I must be an old-fashioned conservative of the old values because I love this movie for the first twenty minutes - until the end of the birthday party. What comes after is a tragic breakdown of the family heritage and the collapse of the old Italy, which is painful to watch.
But the first twenty minutes take a rare look into an aristocratic, Milanese Italian family. The mansion plays a big role in presenting the class and sophistication of a major industrialist family. Although the time it takes to serve the soup seems too long and the soup must grow cold, the family celebration of the patriarch's birthday gives me a glimpse into another culture and another social class.
Apparently the film depicts not only the transformation of the protagonist family but also the transformation of the Italian society from the old reality to the new reality of globalization, diversity of people and sexual orientation. The Recchi family-owned textile mill can't compete in the global market of cheap labor and competition. Although the heirs of the family fortune makes a lot of money from selling the company, it suggests the end of an era. It is sad to see the heirs of the family fortune aren't willing to brave the changing environment but want to make quick bucks by selling it off to a foreign buyer.
If I were the patriarch founder of the family fortune, I would be very sad to see my life-time work sold off to a stranger. I don't believe that pursuing one's heart and love justifies the renunciation of the family legacy and pride. But that's my personal belief.
But the first twenty minutes take a rare look into an aristocratic, Milanese Italian family. The mansion plays a big role in presenting the class and sophistication of a major industrialist family. Although the time it takes to serve the soup seems too long and the soup must grow cold, the family celebration of the patriarch's birthday gives me a glimpse into another culture and another social class.
Apparently the film depicts not only the transformation of the protagonist family but also the transformation of the Italian society from the old reality to the new reality of globalization, diversity of people and sexual orientation. The Recchi family-owned textile mill can't compete in the global market of cheap labor and competition. Although the heirs of the family fortune makes a lot of money from selling the company, it suggests the end of an era. It is sad to see the heirs of the family fortune aren't willing to brave the changing environment but want to make quick bucks by selling it off to a foreign buyer.
If I were the patriarch founder of the family fortune, I would be very sad to see my life-time work sold off to a stranger. I don't believe that pursuing one's heart and love justifies the renunciation of the family legacy and pride. But that's my personal belief.