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Le Quattro Volte
| Released |
27 May 2011 |
| Director |
Michelangelo Frammartino |
Starring
|
Giuseppe Fuda, Bruno Timpano, Nazareno Timpano |
| Writer(s) |
Michelangelo Frammartino |
Producer(s)
|
Philippe Bober, Marta Donzelli, Elda Guidinetti, Gabriella Manafré, Susanne Marian, Gregorio Paonessa, Andres Pfaffli |
| Origin |
Italy, Germany, Switzerland |
| Running Time |
88 minutes |
| Genre |
Drama |
| Rating |
TBC |
|
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The kids are alright.
Michelangelo Frammartino’s Le Quattro Volte is a remarkable film on several fronts: first, save for the overheard buzz of crowds and one “Grazie” there is no dialogue. Second, there is nothing that could be described as a traditional narrative and third, most of the cast are goats. Don’t let any of this put you off though; Le Quattro Volte is a film full of wit, ingenuity and some truly wonderful goat acting.
Since narratively the film is so light, I think the best way to approach it is as a snapshot of a rural village and how its human residents interact with the plant and animal life that surrounds it. This happens in four stages, as referenced in the title. We start by following the routine of an elderly goatherd, in ill health. After his death, we see the birth of a kid goat. We see the animal grow until one day it becomes separated from the herd and takes shelter under a huge fir tree. This tree then becomes the focus as it is cut down to be the centre-piece of a town festival. Finally, we see the process of it being turned to charcoal.
Narratively the film may be light but there is always forward momentum to the piece and the transitions between the sections feel natural and organic, linked by rebirth and transformation. To make this all sound too dryly spiritual though would be to do it a disservice. The overall tone of the film is much more playful than its weighty philosophy would suggest and its trump card is undoubtedly its sense of humour- much of which is provided by the animals. The sequence in which a sheepdog tries to call attention to his dying master by disrupting an Easter religious procession has the gentle surrealism of a canine Buster Keaton sketch. The goats meanwhile have a wonderful curiosity and unpredictability that make them unexpectedly entertaining.
Visually, the film has a beautiful realism to it, at times giving an almost documentary feel. The camerawork could perhaps best be described as giving us a “God’s eye view” -sometimes soaring above the countryside, sometimes silently walking alongside the ailing goatherd and at times even penetrating the earth and the grave. It is stunningly effective.
If you fancy a nice break from the crash bang wallop of most cinema these days, you’ll find Le Quattro Volte to be a quiet treat.
-
Linda O’Brien |
