There is a saying: blood is thicker than water. The implied meaning is the bonds of family-the blood-can overcome anything-the water-can throw at it. Certainly this theory has been tested time and again in film and in real life. Love interests, money, philosophies, politics…they have all come between family members to varying finales. Luke and Anakin (aka Darth Vader) had a fundamentally different view of the universe and look where it got them. In "My Brother is a Only Child," Italian politics in the 1950s and 1960s tears apart two brothers who find themselves on opposing sides.
One event sends young Accio (Elio Germano) running into the hands of the fascist party: the Cuban Missile Crisis. In seminary school, he is told to pray for an end to the conflict. Immediately, he leaves school, determined to make a real difference in the world. He butts heads with brother Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio), a communist, as well as the rest of his family. It isn´t until one other event later in life does the world "click" for Accio, reuniting the family. But is it too late?
Based on a novel by Antonio Pennacchi, I have to believe the structural problems come from the source material and not the adaptation. The major problem is the narrative moves far too fast in the beginning, not allowing the characters to have a chance to breath, to be real people. What is it that aligns Manrico with the communists? Where do his beliefs come from? We know-somewhat-about Accio.
A historical issue comes into play here, particularly for foreign viewers. References are made to one side or the other being for the "working class," yet the specifics of fascism and communism aren´t spelled out for the unenlightened non-Italians. A very brief explanation of the sides disguised as dialogue between characters would have helped immensely. (To be fair, the script does at least attempt to educate the viewer; it doesn´t succeed to its full effect because the pieces are scattered throughout the first half of the production.)
Since the story covers a vast swath of these characters lives, certain elements have been dropped, allowing the film to focus in on what really matters: how Accio and Manrico interact with one another. To that end, despite the lack of proper development in the beginning, both Germano and Scamarcio bring an intensity to the relationship defined by different social constructs at different times in the film. Are they political adversaries who happen to be brothers? Are they brothers on the opposite side of an issue? Are they on the same side with opposing plans on how to reach the same outcome?
That is the beauty of "My Brother is an Only Child," a disingenuous title if I ever heard one. With shifting alliances and an unclear understanding of the forces at work, the audience is left with the performances. In short, both lead actors hold up their side of the story with apparent ease. Germano has the easier part, arguably, being able to fly off the handle and turn aggressive for no good reason. Scamarcio is forced to keep restrained, be the mature one even though we see the fire burning behind his eyes. With their shared intensity for the things they believe, it is all but impossible not to buy into both sides. If they feel their individual philosophies so deeply, who are we to argue with them?
As most stories go, a girl enters the equation. Diane Fleri plays Francesca, the obligatory female presence who becomes the catalyst for a heartbreaking finale. There isn´t any real meat to the character (or that of the other females); Francesca is merely a plot device used to keep the plot moving. Underneath it all, this is the story of the two brothers; Francesca has little to do with it.
Directed by Daniele Luchetti, "My Brother is an Only Child" has a weathered, creaky feeling to it, as if the people and places on screen can fall apart at any time. And indeed, they do in the end. Luchetti doesn´t show off, for lack of a better term. Just as the story is largely economical, so is the directing.
Now, about that title: it would seem to imply Manrico and Accio are at each other´s throats for the entire running time of the film. Without spoiling too much of the story, they aren´t. It´s a provocative name for a film, but does it honestly describe what happens? No. The name of the novel is "Il Fasciocomunista." I´m guessing you can pick out the Fascist and Communist parts. It´s a tougher title to market, but a much better descriptor of the finished product, especially in movie form.
VIDEO:
Presented in its original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio, "My Brother is an Only Child" looks okay for half its scenes. Any sequence taking place in broad daylight or in some semblance of light sports a layer of obvious, though not annoying, grain. When the setting changes to dark locales or night-as it does for most of the last twenty minutes-it is next to impossible to figure out what is going on. Blacks are muddy and a medium gray in color. Other colors appear a bit washed out while the contrast appears to have been turned up a notch or two, perhaps in a deliberate attempt to create a stylized film.
AUDIO:
Image Entertainment provides the original Italian soundtrack in two flavors, 5.1 and 2.0. There´s not a lot of difference between the two. Certain sound effects are rendered better with the additional speakers; this mix does tend to spread the audio out a bit too much, creating an almost expansive feeling to an intimate story. The 2.0 is lower in volume than its counterpart. No discernable glitches or problems crop up. English subtitles are included.
EXTRAS:
A series of trailers to start off the disc include "The Secret," "The Riddle" and "Walker Payne" while this film´s trailer is available through the main menu. "My Brother is an Only Child" is broken down into 14 chapters.
PARTING THOUGHTS:
One minor story telling issue shouldn´t stand in the way of enjoying "My Brother is an Only Child." However, in conjunction with historical questions never fully answered by the script, I can´t fully recommend the film. Is there enough for an audience to latch onto for 104 minutes? Yes, as long as we´re willing to connect the dots with little help from the production. The structure may have worked better as a novel; it simply doesn´t make the jump to the screen as effectively as it should.