Dfter the passage to the last Venice Exhibition, Finally dawn by Saverio Costanzo has arrived in cinemas throughout Italy since yesterday. “Shortened” by about twenty minutes compared to the Venetian copy, the film reconstructs the great epic of Cinecittà – with its pharaonic productions and its Italian and international divas – through the parable of Mimosa. Innocent girl from post-war Italy who, by chance, ends up catapulted into a journey at the end of the night. Between fascinating characters and dangerous situations that will mark his transition to adulthood.
Finally dawnthe plot of Saverio Costanzo’s film
Rome, 1953. Eighteen-year-old Mimosa (Rebecca Antonaci) accompanies her beautiful sister Iris (Sofia Panizzi) to Cinecittà to participate in the auditions of the extras of an American blockbuster – with an Egyptian setting – filmed at the time of Hollywood on the Tiber. Surprisingly, however, Iris gets a sudden appearance among a hundred other extras while Mimosa – about to get married to a wealthy boy – is personally chosen by the star of the film Josephine Esperanto (Lily James) as a special extra. Reluctant at first, the girl also accepts because the co-star of the film is his idol: Sean Lockwood (Joe Keery).
During the filming day, Josephine she is won over by the girl’s innocenceand from his indifference to that world of appearance, and he drags her with him to a party. Among actors, ambiguous characters and fixers who buzz around the microcosm of cinema. The girl is thus catapulted in spite of herselfbut not without moments of euphoria, in a universe without rules (and scruples), animated by narcissism and rivalry. Together with her a group of bizarre characters, like the wily handyman Rufo Priori (Willem Dafoe), but also the famous Italian diva Alida Valli (Alba Rohrwacher).
A film inspired by the Wilma Montesi case
«Initially I wanted to write a film about the murder of the very young Wilma Montesiwhich occurred in April 1953 and which represented for Italy the first case of media assassination. Then, as often happens when writing, the initial idea has changed and rather than let the innocent die I sought redemption.” These Costanzo’s declarations at the presentation press conference at the Venice Film Festival.
But who was Wilma Montesi?
Born in Rome in 1932, Wilma was a girl of humble originsdaughter of a carpenter about to get married to a policeman, who thanks to her attractiveness he hung out in Cinecittà looking for small roles. In April 1953, at just 21 years old, she was found dead on the beach of Torvaianica where, according to the first reconstructions of the police commissioner of Rome, she went “to cure her irritated heels by walking on the shoreline”. The first hypothesis is that an ice cream eaten shortly before would have caused it an indigestion, resulting in loss of consciousness and drowning. But the hypothesis of suicide was also considered.
The newspapers, however, did not believe this version and began to suspicions circulate about Piero Piccionigreat jazz composer and Alida Valli’s boyfriend (who appears in Costanzo’s film). Strange rumors soon also cropped up about some red light parties in Capocottatown near Torvianica, e a witnessthe actress Adriana Bisaccia, stated that both she and Wilma participated in an orgy with political and social leaders of Rome. Pigeons included. According to Bisaccia, Wilma died that evening, after falling ill following alcohol and drug abuse. To then be abandoned on the beach by Piccioni and his powerful friends.
Despite parliamentary investigations and questions – Piccioni was the son of a high-ranking member of the DC -, the trial ended with an acquittal for Pigeons while the Bisaccia was convicted of slander. And the truth about the matter is still unknown today.
Wilma Montesi. (Getty Images)
Saverio Costanzo tells a story coming of ageand immersed in cinema
Halfway between historical reconstruction, homage to the cinema of the golden age and coming of age, Saverio Costanzo’s film is first and foremost the journey to adulthood, all in a matter of hours, of its young protagonist. Sort of Alice in Wonderland catapulted into the frenzy of a Cinecittà full of lights and shadows. Finally dawn but it is above all a film about cinema, or at least about the charm and influence that cinema of the 1950s had on several generations.
In this sense, Costanzo’s operation is similar to the one in Damien Chazelle’s film Babylon – even if the Hollywood of the late 1920s was reconstructed there before the advent of sound. Without forgetting also Tarantino’s masterpiece Once upon a time in… Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino.
All films that have also attempted to rewrite the cinema of those eras by letting ourselves be guided by the ghosts still trapped in the imagination today. See the murder of Sharon Tate in Tarantino’s film. Costanzo, so as not to miss anything, adds a pinch of Fellini which, coincidentally, in the final scenes of The sweet life he made Mastroianni find him again a sea creature that, metaphorically, symbolized the Montesi murder.
Rebecca Antonacci in a scene from “Finally l’alba”. (Photo by Eduardo Castaldo)
The young protagonist Rebecca Antonaci
Born in 2004Rebecca is also dancer, performer, musician, singer-songwriter. She is active in the theatre, cinema and television. In 2020 he published his first songs which immediately enter the official Spotify playlists. And last year the first album arrived Morphine.
Co-star of the first season of the series Light of your eyes with Anna Valle, in 2021 he met Saverio Costanzo on the set of a Barilla commercial and for the Roman director it is a shock. «I was very impressed with his concentration. She struck me because she managed to make a void in the confusion. Plus she was very curious.”
These the director’s words in Venice while Rebeccaon his role, declared «I found a great closeness with Mimosaa simple girl. I had a great time with the whole cast and I also had fun, even though I had a great responsibility. This is my first important film.”
Saverio Costanzo and Alba Rohrwacher, a couple at the cinema and in life
In Finally dawnin the role of the legendary Alida Valli, we find Alba Rohrwacher, Saverio Costanzo’s partner for over 15 years and constant presence in all his cinema.
The two they met in 2009 on the film set The solitude of prime numbersfilm based on the best-seller by Paolo Giordano and that launches the career of Luca Marinelli. And between the director and the actress a never flaunted love is born in front of the spotlight and today more complicit than ever.
Three years later Saverio directed her in an episode of the series In Treatment While in 2014 Alba is once again the protagonist of one of his films: Hungry Hearts together with Adam Driver. Both winners of the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for the best interpretation. For the series The brilliant friend instead, Costanzo – director of the first two seasons – wanted how narrating voice that of Alba.
Saverio Costanzo and Alba Rohrwacher on the red carpet in Venice. (Getty Images)
The cast also includes singer Michele Bravi
To his second experience as an actor – the premiere last year in the film Amanda by Caterina Cavalli – Michele Bravi in Finally dawn has a small but decisive role.
Well done indeed – with a very blond look reminiscent of Terence Stamp in Fellini’s short film Tony Dammit – takes on the role of a singer who, during the night party organized by the star Josephine, introduces young Mimosa to the dangerous and dark world of Rome at the time.
«Saverio looked for mean immense honor considering that he is my favorite Italian director», Bravi told the microphones of Radio Italy. «I believe it is a great example of Italian cinema and the film is truly a gem».
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