Edoardo De Angelis’ submarine feature about the legendary Italian Captain Salvatore Todaro opens 80th Venice Film Festival.
We are all at an arms’ length from God which implies that a reached out arm can deliver God’s grace is a paraphrase of a quote that opens Edoardo De Angelis’ maritime feature Comandante. This is quickly followed by feet falling into the depths of the sea leading us to meditative imagery combining drowning with eternity. It’s not a particularly striking scene nor that visually memorable, but it is a style that De Angelis will continue to use throughout his film. He tries to deepen the meaning by employing an undulating voiceover of philosophical statements that rarely move the story forward and sit on the screen as random thoughts.
The entirety of the 155 minute Comandante (taking over the Venice Film Festival opening slot due to SAG-AFTRA strike) is littered with ideas and motifs that have trouble sticking together. The first hour is spent trying to show us Todoro’s commanding style and the respect he is given by his crew. Here a few faces surface as the ones to remember, but in the end only the chef (Giuseppe Brunetti) remains remembered. In the second half, the film is preoccupied by the attack on and multiple rescue attempts of a Belgian merchant ship crew that made Todaro a legend, further complicating the distinguishing between important characters and protagonists.
Luckily, De Angelis chooses Pierfrancesco Favino to command the Royal Italian Navy (read fascist) submarine. Favino is an actor with a striking and memorable face that easily commands the screen. His Captain Todaro is a sea dog through and through which is accentuated with his sour expression, deep voice and deliberate physicality. Regrettably, he cannot emerge as a cult film character precisely because of the inconsistency of the plot.
Visually, Comandante – as is the case with any submarine feature – is predominantly dark. The natural habitat of the silent service. When employing colour it is usually sepia as if trying to extract family photographs from the attic and bringing the images to life. The battle sequences; however, show that De Angelis’ grasp exceeds his reach. Whether due to financial constraints or insufficient expertise, they come off as hollow and not that exciting.
There are glimpses of beauty and sentiment, though which makes one think the script could have used an extra read through. Most emotional being the kitchen scene in which the Belgians impart the Italians with the preparation of their national dish – fried potatoes. It is a scene both charming and unobtrusive and delivers more substance than any voiceover ever could.
The ending again is frustrating as it is reserved for Favino to deliver a line that ought to speak volumes about Todaro as a person. The story goes that when asked why he saved the Belgian crew really belonging to the Allied forces twice, he responded: “I am Italian. We’ve been doing it for 2,000 years and we will continue to do so.” In Comandante, Todaro only responds with: “We are Italian.” It leaves the point of the story playing on a flat note proving once again that the urge to go grandiose doesn’t often pay.
