Alice Rohrwacher is one of my favorite directors, even though I have only seen a few of her works. Be it Happy as Lazzaro or The Pupils, itโs distinct enough to know itโs her film when you see it. Despite infusing magical realism in her work, she does not let it lose focus from their central narratives. โLa Chimeraโ (2023) is another delightful addition to her oeuvre that uses her filmsโ stylistic peculiarities to present a charming tale of romance – with a series of stylistic and thematic layers. It stars The Crown fame Josh O’Connor as its hopeless romantic protagonist Arthur.
After getting out of prison, Arthur, an Englishman, returns to a small village in Italy with a broken heart. The love of his life โ Beniamina (played by Yile Vianello), is absent from the picture, and he mourns her loss. He comes back to meet her mother, Flora (played by Isabella Rossellini), who thinks the world of him. Thatโs where he meets Floraโs pupil, Italia (played by Carol Duarte), who has her own charm. Nevertheless, this melancholic protagonist has his heart still looking for the signs of Beniamina, whose fate is unknown to Flora.
La Chimera neatly explores details about these characters and their place in the world. Arthur meets the gang of grave-stealers led by Spalletta (played by Milutin Dapฤeviฤ) and uses his magical ability to discover graves and unearth the treasures and relics that were left behind. He helps the gang in stealing these precious artifacts and making a fortune out of them. Amidst its folk tale-ish tonal narration, it alludes to their social strata and how it corresponds to their means of wealth creation.
Over the course, this bunch of underprivileged nobodies meets an influential, wealthy party โ Frida (played by Alba Rohrwacher), who tries to snatch this source of income from them. Even the police seem complicit in this act – where the poor ones suffer, and the wealthy bunch gets the cream of the pie – despite doing none of the actual work. So, in an โeat the richโ fashion, the gang makes efforts to take back what they discovered. The film explores the aspect of greed and how this idea of ownership can be tricky and often inhumane.
While finding solace in Italiaโs presence, Arthur struggles with the thoughts of the impact of his actions. A detached outlook will see those objects merely as material possessions. However, when thereโs a personal connection to the people who died, it makes one contemplate the ethical aspects. The same happens with Arthur, who struggles to rationalize his actions and maintain his sanity โ while trying to find a connection between the living and the dead.
La Chimera follows this thread of social conscience the way Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro did as well – where an innocent soul is pitted against the tragic truth of the world. Her script explores the themes of love, loss, grief, and longing in its mystical setting. In their intertwined tales, all its characters seek Chimera, aka โsomething they try to achieve but never manage to find.โ The gang sees easy money as their Chimera, whereas Arthur considers Beniamina as his. He hopes to reconnect with his lover and to share the same sky with her – which is impossible in the mortal world.
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Thatโs where Rohrwacherโs peculiar style works wonders. It builds bridges between different worlds and turns this period-setting film into a bewitching experience. From hairstyling, makeup, and costumes to other visual choices, she presents a fine blend of everything – which creates a mesmerizing world to look at and be a part of. Her trademark mix of yellows and the sort-off turquoise greens brings a charm to her color palette. Despite simultaneously dealing with personal and bigger-picture narratives, it never feels jarring while shifting from one to the other.
Josh O’Connor, who gave a heartbreaking performance in Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country, gives another charming performance. While portraying this lover, he explores Arthur’s fleeting attraction and his eternal love with equal emotional honesty. Carol Duarte’s endearing performance as the doe-eyed Italia is another strong factor in La Chimera. Besides Flora, she becomes an anchor for Arthur to accept reality and not let him lose his innocence. Isabella Rossellini is also a befitting choice to play a woman caught up in the past and the present – although not like Arthur.
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