Alice Rohrwacher’s debut feature as writer and director is an impressive tale of social realist drama set in the toe of the boot of Italy. Corpo Celeste is primarily the coming-of-age story of 13 year old Marta (Yle Vianello) who finds herself adrift in the run down surroundings of the city of Reggio Calabria after returning from a 10 year upbringing in Switzerland. The film follows the reserved and curious youngster as she prepares for her Confirmation in the local, down on its luck, Parish. However its real intent lies in the development of some interesting critical lines of thought as it pits modern day Italian Catholicism with the dire realities of living. Balanced with naturalistic performances from all concerned and a documentarian’s attention to detail and realism, the tone and style may appeal to Art House audiences but there is a seductive optimism that should find universal appeal.
The Catholicism on offer in Corpu Celeste suggests that it’s the same one that has been around for many generations: done by rote learning and all forgotten soon after. It’s of that old school blind faith variety where any questioning of the main tenets lead to absurdity. As in the case of the body of Christ who it’s explained isn’t like a normal man with its functioning apparatus but is more of a spiritual feeling. It doesn’t take long for the shy but clued up Marta to soon discover the many hypocrisies. Add the disaffection of her fellow students in the local Parish she is compelled to attend and a disintergrating picture of Catholicism starts to form at the heart of the film. Furthermore, priest Don Mario wants out of his tiresome, unrecognised role as head of the dwindling parish, which seems to only serves the old women of the town. But the church isn’t on trial here nor is it to blame for any of the social ills, it operates like any organisation; to the whims of the marketplace but at the behest of a patricial structure.
And perhaps this is what the film ultimately wants to draw attention to, the idea that catholicism can still serve as an ideal, but it just can’t continue in this present form if it constantly recycles and repeats its tired old formulas. There is an elaborate scene with the young disenchanted Marta and Don Mario recovering an old Crucifix from his home town to take back the Parish in time for the confirmation, their failure to deliver it in all its clumsiness, demonstrates this attitude wonderfully. It should be seen not as act not of defiance but a necessary step in the rethinking of the organisation.
While Corpus Celeste sticks closely to Marta through periods of relative scripted silence, Vianello, nonetheless delivers a stunning performace. Her angelic face and pubescent body radiate composure and inquisitiveness that allwows Rohrwacher to elicit a gentle building of tensions that doesn’t need the big payoff. Recognising that simple metaphors are enough to lead her character to a satisfying resolution.
Corpo Celeste is released on DVD 10th September 2012.
Director: Alice Rohrwacher
Writer: Alice Rohrwacher
Stars:Salvatore Cantalupo, Anita Caprioli, Renato Carpentieri
Runtime: 100 min
Country: Italy, Switzerland, France
Film Rating: 
