POMPEII: SIN CITY
***
Director: Pappi Corsicato
Screenplay: Pappi Corsicato, Jacopo Magri & Andrea Rizzoli Jr.
Principal cast:
Isabella Rossellini
Darius Arya
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill
Ellen O’Gorman
Catherine Edwards
Massimo Osanna
Country: Italy
Classification: CTC
Runtime: 90 mins.
Australian release date: 24 July 2021.
The multi-talented Italian director Pappi Corsicato has made his name via feature films, shorts and opera but, most of all, by directing a large number of contemporary arts documentaries. Now, he’s turned to look at the art of the past in Pompeii: Sin City (original title Pompei: Eros e mito) an interesting excursion into the life of the city destroyed in a matter of hours by a massive volcanic eruption in 79 CE. Pompeii is considered the “queen of all sites of antiquity” and the stories and myths depicted on its highly decorative walls are told here by Isabella Rossellini in a restrained, rather sombre fashion, as she reveals details of the life of the Roman city before the concept of sin was conceived by Christianity. It’s an unusual style of delivery considering the lust, violence and superstition on display.
Corsicato explains, “Pompeii is part of collective imagination, and not just for Italians, but for the whole world. Its story has been told so many times before, through cinema and photography, that the risk of falling prey to stereotypes is high. For this reason, I decided to portray Pompeii as an entity pulsating with a life of its own, and which, after 2,000 years, continues to be a source of inspiration and discovery. So, the decision I made with the authors was to tell stories that would bring Pompeii to life, between myth and reality.” Accordingly, the documentary re-enacts the myths of Bacchus and Ariadne and Leda and the Swan, among others from both Greek and Roman mythology. As is well-known, the city contained many brothels and sex seems to have played a large part in the life of Pompeiians, although there were some taboos. Homosexuality was one of them although, strangely, it was deemed acceptable if you played the active role but not if you were the passive partner. Go figure! Violence featured prominently in the life of the city too, and gladiators, in particular, were depicted as having a lust for violence. Bloodthirsty fights in the arenas and circuses of Pompeii were popular events. All in all, the uncovered works of art portray not only the sexual and athletic exploits of the inhabitants of the doomed city, but also the political struggles, ideals and dreams of its inhabitants.
Pompeii: Sin City is best viewed in the cinema (if possible) to benefit from the detail of the magnificent ruins. There are possibly too many leisurely drone and slo-mo shots but it does provide the viewer with excellent footage of a feast of extremely well-preserved murals, resplendent in full colour. There’s also a beautiful score by Remo Anzovino, who’s acknowledged for his ability to reveal stories through music. The historians and experts taking us through Pompeii aren’t named until the end credits, which is slightly distracting, and the almost kitschy re-enactments (in modern-day dress) are overly long and don’t add much to Corsicato’s thesis. Still, even if not entirely satisfactory, Pompeii: Sin City is a testament to the Italian ideals of preservation and respect for antiquity.
Screenplay: Pappi Corsicato, Jacopo Magri & Andrea Rizzoli Jr.
Principal cast:
Isabella Rossellini
Darius Arya
Andrew Wallace-Hadrill
Ellen O’Gorman
Catherine Edwards
Massimo Osanna
Country: Italy
Classification: CTC
Runtime: 90 mins.
Australian release date: 24 July 2021.
The multi-talented Italian director Pappi Corsicato has made his name via feature films, shorts and opera but, most of all, by directing a large number of contemporary arts documentaries. Now, he’s turned to look at the art of the past in Pompeii: Sin City (original title Pompei: Eros e mito) an interesting excursion into the life of the city destroyed in a matter of hours by a massive volcanic eruption in 79 CE. Pompeii is considered the “queen of all sites of antiquity” and the stories and myths depicted on its highly decorative walls are told here by Isabella Rossellini in a restrained, rather sombre fashion, as she reveals details of the life of the Roman city before the concept of sin was conceived by Christianity. It’s an unusual style of delivery considering the lust, violence and superstition on display.
Corsicato explains, “Pompeii is part of collective imagination, and not just for Italians, but for the whole world. Its story has been told so many times before, through cinema and photography, that the risk of falling prey to stereotypes is high. For this reason, I decided to portray Pompeii as an entity pulsating with a life of its own, and which, after 2,000 years, continues to be a source of inspiration and discovery. So, the decision I made with the authors was to tell stories that would bring Pompeii to life, between myth and reality.” Accordingly, the documentary re-enacts the myths of Bacchus and Ariadne and Leda and the Swan, among others from both Greek and Roman mythology. As is well-known, the city contained many brothels and sex seems to have played a large part in the life of Pompeiians, although there were some taboos. Homosexuality was one of them although, strangely, it was deemed acceptable if you played the active role but not if you were the passive partner. Go figure! Violence featured prominently in the life of the city too, and gladiators, in particular, were depicted as having a lust for violence. Bloodthirsty fights in the arenas and circuses of Pompeii were popular events. All in all, the uncovered works of art portray not only the sexual and athletic exploits of the inhabitants of the doomed city, but also the political struggles, ideals and dreams of its inhabitants.
Pompeii: Sin City is best viewed in the cinema (if possible) to benefit from the detail of the magnificent ruins. There are possibly too many leisurely drone and slo-mo shots but it does provide the viewer with excellent footage of a feast of extremely well-preserved murals, resplendent in full colour. There’s also a beautiful score by Remo Anzovino, who’s acknowledged for his ability to reveal stories through music. The historians and experts taking us through Pompeii aren’t named until the end credits, which is slightly distracting, and the almost kitschy re-enactments (in modern-day dress) are overly long and don’t add much to Corsicato’s thesis. Still, even if not entirely satisfactory, Pompeii: Sin City is a testament to the Italian ideals of preservation and respect for antiquity.
