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The coming of age film, The Hand of God, is directed by the Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino. The film revolves around a 17 year old boy in 1980s Naples, Italy who aspires to be a filmmaker. The shapelessly structured linear narrative of the film does not attempt to tell a story. It only documents the life of a young boy with big dreams, but too much grief in his heart.
The movie is inspired by Sorrentino's own life. Watch The Hand of God now streaming on Netflix.
Note: This article contains spoilers.
Reviewing 'The Hand of God'
Fabietto is the autobiographical hero of Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God. Like any other teenager, he is trying to figure out his own life and his identity, as he is stuck in the whirlwind of his family relations and drama. Growing up in 1980s, in the bustling port metropolis of Naples, Fabietto found two things that defined him. He is avidly passionate about filmmaking and is absolutely crazy about football. There are rumors that Diego Maradona, the Argentine football superstar, is about to join the Naples team, and Fabietto, like everyone else in Naples, is elated with the rumors.
Young Fabietto also has a large network of extended kins who often get together. Like every other family, his is busting with quirks too. Fabietto has learned to roll with it all. His own family is also not devoid of drama. Outside, they look quite the happy little family, but when rumors of his father's affair surface once again, the family is temporarily devastated.
However, the turning point of The Hand of God is when Fabietto's parents die of carbon monoxide poisoning, leaving him and his older brother orphaned. It was only through a fluke that he survived. Fabietto did not go with his parents to their new home, because he wanted to watch Maradona play.
This saved him from a gruesome death. It leaves Fabietto devastated and resentful when he is not allowed to see his parents dead body and it is as if he grows up overnight. Family secrets are soon revealed to him and he tries to navigate his way through all the grief.
Fabietto visits his favorite aunt in the psychiatric ward to try and make sense of it all. He also has a randevouz with a widowed and old baroness, and goes on an adventure with a no-gooder he met at the stadium, who previously drove smuggling boats. In the end of it all, Fabietto has a characteristically unsentimental heart-to-heart talk with filmmaker Antonio Capuano and here is the autobiographical element of The Hand of God revealed. Capuano is Sorrentino's mentor and guide.
What makes the film stand out?
The Hand of God is an autobiographical drama about the film's director himself. It is a portrait-of-an-artist drama that gives an in-depth look into the life of Sorrentino. Watching the insults, the clashes, the assaultive attitude unfold on screen, one can't help but wonder 'Is this what it was like for the young Sorrentino growing up in Naples?' It is like reading his personal diary.
While watching The Hand of God, it’s easy to sympathize with the young Fabietto. His pensive curiosity and his Walkman sets him apart from most other boys his age and the grief he carries within himself is as raw as a fresh wound. Fabietto's character has been well rounded off and there is a lot of depth and character development to him. Sadly, the other characters of the movie are just portrayed as passing in his life. One does wish that some depth was given to the characters close to Fabietto, especially his aunt Patrizia, who he claims is his muse.
The Hand of God is a masterpiece, but it could have done better in terms of its narrative. The shapelessly and purposelessly structured narrative of the movie seems to fall apart in places, and one does wish that some scenes were explored better.
Watch the autobiographical drama The Hand of God now streaming on Netflix.
