Vincere

128 minutes

Italy, France

There is a secret in the life of Mussolini: a wife and a son, Benito Albino, who was born, acknowledged and then denied. The secret bears a name: Ida Dalser. It is a dark page in history, one ignored in the official biography of the Duce. When Ida meets Mussolini in Milan, he is the editor of Avanti! and an ardent Socialist who intends to guide the masses towards an anti-clerical, anti-monarchical, socially emancipated future. Ida truly believes in him and his ideas. In order to finance Il Popolo d'Italia, a newspaper he has founded and the nucleus of the forthcoming Fascist Party, Ida sells everything she has. When the First World War erupts, Benito Mussolini enrolls in the Army and disappears. When Ida finds him again in a military hospital, he is tended to by Rachele whom he has just married. Ida lashes out at her rival furiously, demanding her rights as Mussolini's true wife and the mother of his first-born son. She is led away by force.

51% on the CINEMETER

46% - Feb 28, 2010

The quintessential Italian tragic opera - masterfully done!
Washington, DC Member

Use of music to stir emotions and set pace, excellent. And Filippo Timi is astoundingly good.
Washington, DC Member

I haven't had this many nap attacks during a movie in a long time. It was 'interesting,' but fairly excruciating to watch. Too disjointed, too difficult to follow, too depressing!
Washington, DC Member

STL

39% - Mar 21, 2010

Tedious and confusing. Characterizations were pure overblown melodrama.
St. Louis Member

Intense and operatic. I loved the concentration on the eyes of the characters and the use of music.
St. Louis Member

Superb acting, especially by the lead actress. Shows fascism as the shadow of modernism. Exposes the blinding power of seduction and lust for an illusory ideal.
St. Louis Member

70% - Feb 14, 2010

Visually stunning! A true work of cinematographic art. There is a Gothic splendor to this big mess of a film.
San Francisco Member

A striking and unique melodrama. Epic yet sharply focused and downright claustrophobic - one can't help but read it somewhat as a metaphor for Italy at the time. I can't decide if I truly loved the film, but won't deny that it was unforgettable.
San Francisco Member

A 'vincere' for the Cinema Club.
San Francisco Member

BOS

30% - Mar 14, 2010

Such stories need to be told. Kudos to the company for making this film! Visually magnificent. Thank you for showing it.
Boston Member

Very difficult to follow, especially at the beginning. It exhausted me. Much too long. Choppy. Hisorical footage was interesting, but not well-integrated.
Boston Member

Taught me a lot. Never knew this story–thanks!
Boston Member

ATL

69% - Mar 7, 2010

Seems like a truly fine film – but not for American audiences (other than Italian history students). You really needed more background. You needed to be Italian to really understand it.
Atlanta Member

Marvelous. Fed my European interest in the 20th century. Dark, but the people and situations were dark! Great acting, editing, music!
Atlanta Member

Overly stylized, so much so that the story got lost in the look. Beautiful use of shadow, light and color, but unfortunately the drawn out length and overly dramatic direction made the film a miss and mess.
Atlanta Member

IFC Films