Happy as Lazzaro

A remarkable and somewhat fascinating mixture of realistic social drama and multilevel parable with elements of magical realism, clearly divided into two parts in the middle. Both parts tell one story and feature the same characters, but otherwise they vary significantly in many aspects. In its first half, the film focuses on the social aspects of the lives of peasants working on tobacco plantations in an isolated feudal community (in sunny and seemingly pleasing shots of the summer harvest), but in the second half it turns into a more naturalistic and dirty social criticism (shot in greyer and more depressing shades of a gloomy winter), which suddenly portrays the same characters in different contexts and under different conditions and encourages reflection on numerous layered messages and a large number of social, religious and environmental interpretations. An intelligible plot, coherent storytelling and consistently mature directing guarantee that this is a film that audiences will like, and one that is emotionally strong, pleasant to watch, unpredictable and entertaining. Also worth appreciating is the film’s courage not to hesitate in the middle and bury all of the previous events and build on their foundations, with a surviving link in the form of an non-traditionally conceived kind-hearted protagonist, whose prematurely terminated mental development the film transforms into visual form and cuts off his development physically as part of an unusual reversal that has a chance to resonate a little longer than an excess of often too literal meanings and messages. (04/03/2019)

An allegorical tale about how a good person with a pure soul will never find happiness in any place, at any time, or in any social arrangement. Magical realism rendered so tangibly that it hurts. (80%) (06/05/2021)