Malena: A Spellbinding Tale of Beauty and Heartache
A story called ‘’Malena’’ it’s based on World war II and it is taking place in a small town in Sicily and the main character is a young boy named Renato who is sexually fascinated by a woman named Malena. Renato watches Malena, a beautiful woman whose husband is at war, deal with both desires and contempt from the town’s people.
Thus, the main topics of the film are evil eye, unrequited passion, and the harshest social perception. The film’s mood is rather sad but it is entrancing, indeed the film portrays a rather vivid picture of the times portrayed and touches upon rather dark aspects of human character and how a community nourishes and kills a person depending on the opinion it forms about him or her. Giuseppe Sulfaro is the emotional center of the film as young Renato struggles growing up with his sexual frustration connected to Malena. The side characters complement the story telling, or a mix of emotions in a period of war like poverty and social pressures.
The director of the movie, Giuseppe Tornatore, deserves credit for how well he portrayed a sensitive story. He combines comedy and drama and with Renato’s young viewpoint, explores deep issues though making viewer follow the dramatic experiences of Malena, The film music by Ennio Morricone added to its beauty and moves emotionally. The music of Morricone works well to depict both love and tragedy that are part and parcel of the film and effectively engages the audience in the fabric of the story.
The scenes are shot in bright colorful settings of 1940s Sicily that gave importance to the rustic beauty of the town. While many scenes are bright and vibrant, and many colours are warm, some scenes depict wartime, what, with a boy’s dreamy depiction of a town that is picturesque but at the same time, alienating. The aspect of costume and setting alone are greatly illustrated to bring into the energy of the film the nature of the towns simplicity and its hidden turmoil’s. However, the practical effects applied in scenes of war ensoulments are natural and effective enough to make every scene realistic without overemphasizing the relationship between characters and their psychology. The shifts between Renato’s observations and Malena’s experiences feel rather subtle, which keeps the audience immersed in their stories.
It is also important to note that although very slow at times, it provides with an even deeper focus on the main themes. It accumulates one scene to another depicting the societal pressure and personal challenges that Malena and Renato go through
The dialog in every scene is spoken appropriately has reflections about beauty and morality. Once again, the discussions that occur double the possibilities of the story and show more about the main characters and the culture of the specific period.
Some may consider the perceiving of women as provocative and the portrayal of Malena as a victim alluring rather appropriate for detailing the scope of the movie’s controversy or usual for its genre. Also, some secondary characters could have been more deeply explored in order to give the audience a better look at how the town is functioning. It’s a powerful ode to the dangers of beauty and the pressure of judgment, supported by extraordinary acting and remarkable cinematography. It is with Cazabon’s film, then, that the viewer is left to ponder: What messages about desire, love, and prejudice was this golden age trying to convey?
