The Hand of God - Movie Review

 The Hand of God - Movie Review 

Hannah N Loo 

Date: 2022/04/16 

Life Update

Hi, everyone. I just want to quickly pop on here and share a life update with yall. Since it is midterm week, I am sure you all know we are under intense pressure to finish up projects, homework, and, most importantly, PRESENTATIONS. I also recently got into the dorm and I am getting to be familiarized with the place and my roommates. There is this whole exhausting process of moving in that I really do not want to get into, but in short, it has been a dread. Also, I am currently spending some of my time with someone special. Hence, I, unfortunately, do not have much time to get comfy on my couch and be immersed in a good book. However, I do still read from time to from when I have time to. It is just that I am currently on 'the escalating to the climax' part of the story, and it is taking me a while to find something worthwhile to say. 

That being said, I plan to share more intuitive, insightful, and intelligent movies. Personally, I do think movies are like books that are highly more focused on the sensory and auditory sensations of the senses. However, it does not take away from how books can influence our body, mind, and soul. They are no less than the other. 

One last thing, this weekend we are shooting and recording Project Let's Talk's Season 3. We had just finished recording the podcast episodes 1 and 2 today. I have been working my ass off in making up the script, and I am glad to say that it has paid off. I cannot be more ecstatic for you to listen to our heated discussions. (Sneak Peek: we talked about S3X in this podcast. ;)) Shout out to Zack and Lea. Thank you for being the best crew a host could ask for. 

Introduction 

The hand of God is a 2021 Italian film directed by Paolo Sorrentino set in Naples in the 1980s. It follows a young Italian teenage boy and his seemingly normal family. Through scenes where Fabietto motionlessly gazes through his family, we can see him having a hard time navigating through his mother's insufferable cries finding out about his father's constant infidelity with his colleague. He is even pushed to his boundaries and has an anxiety attack, while his older brother hugged him for comfort to stop his relentless shaking. Or his aphrodisiacal stare at his mother's younger sister. Diagnosed with a mental disorder, Patrizia's ageless beauty is the fundamental reason for her husband's distrust and insecurity, causing a series of abuse and physiological trauma. Yet, Patriza's spitefulness remains, and Fabietto is undoubtedly mesmerized by this older and seductive figure in his life, and he simply cannot take his lustful eyes away from her. Or when he is captured by a movie set directed by a renowned thinker. Through his encounter with the director, we can see him find his interest in filmmaking.  

 

Seeing is Believing 

Through Fabie's observations, we can see the people in his life are filled with fascinating stories, which is also a contrast to his mundane life. The first story we see is Patrizia. Alongside the crowded people waiting for the bus, her beauty and seduction stood out the most among the female passengers, as the shape of her breast is penetrating through her white sheer dress. It did not take long for Patrizia to catch the eyes of a wealthy man escorted by a driver in a black shy car. He chaperoned Patrizia to an abandoned castle, and he turned on the light of a fallen chandelier, a scene so surreal you doubt the legitimacy and authenticity of Patrizia's story. Without saying anything, the unnamed stranger somehow knew Patrizia's name and her inability to perceive a child, and he was a messenger to the "little monk" who grants wishes to hopeless people.  

Upon arriving home, his disturbed and uneasy husband is furiously waiting for her return. She tries to explain to him where she has been, but the story was too obscured for her already jealous husband to believe. Then it escalated into a series of violent brawls, leaving Patrizia with a bloody nose and she locks herself in their bedroom. Arrives the Schisa family to the rescue, we see the first time when Fabie laid his eyes on Patrizia, with her white dress hanging by a strap, and leaving her left breast exposed. All of them do not believe Patrizia, except for Fabie. 

The whole movie evolves through the eyes of Fabie, and Patrizia's strange and bizarre story is a made-up story of her mental disorder. Yet, the movie chooses to show us the weird interaction, almost symbolizing 

Fabie's lustful admiration has clouded his judgment of real and fake. 

Conclusion 

Of course, that is only one of the stories of the incredible shown in the hand of God. The movie seemingly follows the inspiring filmmaker Fabie, but stories from other side characters, like Patrizia's, remain as insightful, delicately-make, and compelling. It is truly worthwhile to be absorbed in the intertwining plot twist of Fabie's family. As of now, I have not completely finished watching the whole entire movie (I know, how cruel of me.) As I mentioned at the start of this log, a lot of things have been going on in my life lately. One thing the books and movies taught me is to live your life like their stories have shown me. Be the main character of your own book, focus on the important or inconsequential details of your own movie, and make a story that is worthwhile to write about.