Vermiglio

With the war now heading firmly in the favour of the allies, Italian soldiers are deserting in droves and one of them, Sicilian "Pietro" (Giuseppe De Domenico) arrives, wounded, in the eponymous Italian village where they know what he has done. Opinion is divided on what to do next, given many have lost their sons in the war or are still ignorant of their whereabouts, but he has the support of the influential schoolmaster "Graziadei" (Tommaso Ragno). It's his daughter "Lucia" (Martina Scrinzi) to whom he takes a bit of a shine, and she readily reciprocates. They marry and all seems rosy until the war actually ends and he has to return home to his mother. This is when the wheel rather comes off this idyllic scenario as his unanswered letters are eventually explained by answers that rock this tiny village and the whole "Graziadei" family. Though the thrust of the story is all rather predictable, the characterisations are poignant, powerful and are cleverly crafted to show us a family dynamic that is not only dealing with the end of the war, but with disease, tragedy, resentment and bitterness amongst eight children who are growing into people in their own right with differing aspirations for education, religion, family and future. Roberta Rovelli features a little less than I'd have liked as the mother of this diverse brood but her nuanced and considered effort as the potato-counting antitheses to her proud and traditionalist husband works well at providing a bedrock for the story. I also quite enjoyed the efforts of the younger children, too. Their curiosity and vibrancy offering us quite an apt tonic to counteract some of the more serious elements as the storyline touches upon issues of betrayal, shame and grief. It's gloriously photographed at altitude and the changing seasons reflect well the blossoming of a family that is certainly not the "Waltons". Don't expect it to hit the ground running, nor for there to be any definitive conclusion. This is us observing a year or so in the turbulent lives of a family, a village and a nation and if you just let it wash over you then it's surprisingly affecting.