| Mussolini: Son of the Century | |
|---|---|
.png) ItalianSky Atlantic poster | |
| Italian | M. Il figlio del secolo |
| Genre | |
| Based on | M: Son of the Century byAntonio Scurati |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Joe Wright |
| Starring |
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| Composer | Tom Rowlands |
| Country of origin |
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| Original languages |
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| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Lorenzo Mieli |
| Cinematography | Seamus McGarvey |
| Editor | Valerio Bonelli |
| Running time | 60–61 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Sky Atlantic |
| Release | 10 January 2025 (2025-01-10) – present |
Mussolini: Son of the Century (Italian:M. Il figlio del secolo) is abiographicalhistorical drama television series directed byJoe Wright, based on the 2018 novelM: Son of the Century byAntonio Scurati. StarringLuca Marinelli asBenito Mussolini, the series centers on the early political career of Mussolini in the 1920s. It premiered at the81st Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2024 and began airing onSky Atlantic on 10 January 2025.
The series followsBenito Mussolini's early career from his founding of theFasci Italiani in 1919 up to the assassination of socialist politicianGiacomo Matteotti in 1924 and his speech inParliament on 3 January 1925.
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Chapter 1" | Joe Wright | Stefano Bises & Davide Serino &Antonio Scurati | 10 January 2025 (2025-01-10) | |
On March 23, 1919,Benito Mussolini founded theFasci Italiani di Combattimento, a movement that embodies his revolutionarypolitical beliefs. But the achievement of consensus is far away: only a few hundred war veterans, as well as mutilated and desperate people, joined the first Fasci; Furthermore, someone steals the show: the poet, war hero and ace of the skiesGabriele D'Annunzio militarily takesFiume. So Mussolini throws himself into theelections: thesocialists, his former comrades now enemies, win, he doesn't get any votes and is arrested. | |||||
| 2 | "Chapter 2" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 10 January 2025 (2025-01-10) | |
Released after defeat, Mussolini contemplates leaving politics; to "let off steam" about his defeat, he rapes his underage secretary, Bianca Ceccato, who becomes pregnant. But then an unexpected opportunity changes Mussolini's mind and makes him return to politics: the strikes called by the socialists, which paralyze the country, induce landowners and industrialists to seek the help of the Fasci to restore order by force.Fascism, born to lift up the least fortunate, rejects workers and peasants and embraces the cause of the masters and the bourgeoisie. Thanks to his new allies he enters Parliament. | |||||
| 3 | "Chapter 3" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 17 January 2025 (2025-01-17) | |
In a country marked by warring classes, Mussolini's strategy is to foment disorder and violence, destabilize the institutions and then offer himself as the only one capable of restoring order and keeping hisblackshirts in check. But when it comes to actually stopping the violence, the fascists turn against him. | |||||
| 4 | "Chapter 4" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 17 January 2025 (2025-01-17) | |
The violence of the blackshirts terrorizes the institutions. Mussolini understands that instead of stopping it, it is time to exploit it to the full, and decides to organize theMarch on Rome, aware of the fact that he would have no chance of success. Surprisingly, Mussolini manages to achieve even more: he becomes head of government. | |||||
| 5 | "Chapter 5" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 24 January 2025 (2025-01-24) | |
Mussolini is in power but that power is not enough. He wants new elections with a new electoral law that will ensure him an overwhelming majority in parliament.Don Sturzo, secretary of theItalian People's Party, tries to block his path but Mussolini obtains his expulsion in exchange for concessions to the Church. The law passes, Mussolini only needs a quarter of the votes to have absolute power. Meanwhile, without Mussolini's knowledge, some blackshirts haveDon Minzoni killed. | |||||
| 6 | "Chapter 6" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 24 January 2025 (2025-01-24) | |
To ensure his electoral victory, Mussolini opened the lists of thefascist party to politicians of any formation. In order to be re-elected, many abandon their parties to jump on the bandwagon of the sure winner. But Forni, a charismatic and authoritative fascist leader, rebels in the name of the purity of the movement: Mussolini, fearing losing his people's vote, has him beaten and neutralized. | |||||
| 7 | "Chapter 7" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 31 January 2025 (2025-01-31) | |
After an electoral victory that led Mussolini and his fascist allies to almost completely dominate Parliament, the situation becomes dramatic. The socialist deputyGiacomo Matteotti denounces violence and fraud by the black shirts, calls for the annulment of the elections and is preparing to reveal a serious case of corruption that would involve Mussolini himself. Mussolini orders Matteotti to be stopped: the latter is killed and his body hidden. | |||||
| 8 | "Chapter 8" | Joe Wright | Story by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino & Antonio Scurati Teleplay by : Stefano Bises & Davide Serino | 31 January 2025 (2025-01-31) | |
Matteotti's disappearance first, and then the discovery of his body, shock the country and trigger indignation and suspicion. The investigations demonstrate the direct involvement of men trusted by the Duce, and fascism and its leader now seem on the verge of collapse. Mussolini, to further consolidate his power, takes moral responsibility for the assassination with an epochal speech in Parliament that will lead to the beginning of adictatorship that will last for twenty years. | |||||
DirectorJoe Wright met producerLorenzo Mieli while doing press forCyrano in 2021. Mieli asked Wright if he wanted to direct a series about Mussolini and Wright "immediately said yes".[1] Mieli stated that Wright was chosen because he could bring an outsider's perspective to the story of Mussolini.[2] Speaking about the series, Wright stated:
I was very careful to tell the truth without being didactic, I tried to understand without sympathizing, maintaining a critical distance... Mussolini was fascinating, he seduced a nation and many others. If I hadn't shown that charm then people might have thought that all Italians were idiots. That balance was my main concern... On a more personal level it's a series about toxic masculinity, which is not something other than us, we have it within us.[3]
Wright's vision for the series was at a "crossroads betweenDziga Vertov'sMan with a Movie Camera,Scarface and therave culture of the 1990s".[4][5]Sky Studios ordered the series in April 2022.[6][7][8]
At theRome Film Festival in October 2022, it was announced thatLuca Marinelli would playBenito Mussolini.[9][10][11] Marinelli was Mieli's first choice for the role of Mussolini.[12] Marinelli shaved his head and gained 20 kilograms (44 lb) for the role.[13] He also had to spend two hours in hair and makeup daily during filming.[3] Wright called Marinelli the "most naturally gifted actor I've ever met" along withGary Oldman, who starred in Wright's 2017biopic,Darkest Hour.[2]
The series was filmed over a period of six months beginning in November 2022.[14] Filming took place primarily inRome atCinecittà Studios.[15][16] Other filming locations included thePalazzo Reale and theTeatro di San Carlo inNaples,[17][18] as well asTrieste,Aquileia,Gorizia, andRuda inFriuli-Venezia Giulia.[19][20]
Not wanting the series to feel like a "stuffy period drama biopic", Wright brought onTom Rowlands ofThe Chemical Brothers to compose its score.[1] Wright stated that Rowlands's soundtrack helped the series maintain its pace, rhythm, and energy.[21]
The series was previewed at theRiviera International Film Festival in May 2023.[22][23] A teaser trailer for the series was released on 2 August 2024.[24][25] The series was screened at the81st Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2024 and began airing onSky Atlantic on 10 January 2025.[26][27]
In May 2025,Mubi acquired the distribution rights to the series in North America, Latin America, Belgium, Luxembourg, Turkey, India, and New Zealand.[28]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 96% of 23 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Luca Marinelli reigns overSon of the Century with a vibrant impersonation of Benito Mussolini, with director Joe Wright's highly imaginative staging lending a theatricality that suits the infamous dictator."[29]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[30]
Stephanie Bunbury ofDeadline wrote that the series "brilliantly depicts how banal evil gets its way". She further wrote, "M. Son of the Century sticks to the facts of the great dictator's life, which are extraordinary enough, but stretches those facts into surreal shapes until we feel we're in some parallel historical universe. Wright's brassy style — unlike anything he has done before — owes something to [Federico] Fellini, but a whole lot more to its subject. Because Benito Mussolini, apart from anything else, definitely knew how to put on a show."[31]
Valerio Sammarco ofCinematografo.it gave the series five out of five stars and wrote, "Whirling and pyrotechnic, Joe Wright's Sky series arrives Out of Competition at Venice81: a monstrous performance by Luca Marinelli, who breaks the fourth wall to tell us about the rise of theDuce."[32] Mauro Donzelli ofComingsoon.it also gave the series five out of five stars, calling it "a marvel" and "an extraordinary parable between the intoxication of violence and the ghosts of power".[33]
Paola Casella ofMymovies.it gave the series four out of five stars and called it "an intelligent series with a fearless script and an inspired cast" and "a work that takes the bull by the horns, tackling a slice of Italian history with great narrative breadth and immense production effort".[34]
Antonio Cuomo ofMovieplayer.it gave the series four out of five stars and wrote, "M. Son of the Century is an impressive and important work, for the production values it uses and for the narrative and visual construction by Joe Wright to do justice on screen to the novel by Antonio Scurati, from which it takes inspiration. Luca Marinelli's work on the character is good, at the center of a cast that manages to offer a complete and multifaceted cross-section of the moment and the figures that brought it to life. A series that evolves in its eight episodes to leave us with important food for thought and a subtle sense of uneasiness that we struggle to shake off. As great stories can do."[35]
Chiara Guida ofCinefilos.it gave the series three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote, "M. Son of the Century is a candidate to be the most important Italian television event of this season and perhaps also for the seasons to come, a product that unfortunately also speaks of contemporaneity and that could be welcomed even outside national borders."[36]
Marianna Ciarlante ofToday rated the series 8.8 out of 10 and wrote, "Every aspect of this series is a winner, from the direction to the screenplay, from the cast to the lighting, right down to the perfect soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers. Futuristic, original, provocative and provocative,M. Son of the Century is a series not to be missed."[37]
Elisa Giudici ofGamesurf rated the series 8.5 out of 10 and wrote, "M. Son of the Century is a great serial adaptation that immediately understands that the only way to do justice to its literary source and to history is to betray it from the beginning, conversing with the current audience, making contemporary anxieties resonate in its narration, creating a charismatic, sometimes overbearing identity. It will be one of the cult series of 2025."[38]
Claudia Catalli ofWired Italia called the series "great, great cinema." She further wrote, "Starting with Wright's direction, free, impeccable and obsessively attentive to details as to convey the atmosphere, masterfully alternating fiction with repertoire, behind a meticulous work [that is] both historical and visionary. The pace is incandescent, and the notable writing work, starting from the significantStrega Prize-winning novel by Antonio Scurati and arriving at the excellent screenplay by Stefano Bises and Davide Serino, offers memorable passages, without ever falling into rhetoric and without forgetting irony (fundamental, in a story already historically tragic, dark and violent in itself)."[39]
Paolo Nizza ofSky TG24 called the series "a very powerful fiction that with an imaginative and cinematic style". He also commended the cast's performances, stating that "Luca Marinelli should be given every award available on the globe" and that "the entire cast seems inclined to excellence".[40] Antonella Catena ofStyle Magazine called the series "pure cinema"[41] and Gabriele Lingiardi ofBadtaste called the series a "majestic work of production".[42]