Film: Io non ho paura (2003) Review

Directed by : Gabriele Salvatores

            Running Time: 108 minutes

            IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326977/

Io non ho paura ( I’m not scared) is a beautifully crafted film set in Southern Italy (1978). It follows the discovery that nine year old  Michele has stumbled upon and how he deals with it.

While exploring an old abandoned house, Michele notices a trap door and looks inside. To his surprise he sees a very fragile/malnutritioned child squinting back at him and it gives a Michele a huge scare. It turns out, the child’s name is Filippo  and strangely he thinks he is dead.

Eventually Michele befriends Filippo and brings him food and water daily. Michele does not tell anybody of his discovery at first as he clearly does not understand what the reality of the situation is as he is only nine years old.

As the plot progresses, the film becomes an intense ride as Filippo’s story becomes evident and Michele gets caught up in a web of unfortunate circumstances. 

Salvatores takes his time to get to the climax. He depicts how Michele’s secret grows in his mind. That is to say that for Michele there were also other things to think about, as for when he longs for a toy blue truck that belongs to a friend, he strikes a bargain to get it. Essentially, the urgency of the situation only gradually grows in Filippos mind.

This film is a helpful reminder that in childhood days seemed to last forever. Parents were by far a law that was not to be questioned, as they had demonstrated that they knew best and that we were only children. ‘ Io non ha paura’ is a depiction of true childhood, of it’s fears and doubts, of the way a conversation can be overheard but not understood, of the innocence of a child.

This film works perfectly, the acting is impressive, the cinematography is beautiful and the director’s story telling through the eyes of Michele is captivating.

ENJOY!