148. Happy as Lazzarro ( Lazzaro felice); movie review

HAPPY AS LAZZARRO (LAZZARRO FELICE)
Cert 12A
127 mins
BBFC advice: Contains infrequent moderate violence, language

Is it really possible that slaves have existed in our lifetimes?
Yes, it saddens my heart that human beings work at their masters' or mistresses' whim even in 2019.
Indeed, trafficking of migrants is far too commonplace in the UK.
Happy As Lazzarro alights upon the exploitation of 1980s peasant workers on an Italian estate which is headed by a heartless aristocrat (Nicoletta Braschi).
The title character, played by newcomer Adriano Tardiolo, is a peasant boy who is a hard worker and has such an amiable spirit that he is seen as a simpleton by his extended family and the nobles who see them all as slaves.
The 26 family members know no different than to work for nothing at the isolated countryside village and are so ingrained in the micro-culture that they believe they will be in peril if they cross the river between them and the rest of the world.
Indeed, the aristocrats and their henchman (Natalino Balasso) go to considerable lengths to keep them in check.
However, outside influences come closer when the wealthy family's heir (Luca Chikovani) goes missing.
And then something trying remarkable and very odd happens when the peasants are finally confronted by new perspectives.
Oh, and there is time travelling and the question of whether Lazzarro is actually representing Jesus.
If that seems a little crazy, it is. Indeed, every time I thought I was on the same page as Alice Rohrwacher's film, it slipped off into a head-spinning tangent.
I got to grips with Happy as Lazzarro more than I did with Rohwacher's previous films, The Wonders and Corpo Celeste but I can't pretend it is an easy movie.

But she would probably be pleased that I agree it demands close attention.

Reasons to watch: Gradually gripping tale of haves and have-nots
Reasons to avoid: Takes a while to get going and is quite surreal

Laughs: None
Jumps: One
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Global Slavery Index estimates that on any given day in 2016 there were 145,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in Italy, a prevalence of 2.4 victims for every thousand people in the country.

The final word. Alice Rohrwacher: "We create a hybrid world in which we have professional and non-professional actors working side by side. And this is important because they are a source of inspiration for each other. It creates a sort of halfway world where each set needs to lean in and learn from the other."

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