Growth Spirt; The Innovations of the Coming of Age Genre in Sorrentino’s 'The Hand of God'

I don’t often write about current films or films that lead to a lot of discussion in the film world, but for this week's Fi’s Favourites I will be breaking that rule to praise Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God (THOG).

I knew little of Sorrentino before this except for a few of his films. I never really looked into him as a filmmaker or his personal life, so I am glad, as I’m sure many others are, that Sorrentino decided to make this beautiful autobiographical film. The film clearly shows where his gifts and talents for filmmaking have come from. It was only recently that I had been talking about how Italian cinema has not made a comeback since the days of Fellini, Rossellini, De Sica or Moretti, but it looks like I will now be eating my words.

The coming of age film has already been a topic in the Fi’s Favourites archive. Something I really loved about Days of the Bagnold Summer was its subtle innovation and progression of the coming of age genre and THOG is an extension of this progression and innovation.

Stylistically, it is so alluring. It captures the breathtaking beauty that Italy has to offer, but it also captures the characters in an unusual but beautiful way. Characters are shown in what appear to be surreal, unrealistic worlds, but are very much a reflection of who they are and what they are going through. In some of the more comedic, lighthearted moments, the style is reminiscent of Wes Andersion. Our main characters, the Schisa family, are placed in a symmetrical setting. Sometimes they seem small, like children in a classroom getting scolded trying not to laugh, and sometimes they are just fitting neatly into their own world. Its style is a real mix, but it works so well for it because the film is such a mix of emotions and messages.

The charm that oozes from this film (as is the case with most coming of age stories) is due to the perfect combination of humour and misery. THOG certainly has this mix down to a fine art. There is a typical Italian/European sense of humour; blunt and upfront. There are also the hilariously painful moments that we all can’t believe we find ourselves in during our teen years. These agonising moments are what allow you to find yourself in your teenage years. The difficult path is what makes you grow up and come of age, and leads to you becoming your future self. Apart from humour, THOG has all of the other tropes present in films about emerging into adulthood: family, friendship, first loves, first heartbreak, crisis of self and identity, and trying to carve a path for yourself in the world.

This is what makes these kinds of films so endearing to audiences; as a viewer, you have to either have gone through it and come out the other side or you have to be going through it and feel like somebody else in the world understands what it’s like to be you. THOG has all of these great qualities that make it a wonderful film, but it also has something extra, something new, that brings a freshness to filmmaking and gets people like me excited.

The film is sent in the present, but it feels very much like someone looking back. If you didn’t know it was autobiographical, you would still get the sense that this is someone reflecting on a crucial point in their life. This feeling is down to the film's surreal nature. It captures memory in such a wonderful way. After all, aren’t all memories surreal? Like dreams, memories from our past leak into each other and so when we reminisce, it's like two video clips are playing at the same time. Or when you grow up in a family and hear stories from the past, you can place yourself in a memory that you were never present in, yet it feels so real. Of course, the more we remember, the more we alter and everything becomes a little less true and the leaks become bigger every time we reflect. Before you know it there is a wedding and a beach trip happening at the same time because one memory has become entangled in the other. It is such an ingenious way of letting your audience know that this is the past; my past. That these are/were my most difficult years and they have made me the person I am today.

Sorrentino has created a beautiful and delicate film that is worth not only a watch, but also all of the awards and praise that I am sure it is going to get. It has all of the charm, humour and delight you would expect to see in any coming of age tale. Its story is unique, yet totally universal. Sorrentino progresses a classic genre with total ease and uses his unique perspective and techniques to add even more sentiment and warmth to a beloved genre. Every film buff, and I believe every audience, appreciates and longs for something new. Sorrentino’s The Hand of God certainly gives us something new, something exciting and a lot to look forward to.