M. Son of the Century, which premieres on Sky in the U.K. on Feb. 4, covers a span of time in the life of Benito Mussolini, the founder of fascism. It ranges from his early years, when he was still a journalist who had just left the Socialist Party, to the murder, by Mussolini’s fascist forces, of socialist politician Giacomo Matteotti, a killing that helped pave his rise to power. Italian star Luca Marinelli (The Old Guard, The Eight Mountains) embodies the infamous populist in the new series, adapted by screenwriters Stefano Bises and Davide Serino from Antonio Scurati’s historical novel. British filmmaker Joe Wright (Atonement, Darkest Hour), who knows his way around a historical epic, directs.
The dark and handsome Marinelli underwent a complete transformation, to play the brutish, balding Mussolini. He is unrecognizable. Throughout the 8-episode series, the Italian actor constantly breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the audience. “Follow me, you’ll love me too. I’ll make you a fascist.”
M. Son of the Century was produced by Sky Studios and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, part of Fremantle, and co-produced with Pathé, in association with Small Forward Productions, in collaboration with Cinecittà. International distribution is being handled by Fremantle.
In conversations with The Hollywood Reporter in Venice, where the series world premiered, and in London which he visited for the show’s U.K. launch, Marinelli discussed how he dove into the task of portraying the infamous fascist, the timeliness of the series, and a scene that sees Mussolini going full Trump.
Joe Wright has said you didn’t use any special make-up or prosthetics to become Mussolini. What kind of physical preparations did you have to go through?
Working on my body was without a doubt essential to get close to the character. I put on 20 kilograms [45 lbs], and I cut my hair; I learned Mussolini’s dialect from a dialect coach, which helped me a lot to get in character. Then I studied: I read Antonio Scurati’s book, and studied the screenplay. Most of all, I spent a long time discussing it with Joe. He was my guide. He held my hand and guided me through the series.
What existing material did you look at to prepare for the role?
I started searching everywhere. But it was difficult because much of the material we have, the video footage, pictures, and other books written by himself and by people around him at the time, were made under the regime. Everything was under his control. So we have just one aspect of him. But by searching very deeply in the texts and also in the images I found, I could spot the person behind the mask. He had his dictator mask on, but beneath was a person making criminal choices.
How do the person and the mask differ?
We had to find a human aspect, a private aspect [to Mussolini] and that was very difficult to find. I followed Joe’s ideas and what was written in the script. I think the filter that they found was very honest and really brave. But for me, he always wore his mask, even to himself. It was very hard for me to find the real emotion beneath. I think he was quite empty inside. He was someone who wanted power, who wanted to validate himself. But he always put on the mask. He is always giving himself a role to play, a mask to wear. For me, that was also quite painful because he was constantly using other people, causing pain and suffering for all those around him.
To an actor, is a tale of evil more fascinating than one of goodness?
I would say this is about power rather than evil. There’s the risk that evil could almost become a justification. This series tells the story of a person who did everything he could to obtain absolute power at any cost. He ended up surrounded by a void of despair and death.
How important was getting his voice right?
Keeping up [Mussolini’s] specific manner of speech was fundamental. At the time, there were no megaphones or mics. And yet everything still had to be grand and impressive. I believe Mussolini achieved many things just by working on his appearance, on the way he presented himself, as well as his voice. He sought out theatricality. I did the same thing myself, in the scenes in parliament as well as the speeches in front of the crowd, with more than 400 extras. I lost my voice a bunch of times. Those scenes were pretty alienating and painful. Especially when we were shooting the parliament scenes. I had to repeat the speeches he made, from start to finish, and those words are truly wretched and macabre in their shape and composition.
How did Joe Wright guide you?
He’s utterly devoted to art, to the theater and cinema. I was overwhelmed by his artistic and emotional genius. He’s helped me a lot. I would have never been able to make it without him. The trust and sense of well-being he gave me were essential. Without that, I would have been unable to take even one step forward. It’s important for all actors to have an atmosphere where you feel protected and listened to. If not, expressing oneself can be hard.
What was the hardest part for you about this role?
The one thing all actors go through: getting to know your character. It was painful because I had to suspend any kind of judgment to be able to get close to him. I am an antifascist, deeply so, and I come from an antifascist family. For seven months, during every hour and every day spent on set, I had to suspend my judgment. That was hard. When I returned home, I was luckily able to go back to being myself. But this thing, this journey, has left its mark on me. Getting so close to Mussolini was painful. For me, it was quite a struggle to do what an actor normally does, suspending judgment and going close to the role, in this case, this criminal person.
When did you notice it was affecting you?
It probably was when I first told my grandmother I was going to play him. I was at her place, and once I told her, she was stunned, and not in a good way. She was dumbfounded. She asked me why. And I had no idea what to say to that. I was speechless. The surprise I saw in her eyes was a negative one.
Things came full circle seven months later after I returned to her place, and, lying in bed, I suddenly burst into tears. I could feel my body again, my hair was growing back, and I was once again conscious of who I was. At that time I exploded. Because I understood what I had done to myself. But I take responsibility for my choices, and I believe I have done something important.
Has your grandmother watched the series?
Yes. She was very happy with it. Mostly because she couldn’t recognize me! But she was able to understand what we wanted to accomplish with it. And she could find the answer to that “why?”
What was the most challenging thing about the show for you?
I would say everything, nearly everything. I think there are two different levels. One level is the artistic level which was challenging, but amazing because of working with Joe Wright and with all the people that he chose to work with. It was amazing, amazing, amazing – three times amazing. Then there is the emotional level, the ethical level, and the political level. That was really challenging in another way. That is where I suffered the most because [politically, emotionally, ethically] I’m completely the opposite [to Mussollini].
In many scenes you had to quickly switch tones: one second you’re interacting with the other actors and living through the narrative; then almost out of the blue, you turn to the camera to talk directly to the audience. How was that as a challenge for you?
As an actor, it was certainly interesting. But it was part of the character. Mussolini was described as a stage animal. Being able to speak to the crowd and win it over was part of his character. It was one of the most dangerous things about him. And it’s something we still see to this day, around the world.
From a purely artistic point of view, what kind of experience was it?
Certainly one of the most important ones I’ve had so far. And I’m truly grateful to myself and those who offered me the role for being able to share in this incredible responsibility and to become one of the messengers of this story. It’s my impression that its more intricate details aren’t known to everyone, as they weren’t to me before; not everyone knows all its many turning points.
What message does the series want to convey?
That it’s essential to know your history. By this, I mean each of us has to make an effort to learn out history, what we learn in school, and what we can learn on our own. As I read through Antonio [Scurati]’s book I was dumbfounded by several events. They seemed unreal to me, but they were not at all unreal. Our country was ravaged for 20 years by fascists. It’s important to know these things; it’s important to know and recognize history not just as what has already been but also in the ways it can happen again in the present.
Do you think the audience could misunderstand the spirit of the series?
Not at all. If anyone does, it’s because they already have their own bias. Or perhaps they need to learn more. On my end, I’m sure that there can be no confusion. Because it was never the intention of any of us, at any time, to glorify fascism.
Do you draw parallels from this history to the present day?
We also see politicians today using comedy to get close to the people but then there is tragedy behind that. So we play with that to engage the audience. With Mussolini, [other] politicians underestimated him at the beginning, only to find themselves in a dictatorship. The Italian people were initially fascinated by him, and then discovered the tragedy. His movement is 100 years old but elements are still there.
In one surprising scene, you as Mussolini turn to the camera and say you will “make Italy great again,” one of the only direct references to Trump and current-day politics.
There were many references [to modern-day politics] in the script initially, but a lot of them were cut out. That’s the only one that stayed in. I think it’s really important [it did], because it references the present. It’s a shocking moment for the audience which I think is very important.
Do you see any connections to Mussolini’s time and current politics in Italy?
I believe [our story] is as relevant to modern-day Italy as it is relevant to modern-day Europe and to the rest of the world. Mussolini invented populism. Or at the very least, he made it mainstream. It’s relevant because history repeats itself, and it’s important to see that we have to be very careful.
It seems to me that other than power, this series is also about the responsibility we all have. Mussolini was able to do what he did because of the climate of the time, because some downplayed the danger he posed, and because others went along….
Absolutely. They underestimated him, as a man, and the phenomenon that he ultimately brought about which ultimately crushes everyone. For me [the series] is an invitation to not underestimate anything, not even those things that seem irrelevant or small. Throughout history, every time something’s been underestimated, the consequences have been tragic and painful.
You share several scenes with Francesco Russo, who plays Cesare Rossi, one of the original fascists and Mussolini’s advisor, which feel almost comical. But the dark comedy soon leads to tragedy…
Some speeches may sound humorous but if carefully analyzed in their substance, they will show all of their unscrupulousness. They’re not fun, they don’t speak of funny things. Their tone would lead us to believe otherwise, but it’s not true. Sometimes we use moments of dark comedy because that’s how life goes. Life is not always serious. We are laughing with a politician, and suddenly we end in tragedy. I think using these different shades is quite brave and honest because that is history. If you read this history, sometimes you will be shocked by how things went. In a way, it was a dark comedy, a tragic comedy. Life can sometimes be a tragic comedy.
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