COME DIO COMMANDA (AS GOD COMMANDS)

Italy, 2008, 103 minutes, Colour.
Filippo Timi, Elio Germano, Alvaro Caleca, Fabio De Luigi.
Directed by Gabriele Salvatorez.

Come Dio Commanda has a screenplay by Niccolo Amaniti based on his novel. Amaniti also wrote Io Non Ho Paura, which was filmed by the same director, Gabriele Salvatorez.

This film is set in the north of Italy, focuses on life in a small town. The central character is a neo-Nazi, who believes in might is right and teaches his son to act accordingly. While the initial part of the film establishes the character of father and his relationship to the son, a third character played by Elio Germani, Four Cheeses, is also introduced, a man who has been affected by industrial accidents in the factories.

The main part of the film is a long sequence, at night, filmed in the rain, where the sexually-preoccupied Four Cheeses pursues a young girl and eventually kills her, ringing the neo-Nazi for help. The young son is called by his father to help him after his injury and, though he believes his father is guilty, he tries to preserve his good name. Eventually the solution is found and the father and son are reconciled.

1. The title, conscience, references to God, belief in God or absence of God, voices commanding, crime and God? Self-righteousness?

2. The northern Italy settings, the town, homes, the quarry, the school? The forests? Realism? The musical score? The songs from Robbie Williams, from Bob Dylan? Knocking on Heaven’s Door?

3. The background of neo-Nazis in Italy, nationalism, prejudice, xenophobia? Attitudes towards foreign workers? Rino and his attacks on the industry bosses? Violence, protection? Ideology of Hitler as a great leader? The swastika – and Cristiano’s essay? Rino not wanting to broadcast his views? The interaction between him and his son about the essay?

4. The introduction to Rino and Cristiano, father and son, the absent mother? Ideas, affection, the taunts, wanting his son to be physical and strong? The two and the encounter with Four Cheeses? The outburst in the street, Rino defending him, bashing the attacker? Cristiano going to school?

5. The introduction to Four Cheeses, the electricity and his mental damage, his crib in his house, bringing in the snow, thanking God, the pornographic videos, Ramona and her taunting, his fantasies? The attack on him, Rino defending him? Continuing to watch the videos, obsession with Ramona, imagining Fabiana? His time with Rino and Cristiano at the quarry, Rino taking the shots at him?

6. Cristiano, aged fourteen, his relationship with his father, going to school, the fellow students, writing the essay, the neo-Nazi ideas? Talking with the girls, their finding him cute? Going with his father to the quarry, the gun and the shots? The visit of the social worker, concern about Rino’s drinking, taking Cristiano to an institution?

7. Rino, the woman in the house, her discovering he was a neo-Nazi, his violence towards her? Four Cheeses and the obsession with Ramona, the girls going shopping and Cristiano watching?

8. Cristiano’s life, a loner, with the girls, seeing Fabiana’s radio – and later identifying it in Four Cheeses’ house?

9. Rino and Cristiano, teaching him self-defence, the bullying boy and Cristiano’s injuries, his father teaching him how to fight, butt him in the stomach, have courage?

10. The girl and Four Cheeses, the bike, the chase, the rain, the long sequence in the forest, pretending to have an accident, getting up and assaulting the girl, her fighting back, her death? His ringing Rino?

11. Rino, with Cristiano, Cristiano bashing his assailant? Rino coming for Four Cheeses, the van, the search, his reaction, Four Cheeses hitting him, Rino phoning Cristiano to come?

12. Cristiano and the search, his believing that his father was guilty, tidying up, dragging his father’s body, putting him in the van, the holdup at the tunnel, dragging him into the house, the police, claiming that he was at home all the time, in hospital, the coma?

13. Cristiano and his getting rid of the girl’s body? The long sequence of dragging her in the water and setting her free? The body being found, the police, people on the bridge, Cristiano’s violent reaction?

14. His visits to his father, Four Cheeses and asking him to be silent about his father’s action?

15. The care of the social worker, his personality, concern about Cristiano, the discussions about the institution?

16. The funeral, the speech of the father, wanting vengeance, the prayer of the priest? The mourners, the applause for the dead girl? Cristiano sitting, walking out?

17. Four Cheeses going to the hospital, Rino in coma, Four Cheeses wanting to kill him, the gun, his being alerted and retreating?

18. His going home, his conscience, hanging himself, Cristiano finding him, finding the radio and the player?

19. The reconciliation between father and son, the father reviving, wanting to surprise his son, his son’s confession, the final freeze-frame and their reconciliation?

20. The final credits and the singing of Knocking on Heaven’s Door?