Ode to the city of Naples
Director: Paolo Sorrentino (La Grande Bellezza,Youth, among others) - Actors: Gary Oldman, Celeste Dalla Porta, Stefania Sandrelli, among others
Length: 136 minutes - Language: Italian
- Subtitles: Dutch
de Volkskrant: "...sumptuous love letter to Naples."
The film is a feast for the senses, with Celeste Dalla Porta in the title role and Gary Oldman in an unforgettable supporting role.
Parthenope depicts the life of a woman named after the legendary siren who, according to myth, lived in the Gulf of Naples. Born in the sea in 1950, she grew into an enchanting figure in her early 70s. All the men she meets fall for her beauty and her freedom. But she is elusive and steers her own path through numerous encounters with outspoken individuals in search of happiness. In 2023, she retires as a professor of anthropology, and what is da look back?
Director Paolo Sorrentino merges his fascination with her with his love for his hometown of Naples, also called Parthenope in Greek times. Its beauty - dazzling and destructive - and its decay are the common thread in fantastical storylines and eye-pleasing cinematography. It results in a rich and baroque film that challenges one to discover, through all the temptations, the essences that make life valuable.