My favorite film from this course would have to be At War with Love or In Guerra per Amore. At War with Love is an Italian comedy set in the middle of World War II. Arturo is in love with Flora, but to marry her he requires her father’s permission. Her father lives in Sicily, so Arturo joins the American army who is preparing to invade Italy. It was my favorite film because of it humor and its historical significance.
I really liked how the main plot was a cover for the larger, historical plot beneath it. The romance between Arturo and Flora was small compared to everything else that was happening in the world. The story was interesting and the humor in the film was refreshing. The scene with Arturo flying into Sicily on top of the donkey really added to my viewing experience. That scene alone helped this film stand out from the other films we watched in class. The theme of the donkey continued with the donkey song that the young Sicilian boy is obsessed with. The boy trusts Arturo and the other Americans because he saw the flying donkey come with them. He trusts them enough to ask them about the donkey song that his father used to sing to him.
The mafia is not as open in this film unlike the others. Arturo is not a part of the mafia, but his love is engaged to the son of a mafia boss. Arturo himself becomes a target in Sicily. The mafia is not yet out in the open, but follows him in the shadows and through dark alleys. In America, the mafia is connected through several Italian restaurants while in Sicily several of their members were imprisoned until the Americans arrived. It was interesting to see how the mafia expanded their influence, especially because Arturo was not focused on them. We had to observe them from behind our main character.
My favorite thing about At War with Love is the ending. Arturo finally makes it back to America, but he heads straight to the white house thinking he can talk to the president about what is happening in Sicily. There is the montage of the mafia players gaining control over the regions because of the American soldiers. In this scene, you realize the film is not just a romance, but it also shows what the Americans left behind in Sicily. The last shot of him still sitting on the bench in front of the white house leaves a chilling image in one’s head after the film. In that moment, the movie transitions from a romantic comedy to a depressing historical account of how the mafia gained power in Sicily.
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