"M - Son of the Century" is a sensational series Luca Marinelli plays Benito Mussolini in a dark portrait of the founder of fascism

If we could already imagine that M - The Son of the Century was a great series, we couldn’t have predicted that it would actually be extraordinary. After a very long wait, which saw the start of production in April 2022, skipping more than one festival where it was expected, the show premiered at the 81st Venice Film Festival, with a Luca Marinelli unrecognizable in the role of the Romagnolo Duce, a role that could establish him internationally, perhaps even more so than the already well-known Martin Eden. The global soul of the series is intrinsic, directed by Joe Wright of Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, who, after meeting producer Lorenzo Mieli during the promotional tour of his Cyrano in 2021, showed interest in taking on a project that told a dark chapter of Italian history: the rise of the figure of Benito Mussolini as he became known in public life, but also delving into the private aspects. M - The Son of the Century is an adaptation of the homonymous novel by Antonio Scurati (which also had a theatrical version with Massimo Popolizio), the first of a trilogy that includes The Man of Providence and The Last Days of Europe. At this point, we can only hope to see Scurati's other novels in future seasons of the series, if confirmed.

With the disaster unfolding before our eyes, Joe Wright’s direction creates a monumental piece of work, a reconstruction that has the strength of his professional eye and expertise in costume dramas, combined with one of the freshest, most incisive, and electrifying scripts in Italian serial television (and arguably in cinema). Davide Serino and Stefano Bises set the pace and rhythm of a Benito Mussolini who interacts with the audience, winks, utters slogans («Make Italy Great Again»), but also reveals his fears, his tricks, and his doubts. Wright shows Mussolini bluffing and makes him admit it openly through direction that captures the grandeur of the sets, the environments, and the performances; as the production becomes robust and grand, the integrity and humanity of the protagonist shrink.

Moving through the architectural forms elevated by the use of the camera, Wright entrusts the remaining charisma of his protagonist to Luca Marinelli, who loses himself in the physicality, voice, and histrionic smallness of the leader of the fascist movement. A performance of immense quality in its ability to shift tone within the span of a single scene, with a quick glance as he breaks the fourth wall and immediately returns to the era of the early 1900s. Disgraceful, cunning, sly, but also lucky and aware of it: all of Mussolini’s twists are mirrored in Marinelli’s performance, worthy of the highest praise. A tragic and theatrical character in a tragic and theatrical series that combines political reason and entertainment, Marinelli’s impeccable colleagues Barbara Nicchiarelli and Francesco Russo also deserve praise, along with an entire cast (including extras, supporting roles, and background actors) that is exemplary. With M - The Son of the Century, we are witnessing one of the greatest Italian series ever made, if not perhaps the greatest. But to crown it with this title, we will have to wait for its streaming release and public reception.