Bianca (film)

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Bianca is an Italian comedy-mystery film directed by Nanni Moretti and released in 1984.

[edit] Plot

Michele Apicella (Nanni Moretti) is a young matemathics teacher who is called to a supposedly élite, in fact grotesque, high school with the overblown name of Marilyn Monroe. Michele is characterized by a great number of obsessions and manias (in a famous scene, he woke up by night and frenzily starts eating Nutella chocolate from a giant bowl); he is also used to spy the neighbours of his new house, keeping a file for each of them, in which he reports accureately their actions and words.

The famous scene with Moretti eating bread and chocolate from an oversize Nutella bowl.

When one of his neighbours is killed, the police commissary (Roberto Vezzosi) gets soon curious about Apicella's behaviours. Later he knows his colleague Bianca (Laura Morante), whom he falls in love with. However, his exceedingly orderly mind and manias for perfection of love prevent him to show in depth his true feelings towards her; therefore, their affair starts soon to wear. Michele begins to shadow her moves, and discovers she has probably another lover.

A different sub-plot is devoted to Michele's attempts to reconciliate his friends Ignazio and Maria. But he fails, and the two were also found killed. Although the commissary is now clearly suspecting him, he is prevented by Bianca, who, with a false testimony, gives Michele an alibi.

However, Michele's equilibrium at this point is completely crumbling down. In the final scenes, he himself confess to the commissary that he is the murderer. In a semi-delirious and humorous self-confession (somewhat reminescent of last pages of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment), Michele reveals that he felt compelled to kill his neighbours and friend because they had disappointed him: he could not stand disengagements in people, since they bother his need for order and steadiness in life.

[edit] Trivia

• "Michele Apicella" is the nom-de-plume used by Nanni Moretti for his roles in all his films until Palombella rossa of 1989.
• Another recurrent theme of Moretti's film, the Sacher torte, is also present in Bianca.
• In the Marilyn Monroe school, the traditional portaits the President of Italian Republic in the rooms are replaced by that of football goalkeeper Dino Zoff.
• The school psychologist is interpreted by Luigi Moretti, Nanni's father.
• Songs in the film include "Insieme a te non ci sto più" (sung by Caterina Caselli), "Il cielo in una stanza" by Gino Paoli and "Scalo a Grado" by Franco Battiato.

[edit] External links

• Bianca an Internet Movie Database