Pai Patrão

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.

Vittorio and Paolo Taviani are surely one of the most important Italian directors ever and just like all the great masters they often have their not so brilliant movies, but "Padre Pardone" certainly belongs to the best they ever made. It's all based on a true story and sometimes people tend to forget that there are places that God forget. In an agricultural area in Sardinia some folks pretend it's better to take care of the sheeps rather than scoring well at school. The young Gavino (Fabrizio Forte) goes to his school but one day he's father comes in the classroom telling him that his schooldays are over and that it is time to take up his duty as shepherd. The brothers Taviani are masters in filming the useless factors of the job as we see a young boy who absolutely has no interest in the job he got by his father, and we see some explicit scenes in where the almighty father beat his children. Schoking that's for sure and if the Gavino grows older we see his hunger to learn something (the poor boy couldn't read) as soon as he must enter the world of the army which is in total contrast with the world of the hills where sheep run. The story itself is rather hard to bear and you often shake your head by disbelief but still the Taviani-brothers are opting for a sober and poetic approach of the problem that it looks like you're viewing some touristic documentary of an area that God forgot. "Padre pardone" is certainly the kind of movie that will have both its lovers and enemies but having said that, you know that "Padre Pardone" belongs to the classic section of the Italian cinema that will never be forgotten.

Based on the true story of author Gavino Ledda, we follow his life growing up on a Sicilian farm where he is subjected to the brutal realism of his father. It all begins when he is taken out of school at a very young age because dad (Omero Antonutti) needs him to tend the sheep and keep them safe from snakes, wolves and bandits! He's barely two foot tall at this stage. This is the template for much of the rest of his childhood as his education is sacrificed to keep them fed and housed. Reaching his adulthood he finds himself manoeuvred into joining the military by his father - a responsibility that rather backfires on the older man as Gavino (now Saverio Marconi) proves not only that he is quite capable of learning - not just the basics of reading and arithmetic, but of understanding the complexities of electrical engineering and radio operation. He decides to return to Sicily after his time in the army, but much more on his own terms and to study at university. Naturally, his disappointed father has other ideas - but can these two men reconcile and Gavino learn to (or want to) forgive his father? Initially, it's really quite easy to loathe the paternal character. Save for one tiny semblance of affection (after a beating) he shows no emotional connection to his son at all. As the film progresses though, it becomes slightly easier to understand that this man comes from a long line of people with little hope, living an hand-to-mouth existence with no education and little belief in opportunity. Is it despite him or partly because of him that Gavino has such an independent spirit? Marconi delivers strongly here and both he and Antonutti sustain the degree of familial tension as both realise that change is inevitable. Change and ageing. I like the indefinite nature of the conclusion - it's all a work in process and one I found quite compelling to watch.

I saw this movie more than 20 years ago, but I have never forgotten it. There is no need for me to repeat what others have said about the plot. Let me just say that the film's use of natural sound is astounding. An illiterate boy is isolated from other people, so he develops a unique understanding of the world's noises. I appreciated the film's critique of paternalism, but even more, I was profoundly moved by the story of a peasant boy who manages to overcome his isolation and fear of his father and learn to read and then to study linguistics.

I am going to buy a copy of this movie for my grandson who is studying film at a university. Despite the fact that he is a young and urban American, I think he will appreciate the humor, the innovative techniques and the themes of this remarkable film.

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.