Baarìa (2009)

Baaria is Sicilian slang for Bagheria where Tornatore was born and this is an autobiographic epic of three generations in the Sicilian village where he was born.

Director:

Giuseppe Tornatore

Writer:

Giuseppe Tornatore (story)

Stars:

Francesco Scianna, Margareth Madè, Raoul Bova

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 12 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Francesco Scianna	...	Peppino Torrenuova
Margareth Madè	...	Mannina
Raoul Bova	...	Roman journalist
Giorgio Faletti	...	Corteccia
Leo Gullotta	...	Liborio
Nicole Grimaudo	...	Sarina as a girl
Gabriele Lavia	...	Teacher
Ángela Molina	...	Sarina
Enrico Lo Verso	...	Minicu
Nino Frassica	...	Giacomo Bartolotta
Aldo	...	Speculator (as Aldo Baglio)
Ficarra	...	Nino (as Salvatore Ficarra)
Picone	...	Luigi (as Valentino Picone)
Marcello Mazzarella	...	Podestà
Luigi Lo Cascio	...	Beggard's son

Storyline

The film begins in the 1920's, in the Sicilian town of Bagheria (a.k.a. Baaria) where Giuseppe "Peppino" Torrenuova works as a shepherd to financially help his poor family. Over the next 50 years Giuseppe's life, as well as the life of the village, is observed. Giuseppe grows up, joins the Communist Party, marries a local girl (Mannina), has children and forges a political career for himself.

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Plot Keywords:

children | epic | communist party | 1920s | farm | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [fr]

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Sicilian Italian English

Release Date:

25 September 2009 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Baaria

Filming Locations:

Bagheria, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

€28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,900 (USA) (28 January 2011)

Gross:

$4,900 (USA) (28 January 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Medusa Film, Quinta Communications, Regione Siciliana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene of the cow killed in the movie was real. It is implied that Tornatore shot the movie in Tunisia to avoid the Italian laws on the matter of animal abuse. In fact, in Tunisia it is not forbidden to kill animals in movies.

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Connections

References Three Brothers (1981)

User Reviews

A Very Personal Epic

The film was received last night with an ovation. I was there in the audience, applauding. What a beautiful looking film! That was last night, today I found myself in difficulty trying to describe what I had seen. Where to start? With a kid running? Or, with Giuseppe Tornatore himself, a skillful craftsman with too much power? I suppose Tornatore is what I've carried with me from the experience. He tried to give us a "1900" but just hinting at the highs and lows with pretty pictures and Ennio Morricone. More Zeffirelli than Visconti. More Richard Attenborough than Bernardo Bertolucci. We in Italy need to see one of our most successful directors as an artist, as a man of culture. That's a trap an inhuman trap. The superficiality of "Baaria" is disguised by alluding to great themes with heavy "artistic" moments, dream like, magic realism, slow motion, but at the end of the day the superficiality shows up. Some of my favorite films appear superficial when in reality they are not. But I get terribly impatient when the opposite is true. I don't want to be negative towards this effort and I'm sure it will find a large audience all over the world I just don't want it to be presented to me like the serious work of a great artist because it's not. I loved Tornatore's "A Pure Formality" and the first part of "Cinema Paradiso" From "Baaria" I loved the beautiful faces of the two new comers in the leading roles and most of the score. I found the brief appearances by famous Italian actors entertaining but distracting. Perhaps that was the intention. Now, all said and done I will urge you to see it and make up your own mind.