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‘Fiume o Morte!’ Review: Irreverent Contemporary Reenactment of a Fascist Takeover Exposes the Absurdity of History
Igor Bezinović's 'Fiume o Morto!' invites the Croatian city of Rijeka to revisit its 1919 capture by Italian nationalist poet Gabriele D'Annunzio.
Others’ recollections vary in sympathy, perhaps according to their own heritage or era of education: While many bluntly scorn him as a mere “fascist,” one older man adds that he was also “a great poet and lover.” These interviews also serve as casual casting sessions, with the filmmakers asking many of those questioned — regardless of their historical knowledge — if they’d like to participate in a dramatization of his takeover and subsequent downfall. Beginning with D’Annunzio’s purposeful, revolution-minded journey from Venice to the border in 1919 and ending with his humiliated retreat 15 months later after a rash declaration of war on Italy, the film’s historical reenactments are achieved with keen amateur actors and narrators, period-appropriate costumes, and not much else in the way of resources. And yet Bezinović’s imperfectly restaged history proves, in its own way, quite immersive, not least in a contained recreation of the five-day “Bloody Christmas” battle that culminated in D’Annunzio admitting defeat — as we realize we’ve made an emotional investment in this city under siege.
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