Mussolini: Son of the Century

Last week, my local movie theater ran the first two episodes of the new limited television series, Mussolini: Son of the Century, and with all the recent fear about fascism threatening global democracy, it couldn't have come at a better time.

It is, unsurprisingly, violent and gritty, highlighting Benito Mussolini's rise to power that began in the year 1919, when he founded the National Fascist Party in Italy. But it's also beautifully shot, with military and fight scenes stunningly choreographed to electronic music by Tom Rowlands of the Chemical Brothers. At times it feels like an intense musical — without the song and dance. (See trailer below.)

Director Joe Wright showed up to do a Q&A after the screening, where he admitted that he did not know too much about the world's first fascist leader before the year 2016, because there really wasn't much that depicted Mussolini in a way that didn't feel cartoonish. "He was always just a bit of comical figure," Wright told us. "I remember seeing some film of him when I was a teenager and impersonating him with these ridiculous gestures afterwards."

But as "the word started to reemerge in the public consciousness," Wright continued, he "felt it was sort of incumbent upon us all, really, to understand what fascism was, and the etymology of the word, where it came from, and so this was an opportunity to educate myself."

The 8-part mini-series, all in Italian (with English subtitles), focuses on Mussolini's early years, ending when the strongman gained full power over Italy in 1924. I don't think it's a spoiler to give away the series' very last word, which Wright let slip: "Silenzio!" Of course, this refers to the enabling silence of those around Mussolini who did nothing to stop him from becoming Italy's cruel and brutal tyrant. It also serves as a direct warning to viewers who might be noticing a rising fascist movement in their own society.

Adapted from Antonio Scurati's 2018 novel, M: Son of the Century, Wright's series stars Italian actor Luca Marinelli, who does an incredible job balancing Mussolini's monstrous side with his more vulnerable, even charismatic side. The show first aired on the Sky network last January in Italy, Ireland, and the UK. Now, it is finally available in the United States on MUBI, where new episodes will stream on Wednesdays, starting today.

Originally published on It Is Happening

Previously: The headquarters of Mussolini's Italian Fascist Party, 1934

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