Thursday, August 07, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

Film: Island fever

Respiro takes a heady breath of Mediterranean air

By Jeannette Catsoulis

On the surface, the little Mediterranean island of Lampedusa is a primitive paradise. The men fish in a turquoise sea, the women gossip as they clean the catch and their brown-limbed children run semi-wild. Look closely, however, and you'll witness something much darker: a fiercely superstitious, close-knit community seething with sexual oppression and intolerance.

Inspired by a local legend, Respiro is the tale of Grazia (Valeria Golino), a young wife and mother who doesn't quite fit in. While the other women shroud themselves in coarse headscarves and high necklines, Grazia sashays around town in thin floral frocks unbuttressed by underwear or anti-static spray. Everything about her is unconfined, from her tumbling curls to her wild personality. No wonder her husband, Pietro (Vincenzo Amato), can't look at her without dropping his mackerel.

But the locals are disturbed by Grazia's odd behavior and violent mood swings. "She's either too happy or she's too sad," complains the crabby mother-in-law (Muzzi Lofredo), suggesting a "doctor" in Milan. Pietro is reluctant, but has to admit his wife is becoming an embarrassment as she takes her adoring sons (wonderfully played by Francesco Casisa and Filippo Pucillo) skinnydipping and frees all the dogs in the local pound. But as Pietro's irritation grows, so does his cruelty, until Grazia is forced to take drastic action.

Writer-director Emanuele Crialese employs mythic imagery and warm naturalism to evoke a society where male control of female sexuality masquerades as protection. Learning from his father, Grazia's younger son obstinately shadows his sister (Veronica D'Agostino) as she's courted by a shy policeman. And--in a scene reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor's young newlywed in Giant--Grazia's cheerful attempt to join her husband and his friends for a drink is met with embarrassment and anger. Women, it seems, should know their place.

Moving slowly from supple realism to melodramatic fable, Respiro is crammed with meticulously observed moments that bring the village to life. And though Grazia's sufferings are pungent, and even shocking, the movie's message of acceptance is ultimately delivered with more honey than vinegar--which is more than Grazia's tormentors deserve.