The film presents the story of Giulio Andreotti, a seven-time prime minister of Italy notorious for his alleged ties to the Mafia. The narration covers Andreotti's seventh election in 1992, his failed bid for the presidency of the Italian Republic, the Tangentopoli bribe scandal and his trial in 1995. As the film opens, Giulio Andreotti gives an inner monologue observing how he has managed to survive his tumultuous political career while his various detractors have died. A montage shows the murders of various people connected to Andreotti, including journalist Mino Pecorelli, Carabinieri general Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, bankers Michele Sindona and Roberto Calvi, and former prime minister Aldo Moro.
Cast
Toni Servillo as Giulio Andreotti
Anna Bonaiuto as Livia Danese, Giulio Andreotti's wife
In 2008, the film score for Il Divo was composed by Teho Teardo and released on compact disc Universal in Italy. The soundtrack has not been released locally in North America or the United Kingdom and is only available by import.
Andreotti's win as an incumbent Prime Minister also reveals the theme of "Particracy, or rule by parties" in Italian politics - meaning the rule of Italian politics being strongly influence by a single dominant group of players who govern independent of the will of the voters. Some may argue that a new trend of populism rose in the politics of many European countries during the late 20th century, resulting in "a new breed of radical right-wing parties and movements" which gain majority favor through "charismatic leadership" and an appeal to "popular anxieties prejudices and resentments". In the movie, Andreotti served as Prime Minister multiple terms and some argue that he and many other political actors in Italy utilize what is termed “soft populism” which utilizes outlets such as media to appeal to the popular masses. However, in the movie, Andreotti does not seem to emphasize any specific policies nor even campaign. Through the portrayal of Andreotti, the movie displays how political actors are able to maintain their power/position with little to no explanation as to how they did so. Also, the inability to completely distinguish whether Andreotti was or was not affiliated with the mafia murders conveys the lack of clarity in the mechanics of Italy's government. Andreotti's incumbency reveals pentapartito, which consisted of five parties ranging from the right wing to center-right parties. This coalition formed essentially to prevent a left majority and was able to maintain a majority by strategic methods of give and take. By maintaining this system of taking turns, a “systematic corruption” formed where parties were no longer driven by the masses, but rather by their aligned parties, resulting in “exchanging resources”.
Critical reception
Il Divo received mostly positive reviews from critics. As of 14 December 2009, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported 44 positive reviews and 4 negative, giving the film a 92% critical approval rating. In Peter Brunette's review for The Hollywood Reporter, he praises the movie, pointing out the capacity of entertaining, the brilliant acting and the quality of the soundtrack. He notes that the movie will probably not have a great success outside Italy. The same elements emerge from the review of Jay Weissberg from Variety, who define the movie a masterpiece that will become a comparison stone for the years to come. Andreotti himself walked out of the movie and dismissed the film, stating that it was "too much" and that he would be, in the end, judged "on his record". Massimo Franco, a biographer of Andreotti, related that upon seeing the film "he was angry, calling it scurrilous." But a few days later, wrote Franco, Andreotti was joking cynically that, "I'm happy for the producer. And I'd be even happier if I had a share of the takings."
