Join us for a screening of “Il giovane favoloso” (The Fabulous Young Man, 2014).  The film, rated “PG,” tells the short life of the great Italian poet Leopardi.

Giacomo is a child prodigy who grows up under the relentless gaze of his father in a palace (in the Marche region) that has an extensive library. He studies Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and English. He has an inquisitive, restless spirit and would like to travel abroad to widen his views and enrich his knowledge, as was usual for the European landed gentry in the 19th century. Still this desire is at odds with his parents (his father, while possessing a sensibility akin to his, is too bound by the conventions and the expectations tied to his role as ‘Pater Familias ’ his mother, on the other hand, is too busy shoring up the household’s declining fortunes to even care about intellectual aspirations. So the poet begins to write his first works, reflecting about the human condition, coming to the conclusion that unhappiness is a constant factor of existence and that in life there is no way to remedy this problem.

Leopardi can finally leave his native Recanati and travels to Rome and Florence; however, his high expectations of intellectual rewards and public recognition are frustrated. In Florence he becomes entangled in a love triangle between Antonio Ranieri, the Neapolitan friend with whom he shares a house in the bohemian fashion, and the beautiful Fanny. In the end, he moves to Naples with Ranieri.

In Italian with English subtitles. Running time 137 minutes

Trailer in Italian:
http://www.mymovies.it/film/2014/ilgiovanefavoloso/trailer/

All events are offered free of charge by the Dorothea van Dyke McLane Association to anyone in the community with an interest in Italian culture. Programs are followed by informal get-togethers where one can chat with old and new friends, and taste dishes and offerings brought by participants.

There is no reception after a movie, however a few people usually get together at a local restaurant or coffee shop. All movies are in Italian with English subtitles.

In case of cancellation of a program due to inclement weather or unexpected reasons, please check the Dorthea House website or call Dorothea’s House for information.