Below the Clouds

I saw this film at the AFI Film Festival in Hollywood. Todd Hitchcock of AFI introduced the film as one of his favorites - I must respectfully disagree with his assessment. This a documentary from Italian director Gianfranco Rosi about Naples as it faces dual volcanic threats from Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei as well as earthquakes. It is somewhat interesting along with some hilarious (and some sad) calls to the fire department including serious ones about an earthquake and domestic violence as well as funny ones including an old man calling to ask the time! But the film got a bit annoying with cuts that defy logic as well as the inclusion of an old tutor of children with no apparent connection to the matter at hand. Don't go out of your way for this one. 5/10.

Watched at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Gianfranco Rosi isn't a filmmaker that has really wowed me as I have seen his previous works like Fire at Sea and Notturno, which are interesting but felt a bit a lack of substance.

I do appreciate what Gianfranco Rosi is wanting to display for this documentary. Using imagery, sound and presentation to explore the world and everyday life of Italian people in Naples is an interesting experimental. What Rosi does successful is his direction on the beautiful camerawork, atmosphere and sound designs throughout. Scenarios, scenes and pictures of Naples, the environment, the people, and setting are beautiful, and a wonder to examine. As if we witnessing the fragments of the common things about life, traditions, and society.

However, the way he structures his documentary on how it's presented, paced and the purpose feels thin. Just like his previous movies, Rosi direction tries to balance out between the experimental, documentary, and different approaches of filmmaking to explore it's subject and purpose. While I do admire where Rosi is coming from, the problems is that it causes the message and themes to feel a bit thin, and unbalanced. You learn about things but as a whole, you don't really gain much about Naples, and rather, it feels a bit lifeless and missing.

Alongside with some good light humor moments, the movie at times, feels too superficial, as if it feels fictional, rather than realist. Whether it was intentional to Rosi, it doesn't really fully grasp with it's message and themes. Which causes the documentary to feel a bit slanted.

Overall, I do understand and appreciate to what Rosi is wanting to explore and there are some solid moments. However, as a documentary, it feels slightly confused and unfulfilling.