Joe Wright's 'M. Il figlio del secolo' Premieres at Venice Film Festival

Joe Wright's series 'M. Il figlio del secolo,' based on Antonio Scurati's Strega Prize-winning novel, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The series stars Luca Marinelli as Benito Mussolini and features a cast including Francesco Russo, Benedetta Cimatti, Barbara Chichiarelli, and Elena Lietti. Written by Stefano Bises and Davide Serino, with music by Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers, the series breaks the fourth wall as Mussolini addresses the audience directly. It blends historical footage from Istituto Luce with fictional elements, using distorted cinematography reminiscent of Orson Welles' 'Citizen Kane' and Liliana Cavani's 'The Night Porter.' The narrative covers Mussolini's rise from socialist journalist at Avanti! to founder of the Fasci di Combattimento, his alliance with Gabriele D'Annunzio in Fiume, conflict with Don Luigi Sturzo, pact with the Vatican, the March on Rome, and the murder of Matteotti. The series is noted for its contemporary parallels, including the slogan 'Make Italy Great Again.'