Being a special parent of and active in the community of special (aka mentally handicapped) children, this story hit close to home. Especially the way in which it illuminated two very subtle yet extraordinarily important aspects of the behavior and psychology of this child as well as a parent.
In the movie, the biological father Gianni is shown to have "given up" the child Paolo to another couple. I would interpret this not so much in a literal way, but more in an allegorical way, since even in real life, due to the trauma and complexity of parenting a special child, parents may "lose touch" with the child, even if the child is in house. It is a huge challenge, especially balancing the child's care with other aspects of life including social, career, health, other siblings of the child etc. All too often, the special child itself becomes only a tiny part of the whole "system" and mind numbing "details" of providing care.
The film also brilliantly portrays the resolution ["""potential spoiler***] of the above dilemma thats all too common in special parents' lives. Initially Gianni tries to deal with Paolo in a loving yet ultimately paternalistic way. But this doesn't get him anywhere near his goal of bonding with Paolo. In the end, only when Gianni literally breaks down, and becomes as helpless as a child himself, and lets Paolo comfort him as a father would, does the real bonding between father and son occur on a level playing field.
This is an incredibly insightful object lesson, and is so true in the often dark, challenging yet ultimately fulfilling lives of special parents.
This movie is a veritable ode to the divine relationship that exists between such parents and their special children.
I rate this movie 10/10 due to its authenticity and humanism.
PS: Another movie on the same topic, but from a siblings perspective is A Time For Drunken Horses by Bahman Ghobadi.
In the movie, the biological father Gianni is shown to have "given up" the child Paolo to another couple. I would interpret this not so much in a literal way, but more in an allegorical way, since even in real life, due to the trauma and complexity of parenting a special child, parents may "lose touch" with the child, even if the child is in house. It is a huge challenge, especially balancing the child's care with other aspects of life including social, career, health, other siblings of the child etc. All too often, the special child itself becomes only a tiny part of the whole "system" and mind numbing "details" of providing care.
The film also brilliantly portrays the resolution ["""potential spoiler***] of the above dilemma thats all too common in special parents' lives. Initially Gianni tries to deal with Paolo in a loving yet ultimately paternalistic way. But this doesn't get him anywhere near his goal of bonding with Paolo. In the end, only when Gianni literally breaks down, and becomes as helpless as a child himself, and lets Paolo comfort him as a father would, does the real bonding between father and son occur on a level playing field.
This is an incredibly insightful object lesson, and is so true in the often dark, challenging yet ultimately fulfilling lives of special parents.
This movie is a veritable ode to the divine relationship that exists between such parents and their special children.
I rate this movie 10/10 due to its authenticity and humanism.
PS: Another movie on the same topic, but from a siblings perspective is A Time For Drunken Horses by Bahman Ghobadi.