I’ve always had a soft spot for movies and series that depict history creatively. It is one thing to make a documentary where a narrator recites which battles were fought on which date and which treaty was signed at which palace. It is something different to imagine the past that was, and in its own way still is, “alive.”
“Son of the Century,” a historical drama on the life of Benito Mussolini, should be an example to follow for future historical cinematography. The series focuses on the final years of democracy in Italy and the rise of fascism. It does so by bringing history to life, making the people who shaped it stand out as living, evolving characters.
At its heart, the series centers on a piece of European history that is sometimes overshadowed by other aspects of the world wars. The rise of fascism in Italy, its roots in the disillusioned soldiers of World War I, and its creeping up on the democratic institutions of the country are all stories obscured by time. Whereas popular media is full of movies on the rise of Hitler and the many perspectives on World War II, the actual political “spark” that created fascism first in Italy is still a relatively niche subject in comparison — at least in American media.
If one artistic decision made “Son of the Century” memorable, it was the choice to have Mussolini constantly break the fourth wall and reach out to the audience. Mussolini stops being just a name or a figure from a century ago; he appears before us as a living human being who speaks with us and tries to convert us to his cause.
Breaking the fourth wall in this series is also executed noticeably differently from other examples. For instance, if Frank Underwood in “House of Cards” speaks to us with confidence and hubris to show the futility of politics, Mussolini in this series wants to captivate and appeal to us. The difference is that the former is merely an illustration of life, while the latter is a rebirth of history, an attempt to put the audience of today in the shoes of people from the past.
This artistic choice lets us experience firsthand what Italians felt when they were exposed to his propaganda and rhetoric. The audience experiences this even in the opening scene of the series, when Mussolini dares to extend his hand and say, “Follow me, you’ll love me too. You’ll become fascists too.”
The series therefore becomes a social experiment of sorts, because the story we watch is not the absolute historical truth, but a curated image Mussolini wants us to see, believe and follow.
The series emphasizes the difference between truth and perspective. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, “Son of the Century” is about how Italian democracy was exploited and usurped by a fascist movement built from the ground up. From one episode to the next, the series depicts this exploitation by characterizing not only the fascist movement, but also the country’s democratic system, which did not react to it out of complacency or incompetence. Mussolini then spins these realities into his arguments, and when he breaks the fourth wall, he does so to convince the audience of the supposed inescapability of democracy’s decadence.
What we think of as authoritarianism and totalitarianism is more often than not built on weak foundations. “Son of the Century” is not just about the rise of fascism as a historical event, but also about how fragile fascism was when it was still nascent, and how it came to exploit both the political establishment and popular discontent.
To educate people about fascism and warn them against its modern incarnations, this artistic style should serve as inspiration. More stories about Franco in Spain, Salazar in Portugal and the dictatorships in Latin America and Asia should be depicted not just as historical events, but as the living stories of men who broke apart systems to emerge as rulers. The biggest barrier to such stories’ popularity is language and awareness. “Son of the Century” was lucky to overcome, through a successful social media campaign, the language barrier that keeps foreign productions in relative obscurity in the English-speaking world.
Most importantly, “Son of the Century” is a new model for showing how propaganda twists reality into rhetoric. The function of breaking the fourth wall, with Mussolini telling his own story in the series to make the audience believe in his movement, is an example of engaging media that should be a role model not only for historical dramas, but for cinematography as a whole.
Art that focuses on the stories of individuals benefits from characters speaking to the audience, forcing viewers to think critically about what they are watching and how they ought to feel about it.
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial.
Deniz Gulay is a senior double-majoring in history and Russian.