Vincere [Blu-ray]

I like watching films based on real life events (albeit they are not always 100% historically accurate of course) so I found this a very interesting film about a little-known area of Mussolini’s life – his marriage to his first wife Ida Dalser in around 1912 and the birth of their son, Benito Albino. Little known because he went to extraordinary lengths to keep them a secret and later, when he became Il Duce, tried to erase their very existence from the record books. His Fascist state continued to harass and persecute Ida and Benito Junior for the rest of their lives and, as far as the world knew, his first wife was Rachele Guidi whom he married (bigamously as it turned out) in 1915.Once Mussolini came to power he ordered his regime to destroy every record of his first marriage and it was only the fact that a child payment order from the city of Milan survived unnoticed in the archives, that his first marriage was ever known about at all.The recreation of 1920s and 30s Fascist Italy is beautifully done cinematographically and a clever conceit is that, although in the early scenes Mussolini is played by an actor (Filippo Timi), in the second half of the film Mussolini is represented by actual black and white newsreels of the real Mussolini to represent the fact that after a certain point, Ida didn’t see Mussolini in person, only on the newsreels like everyone else.On the downside, at over two hours long (128 minutes), I felt it went on a tad too long and the second half drags a bit more than the early scenes where there is more plot movement.Although I enjoyed this film, the subject matter is emotionally harrowing and I wouldn’t describe it as a fun watch. For that reason, probably unfairly, I am marking it down slightly.The DVD arrived on time and was well packaged.

Very interesting look at World War II that has changed my notions of what really happened and the depth and vastness of the conspiracy to put crazy people at the media forefront at that time.Yes, a movie that prompts deep thought. History is not as it seems.

Great movie .

i am very happy with product. it was on time

Sad story of Mussolini's first wife and her fight for recognition for herself and for her son. Wonderfully acted and beautifully filmed.

Excellent film, we find out the part of Benito Mussolini from the younger years. Very interesting, touching and also dark cinematographic work.

Excellent !

It was absorbing, informative and superbly directed and acted, especially by Giovanna Mezzogiorno. It conjures up the atmosphere of fascist Italy.