Great Characterizations at the Start

I really liked how this movie introduced it's characters by playing with the audiences expectations before ultimately introducing the true nature of the personalities which would drive the story.

First we see Michele lose the game the children are playing, but defer the punishment by blaming his sister for his late arrival. Skull, the leader, is happy to accept this excuse because he wants to take advantage of the only girl in the group. While Michele initially complies with the default authority figure amongst the cohort, when he hears what Skull wants the girl to do (expose herself) his unease becomes apparent. You can see the conflict in Michele's face leading up to the moment when he decides to volunteer himself for the punishment instead and accepts a dangerous stunt in order to spare the female from sexual humiliation. It is this same non-conformist integrity that leads Michele to attend to the boy in the hole rather than running away from the situation, in spite of the fears and authoritarian instructions which urge him to do so.

Pino also receives a deceptive introduction. In his first scene he appears angry and demands to know if Michele has done his push-ups. He is a brutal disciplinarian who forces his son to arm-wrestle him and derides the child's weak muscles. In a moment which seems to indicate further insult being heaped upon the boy he tells him to ask his sister for help, but then he allows the two children to push his arm over and a huge smile breaks over his face. The drill sergeant routine was an act and he is really a gentle and loving father who has bought his children a present. He retrieves a model gondola boat and the awe in his voice as he describes Venice reflects an urge to rise above the families current class and conditions. It is this dream of a better life along with the need to maintain his facile tough guy act that allows him to fall prey to Sergio's manipulations. When he shoots his son at the end of the movie, he is doing what he believes he needs to do for his family, but he lacks the courage to look the child in the eye as he carries out the deed, resulting in the blind shot that nearly kills his son. Once he sees what he has done his front melts away and we see how frightened and desperate Pino truly is.

I believe it is the mark of great storytelling when just a couple simple actions can establish and foreshadow the story which is to come and that is exactly what these scenes did.

"Don't unform, you're a great mob. We'll think up something else to get upset about." Moe Sizlack