L’abbaglio

Even imposters and deserters are useful to Colonel Orsini (the brilliant Toni Servillo) as he leads, under Garibaldi, the Expedition of the Thousand to liberate Sicily and thus unify Italy in 1860. On this historic canvas, Roberto Andò weaves a richly classical, highly entertaining tale.

“Even imposters are useful”. So speaks the wise, wily Colonel Orsini (a brilliant performance from Toni Servillo) who leads an army from Northern Italy on its way to liberate Sicily from French Bourbon rule and bring about the unification of the country. The attitudes and behaviour of Sicilians are, however, often mysterious to Northerners, and that’s why Orsini values game-like strategies of deception, indirection and silence. He even has a soft spot for two deserters, explosives expert Domenico and cardsharp Rosario, who escape to pursue their own adventures. When General Garibaldi sends Orsini on what may be a suicidal detour, then every tactic is allowed…

Cleverly using the historic canvas of the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, Palermo-born novelist and director Roberto Andò (La stranezza, IFFR 2023) weaves a canny, richly novelistic tale around themes of chance, fortune, and the need for an abbaglio – a lapse or mistake – in the affairs of a turbulent nation. Rich in suggestive parallels to other times, places and events, this is classical, large-scale storytelling at its most refined and entertaining. The Risorgimento has been the basis for many Italian works, but Andò brings a refreshing, new perspective to chronicling its significance.

– Adrian Martin

Trailer

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