The Italian political climate of the 60s and 70s heavily and directly impacts the ethos by which Matteo and Nicola live, respectfully. By understanding and considering this you can more meaningfully understand how this climate correlates with the oppositional paths each brother takes as they navigate their youth during this time period. The major point at which each character’s arc diverges is, in my opinion, the point at which Giorgia is arrested. I believe this moment disenfranchises both of them and sobers them to the world they inhabit by making them reconsider their relationship to the impact they can have on their lives and the lives of others. Matteo’s tense relationship with his father and his work in addition to this event sets the course for him to find purpose in upholding old structures and advocating for tradition, in the belief that defending order and trusting the process of reform through participation can solve the issues in the system he witnesses directly through Giorgia. This could be a result of concluding that their efforts to stray from established order is futile so it’s better to attempt to impact a positive change from within. On the other hand, Nicola is deeply affected by the powerlessness he has in this situation and views this police intervention as a negative and unjust facet of the system. He comes from a previously established background of being very on the mark with every traditionally expected standard of a young man of his time regarding social and academic endeavors. This is exhibited in the scene with the sex-worker when he wants to attempt his own understanding of respect, which portrays the values of the time he is attempting to apply to even this situation. It is also shown in him making an A mark on his first exam. Matteo does not have the same caliber of success in adhering to socially established standards, exhibited in the lack of meaning and dedication he has to making these marks. We see this in his exam performance as well as the shy discomfort he expresses in the dance scene. Overall, they were both established as diametrically opposed outright. The result of this inciting event with Giorgia causes them to do an apparent 180 and Matteo rather than continuing in further abandon, doubles down. While, Nicola seeks to find purpose outside of what he has found made his adherence unfulfilling.
Family in all its forms is a very crucial aspect to the overall narrative of this film. The power it holds is clear. We see that, first and foremost, Matteo and Nicola’s brotherhood will always be a more powerful uniting force than their differences in belief and personality are divisive. The relationship and sense of accountability each boy feels toward their parents may be completely different, but we see in Nicola when his father is sick that he takes his father’s connection to him seriously despite any past ills when he accepts his dad’s request to funding his idea and him staying because he feels the need to cherish their time together. Matteo displays a similar sense of obligation to them when he drives past and has a major emotional conflict. Matteo’s personal issues with processing and validating his own emotions clearly inhibits him from putting the past in the past and approaching and reconnecting with them and the guilt he has for this is powerful. Another scene I really find holds a lot of power in regards to this idea is that Mr. Carati veers from traditional Italian beliefs about women and divorce when he adamantly supports his daughter in her struggle with separating from her husband and they end the scene in an embrace. Another moment I feel we see how seriously Nicola takes the concept of family is when Giulia is leaving and he immediately brings up the responsibility he feels she has to Sara and being her mother. Her ability to leave their daughter is a major moment of deep frustration for him in realizing who she really is. This is depicted in the scene when they are on the way to Sara’s fencing practice and he yells at her about not following through with practice. I feel he misdirects his frustration with Giulia at Sara about being able to leave their family and his immediate and heavy apology clearly explains that the reason he is mad is clearly not about this small disagreement at all. Furthermore, we see that the responsibility he feels to be there in the best way he can for Sara is why he stops taking a violent approach to change when she is born and he starts working to make changes for justice within his job and in a much more understated way than he did when he was participating in things such as the student strikes. A final moment this idea is powerfully shown is when we learn Matteo’s mother visited Luigi every week to help him during recovery. Matteo sees Luigi as a brother because of their history and bond, and Matteo’s mother recognizes this and her commitment to the support of family is what I feel drives her to make a commitment to helping him with an unconditional intent regardless of Matteo’s silence toward her. Overall, the role a responsibility one’s family plays in one’s ability to navigate through their own personal desires with that commitment in mind is a consistent throughline in this story.
A crucial concept that became increasingly prevalent to me as we watched the film is forgiveness and the innate importance it holds. The lives of so many of these characters would have been drastically different if their relationship with forgiveness for themselves and others were any different. If Matteo could find more forgiveness for himself, his circumstances may have been completely different and he may have been able to forgive his parents for their shortcomings and rekindle their relationship. If Nicola had felt more guilt in regards to Giulia leaving, I feel that he would not have been able to form as strong a relationship with Sara. One conversation that really illustrates the impact and importance of forgiveness is when Nicola asks Sara if she is happy and her, “yes,” prompts him to tell her to choose to forgive and visit Giulia. I feel like forgiveness for herself is found for Adriana (Matteo’s mom) through caring for and moving to be with Andrea and Mirella. I feel like forgiveness for the unfortunate circumstances with Matteo comes for Mirella when she bridges the gap with Nicola and lets Matteo’s family know about Andrea. Overall, this film provides so many instances and points of reference for the power forgiveness has. This connects to the overall points made about youth and the human condition as a whole and how forgiveness is not an entirely selfless act. Indeed, it is rather mutually beneficial and allows a person to own their past and have a more multifaceted relationship with love and the people they love.
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