Watch Padre Padrone

Padre Padrone is a poignant and powerful Italian film released in 1977, directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The movie is an adaptation of the book with the same title written by Gavino Ledda, which narrates Ledda's own life experiences. Padre Padrone is an autobiographical account of a boy's upbringing in rural Sardinia, his strict father's upbringing and the emotional and psychological abuse that follows.

The film is set in the barren landscape of Sardinia, where young Gavino (played by Saverio Marconi) grows up in poverty with his illiterate and domineering father (played by Omero Antonutti) and his meek mother (Marcella Michelangeli). His father, a shepherd and a patriarchal figure, is determined to make his son follow in his footsteps, ignoring any attempt by Gavino to receive an education. This conflict between Gavino and his father becomes the central theme of the movie.

Gavino spends his childhood herding the family's sheep and goats, unable to understand the words he hears around him. His younger brother is sent to school, but his father forbids Gavino from going; heinstead enrols the child in the fascist youth movement. However, young Gavino is eager to learn and becomes fascinated by the alphabet, teaching himself with the help of a priest. Nonetheless, his father finds out he is learning to read and beats him, arguing that it is useless since he will become a shepherd like him.

As Gavino grows older, he faces a sense of isolation and detachment from his family, particularly his father. The tension between father and son reaches its apex when Gavino's voice is heard on the radio, reading one of his own poems. For his father, who believes that Gavino's place is in the fields with the sheep, the broadcasting of his son's poetry is a sign of disrespect and a betrayal of their shared way of life.

Gavino attempts to escape his secluded life by joining the army, hoping this will give him the education he craves. He is stationed in Milan, a world utterly different from everything he has ever known, where he is awed by the vibrancy, diversity, and dynamic of the city.

The film is a visual and aural treat, filled with stunning shots of the Sardinian countryside, sharp rhythms of daily life, and the quiet struggle and determination of the main character. The acting is superb, particularly by the two leads of Omero Antonutti and Saverio Marconi, who deliver an outstanding performance. Antonutti portrays the father as a complex and compelling character, simultaneously a heavyweight figure of moral imperatives and yet a victim of his own limitations; Marconi embodies the frustrated, intelligent, and vulnerable Gavino, capturing the pain and hope of a young man trying to make sense of his world.

However, the primary goal of Padre Padrone is not to showcase breathtaking imagery or powerful acting but to explore themes of identity, tradition, and modernity in a backward and patriarchal society. The film digs deep into the soul of Sardinia: the language, customs, and social structure.

In conclusion, Padre Padrone is a work of art that is equal parts brutal and beautiful. The Taviani brothers' take on the book captures the authenticity of Sardinian life; Ledda's struggle, perseverance, and eventual triumph give a raw and honest portrayal of one's journey toward self-discovery. The film offers an unflinching exploration of the psychological impact of a traditional society's weight on an individual, and it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It remains an essential piece of Italian cinema, telling an incredibly personal story that resonates on a universal level.

Padre Padrone is a 1977 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 54 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2.