Vincere! (To Win!) it’s one the best films made by Italian famous director Marco Bellocchio. Bellocchio in the 90’s went trough a “dark phase” – cinematically speaking – of his carreer in which he used to write films together with his therapist: this unusual partnership created very intellectual, conceptual films , which I didn’t like at all when I was younger (I like emotions, not explanations). This juvenile prejudice is so strong inside me that I never went back to those films to give them a second chance. But Bellocchio came out of that phase, at one point: I think the real turning point was a great film called L’ORA DI RELIGIONE, the Hour of Religion. From that moment on it’s as if he had found his young ispiration. And VINCERE! it’s a another proof. The film tell the (true) story of a love story Mussolini had with a young woman, in the early phase of his political carreer. He even had a child with this woman, but never recognized him. Not only this: frightened this love affair could cause him troubles, he imprisoned his mother pretending she was mentally insane and never spoke to her again. The film – beautifully shot, powerfully acted by Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Filippo Timi – is strong and memorable.