At first I was annoyed and was sure I won't make it till the end, but then the scene with the aging star caught my attention. After her derogatory speech in front of her "former" fellow-citizens and despite the view of her balding head, Parthenope listens to her "advice" and touches her face with great mercy. At this moment I realized that the movie is not about the beauty of some mythical siren, but about the beauty she sees in people beyond appearances. Moreover, it doesn't happen after she has lost her youth as her professor suggests - if so, with his sulky performance at the exam, he wouldn't have been able to impress her either. No, Parthenope exhibits her superpower throughout her life and the examples are numerous: when she reads John Cheever, alcoholic, depressive, a wonder; when she passionately kisses the disfigured acting teacher... And because she is a personification of Naples, the human imperfections she sees through are connected with the history of the city - with the ignorance and the misery, the patriarchal oppression, the facade religiousness and the superstition, the violence. All these are shown in the most brutal, horrific scenes, but in Parthenope those who embody them find understanding and acceptance and become wonders. Still, 8 out of 10 because of the slight sense of pretentiousness. You cannot be arrogant when you advocate for embracing all souls.
