma of elementary school and thus be sent as a volunteer to the army.While in the army,after some years Gavino gets the diploma from the high school and decides that he wants to go on to university.He returns home,when his father once more makes him a shepherd,but Gavino is determined to return to the mainland...Based on the autobiographical novel by Ledda,PADRE PADRONE brought Taviani Brothers the international fame.

Padre Pardone, the master piece of theTaviani brothers tells the story of the coming of age of a young illiterate shepherd who's confronted to the tyranny of his father and the inevitable rebellion that happens when the child becomes a man. This movie which tells the true story of the writer Gavino Ledda gives an universal vibe. The relation between father and son is based on love, authority and violence. More then just a family portrait, Padre Padrone is about society. Not just the modern italian society, but each society at each time. This story is about changes and conflict between generation and mentalities. The movie has some really powerful scene like the one when the fathers cry with his son in his arms. The score is composed mainly of sardinian musics, The sardinian score is heartbreaking, just like the movie is....