by Giacomo Savani (University of Leeds)
When I first came across Matteo Rovere’s Il Primo Re (‘The First King’) last December, I tweeted the poster of the film with a comment about the unusual choice of having the actors speaking in archaic Latin. Somewhat surprisingly, considering the success of my average tweets, this provoked lively debate, with most of the comments expressing excitement about the possibility of listening to this long-dead language. Intrigued by this enthusiasm, I decided to get in touch with Rovere, the young and talented director of Drifters (Gli Sfiorati, 2011) and Italian Race (Veloce Come il Vento, 2016), to better understand the creative process behind his last feature. Here’s what he told me about his latest project:
Q: Il Primo Re engages with the semi-mythological origins of Rome, offering a fresh look at the fratricidal conflict between Romulus and Remus. Can you tell us more about the way the founding myth and the relation between the twin brothers are interwoven in the film?
A: The foundation of Rome is usually considered the event that allowed power to became order, an order founded on divine laws. This transformation is re-elaborated into myth through the allegorical tale of Romulus and Remus, a clash between brothers where strength and courage are nothing without pietas and submission to the gods’ will. I tried to go towards this direction, analysing Remus’ inner struggle, the defeated sibling that loves his brother more than anything in the world.
Q: In the last twenty years or so, very few historical films set in the Roman period have been produced in Italy, with the notable exception of Claudio Bondì’s De reditu – Il ritorno (2004). What aspects of this niche genre attracted?
A: There were many aspects of this story that I found compelling: the mythical elements, the bond between the twin brothers, the sacred circle, nature’s overwhelming power over men. The sacrilegious act of a gentle and pious man, the explosive strength of his brother with a vision greater than himself, a city tending the holy fire, a fire that embodies God. With all these elements I climbed over the genre’s constraints, trying to demonstrate that Italian cinema can escape the narrow cage that often suffocates it.
Q: Many of the great Italian films of the 1910s set in the Roman past used it to explore present day issues (e.g. Giovanni Pastrone’ Cabiria (1914) and Italian imperialism). My colleagues at the CRSN would like to know if your film has anything to say about the Italian present in its representation of Rome’s foundation?
A: I don’t think this film has much to say about the current political situation. I didn’t intend to use the historical setting to talk about something else. I wanted to immerse myself in the world of 753 BC, trying to understand what might have led Romulus and Remus in that specific historical context. The film is the result of this deep engagement with the past.
Q: Do you have a special bond with the founding myth narrated in the film?
A: The story of Romulus and Remus is set in the remote past but is closer to our present than it appears. It talks to us through symbols that we can interpret in the light of our current time. While I was writing the script for the film, I had the feeling that the myth was guiding me towards a central issue: is it love or hubris that leads us to believe that we can become masters of our own destiny? Who is more divine, the man who rebels against God to protect love or God who asks the man to sacrifice that same love?
Q: At what stage of the project did you decide to use archaic Latin, as spoken in Latium vetus during the eighth century BCE, for the dialogue of the film?
A: The idea of using archaic Latin was there from the very beginning. I wanted my characters to speak a language that sounded like history, melodious and ancestral, a mother tongue, through which the audience could attune themselves with the story being told.
Q: How did the actors and the producers react to this unusual solution?
A: I was very curious, and a bit concerned to see what that choice might have entailed, the reaction of the actors and the other people on set. I have to say that from the time of the auditions it was overwhelming. Something magical happened, like a spell: we were listening to ancient, mysterious sounds, that were speaking to us.
Q: What kind of linguistic and archaeological research underpins your film?
A: We worked in close collaboration with an incredible team of semioticians from the Università La Sapienza (Rome), led by Professor Donatella Gentili. Starting from a detailed study of archaic Latin, they fleshed it out using the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language, the common ancestor of the Indo-European languages. [A sample page from the script can be seen at the end of this post.] Furthermore, with the support of archaeologists from the universities Tor Vergata and La Sapienza (Rome), we carried out accurate research to reconstruct props, weapons, and buildings.
Q: How and to what extent did you manage to reconcile historical accuracy with creativity?
A: Every artistic choice for the film was underpinned by a historical basis. This allowed me to have some points of reference to develop the story, which like every other work of fiction tries to go beyond the actual events.
Q: Which were your models for the ‘rough’ and dark aesthetics of the film?
A: I had in mind a realistic, analogue film, which at the same time contained technically complex scenes. I decided to work with only natural lighting and limited use of VFX [visual effects]. My models were Valhalla Rising (2009) and Apocalypto (2006).
Q: The film will be released in Italy on 30th January 2019. Are there any plans to distribute the film in other countries, in particular in the UK?
A: We are currently in contact with distributors in various countries.
Q: Do you think that the ‘unfiltered’ vision of the past offered by your film will generate an interest in classics among the general audience? Why do you think nowadays this is particularly important?
A: I hope that Il Primo Remight stimulate curiosity and interest in the classical world and ancient history. I wanted a film that could entertain and at the same time talk to people, bringing in the spotlight some crucial questions about the role of religion and free will. If the film ends up having a positive impact in terms of education and dissemination, I would be pleased.
