On May 9, 1978, the Italian prime minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped and killed by the Red Brigades after 55 days of captivity. Written and directed by Italian director, Marco Bellocchio, Buongiorno, notte tells the story of this extraordinary episode. Although the film is not an exact account, it is an evocative portrait of the Œanni di piombo or Œthe years of the bullet. Inspired by ŒIl Prigioniero, The Prisoner, a book written by Anna Laura Braghetti, an ex member of the terrorist group, also known as Œla Vivandiera, the events are seen through the eyes of a young female librarian and terrorist called Chiara (Maya Sansa). Profoundly politicised but remorseful, she is opposed to killing the Christian democrat prime minister. Although Chiara is a fictitious character and although the real Chiara- la Vivandiera- did nothing to prevent the murder, Bellochio does suggest the schisms in the group. The terrorists were in reality divided over the decision to kill the prime minister. Buongiorno Notte also describes the actual- and utterly dramatic- circumstances of Moros captivity. For 55 days, he was kept in a cubby-hole in an apartment in Rome. Global history is played out in a microcosmic space. However, Bellocchio is above all interested in probing the psychology of terrorism. While probing the Marxist subconscience, he also stresses the religious aspect of their ideology. The controlled but tense conversations between the terrorists and Moro are revelatory and gripping. The contrasting portrait which Bellocchio draws between the banal family life of the terrorists and their more transgressive activities is also particularly effective. Robert Herlitzka is excellent in the role of Aldo Moro. Lucid and brimming with dignity, it is an interpretation drawn from history. The terrorists themselves were deeply impressed by Moros conduct. Although the end- a dream sequence- may be seen as a cop-out, it deepens the tragic tone and atmosphere of the film. The music of Pink Floyd and Schubert further accentuates the haunting mood of the film. Buongiorno Notte is a gripping and highly relevant political film.


Lost in translation by Sofia Coppola

Lost in translation confirms the considerable talent of Sofia Coppola. At once life-affirming and melancholic, it is an atypical romantic comedy. Set in Tokyo, Lost in translation tells the Œnear love story of Bob Harris, a washed-up American actor- played by Bill Murray- and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the prematurely disillusioned young graduate wife of a hip photographer. He is in Japan to shoot a commercial for Suntory whisky and she has been left to her own devices while her husband has gone off to shoot a rock band. Both are guests of the Tokyo Hyatt. Both are suffering from insomnia. As they explore the bars and streets of Tokyo together, the unlikely pair form a romantic friendship. First and foremost, Lost in translation is hilarious. The central joke is cleverly delivered. With great perceptivity, Coppola satires a particularly cheesy sort of commercial to be seen in Japan, the sort which features bored and sheepish American actors. She gently mocks the stars collusion in this bizarre form of self-promotion. Bill Murray perfectly parodies the expressions of American actors in such commercials- namely, that particular look of false intensity sported by stars such as Harrison Ford and Kevin Costner. Lost in translation is an extremely amusing culture shock comedy. Although the American actor- a little dubiously- finds Japanese English amusing, I do not consider the film racist. Coppola  satires Americans equally. A giddy starlett (Anne Faris) is ridiculed by Charlotte and Americans are also revealed as gloriously inept in confronting Japanese high-tech appliances. The director and her protagonists are indeed captivated by the wonders of Tokyo- its energy and surreal hyper-modernity. Incredibly, Lost in translation risks giving Karaoke- that very kitsch and all- too-human Japanese invention- an attractive reputation. Coppola also has an eye for less lighter cultural differences. In one perfectly observed moment, we see Charlotte mildly shocked by a commuter reading a pornographic Œmanga on the subway. A very contemporary comedy of cross-cultural manners, Lost in translation also offers a refreshing variation on the conventional older man- younger woman love story. The film conspicuously rejects Hollywood clichés and misogynist myths. Bob does not want to influence Charlotte. He doesnt even sleep with her. Theirs is not an exploitative relationship. It is also uncommon to see intelligent and world-weary people search for happiness and love in an American film. The quality of the acting in Lost in translation is superb. Scarlett Johansson personnifies youth- in- search- of - indentity with a sweet sensuality and intelligence. The film however belongs to Bill Murray. Without over-the-top, narcissitic excess, he is extraordinarily amusing. In Lost in translation, he manages to balance romantic engagement and ironic reticence with devastating dry wit. It is without a doubt the best role of his career.