Lost and Beautiful

Lost and Beautiful (also known as Bella e Perduta), directed by Italian filmmaker Pietro Marcello, has a story as captivating as its title. The film is an experiment in the traditional storytelling norms and blurs the line between fiction and reality, drama and documentary. Released in 2015, it stars Tommaso Cestrone, Sergio Vitolo, and Gesuino Pittalis in lead roles.

Set against the rich background of the southern Italian landscape with all its rustic charm and unspoiled beauty, Lost and Beautiful is a poignant narrative brimming with symbolism, metaphysical undertones, and astute social commentary. The movie genre-bends effortlessly, simultaneously encapsulating realism, magical fantasy, and folkloric allegory that question conventional societal norms and political structures.

Split into two thematic segments, the film begins as a tribute to Tommaso Cestrone, playing himself, a man known as the 'Angel of Carditello.' Cestrone, a real-life figure, receives national acclaim as the self-designated guardian of the deteriorating Bourbon palace of Carditello, located in the Campania region of Italy. Despite living a humble life as a buffalo herder, Cestrone tirelessly dedicates himself to preserving the ruins of the palace after the state abandons responsibility for its upkeep. This heartfelt dedication to heritage preservation displayed amidst acres of abandoned fields and a dilapidated royal structure symbolizes a bereaved nation's disillusionment with its government.

Following Cestrone's unexpected death, the narrative takes a surreal turn. We meet Pulcinella, a masked, folkloric figure from 17th-century Neopolitan puppet theater, sent from the afterlife to fulfill Cestrone's last wish. The character is played by the magnetic Sergio Vitolo, whose melancholic eyes can tell a thousand tales. Pulcinella's mission is to rescue a young water buffalo named Sarchiapone, Cestrone's most beloved animal, from the deserted royal estate and take him to a safer place in the north.

The journey of Pulcinella and Sarchiapone forms the backbone of the movie's latter half, symbolically representing the struggle against the eroding local cultural legacies and the environmental impacts of industrial progress.

Throughout their expedition, the pair encounters a series of intriguing characters, including Gesuino Pittalis, playing himself, a passionately partisan, enthusiastic shepherd who metaphorically reflects the unrest and disillusionment among the common folk of the country.

Lost and Beautiful's stunning cinematography enhances every scene, offering jaw-dropping panoramic visuals of the umbrella-pines, bubbling brooks, and vast farmlands. The beauty of the rural Italian landscape is starkly contrasted with the decaying urban facades, poignantly highlighting the film's central themes of preservation and decay. The sequence where we see Pulcinella and Sarchiapone crossing stunning pastures, towering mountains, and ancient ruins ultimately serving as a visceral and moody reflection on the concepts of transience, loss, and beauty.

In all its glory, Lost and Beautiful challenges the notion of binary movie categories. It is not just a character-driven drama being true to its roots in reality; it's also mythical, weaving in elements of fables and folklore to deliver thought-provoking messages.

The director, Pietro Marcello, who has a background in documentary filmmaking, paints a vivid picture of real and fantastical worlds making use of the avant-garde narrative structure and hybrid cinema. He invites spectators on an odyssey through the deep roots of Italian culture, ancient mythology, and the country’s contemporary political landscape elegantly.

With its well-crafted aesthetic sensibility, a fusion of reality and fantasy, and a multi-layered narrative structure, Lost and Beautiful articulates the decay of cultural heritage, the neglect of societal structures, and the contrasting beauty beneath it all. Conveying their message through symbolic, daring characters like Cestrone, Pulcinella, and Sarchiapone, the film doesn't offer solutions but instead leaves viewers with delicate insights on the state of a nation, the power of individual agency, and the value of enduring beauty, however lost or forgotten.

To summarize, Lost and Beautiful is an unforgettable cinematic journey that weaves through the raw beauty of the Italian countryside and its divine mythology, challenging societal constructs, norms, and perspectives. This film offers a profound visual and visceral experience that is both deeply moving and deeply unsettling, leaving its audiences reflecting long after the credits roll.