La Chimera (2023) | Dir. Alice Rohrwacher
Courtesy of NEON
Written by: Belle McIntyre
The mythological representations of the chimera are varied and bizarre concoctions of more than one body part like a fire breathing dragon with a fish tail. The chimera can also stand in for an illusory desire, or a haunting fantasy. It can be many things to many different people. Alice Rohwacher includes a rich cornucopia of eccentric characters including crackpots, seekers, debauched desperados, visionaries, and delusional lost souls with tenuous connections to reality and each other. The film references Fellini, Pasolini and the Taviani brothers with many surrealistic flourishes.
Courtesy of NEON
The location is Tuscany in the 1980’s and involves a motley crew of grave robbers. We first meet Arthur (Josh O’Conner), a tall lanky laconic Englishman on a train returning to his village after serving time for robbery. Arthur, a former archaeological scholar has a passionate appreciation for the beauty and value of the objects which he seeks. As he is enthusiastically greeted by his former gang he is resistant to their allure and tries to shake them off. It is abundantly clear that these ragtag ruffians have a different attitude toward their loot. For them it is only about the money and they have no qualms about their chosen profession as a desecration.
Courtesy of NEON
As Arthur re-enters society, which includes a magnificent Isabella Rossellini as a grand dame, Flora (the mother of his mysteriously lost love, Beniamina, he is relentlessly pressured by his old gang. They need him because he has the gift of divination; finding himself overcome by strange feelings and fainting in the presence of a potential burial site. His emotional connections override his wish to change his life and find deeper meaning. Instead the gang which reminds one of Ken Keysey’s Merry Pranksters keep finding better hauls, which they dispatch to the illusive trafficker, Spartaco. Finally they become victims of their own success and are unable to handle the scale and magnitude of their finds, and we move into action territory with Interpol involvement and high-speed boat chases.
Courtesy of NEON
The denouement of the caper is a complete surprise, as is the coda for Arthur and his search for deeper meaning. Along the way there are unforgettable, delightful episodes and scenes of great beauty. It is fully loaded with reasons to be enjoyed with gusto.
