‘Io Capitano’ Review – Harrowing And Poignant Story Of Freedom And Hope

Io Capitano is nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards – and what a deserving effort. This film is daring with an almost mythic scope. The story focuses on two teenagers who leave their home in Senegal and trek to Italy. It is a tale of immigration, void of glitz. Io Capitano is provocative in depicting those seeking a better life for themselves and their families. This story is both raw and uplifting. It is one focusing on the human spirit and unquenchable thirst for freedom. The film is a triumph of hope and perseverance.

Io Capitano is co-written and directed by acclaimed Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone. In arguably his finest hour, Garrone weaves a story about humanity. The film focuses on two teenagers, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), leaving their home for Italy. Impoverished, they are hoping for a better future once they reach Europe. Garrone keeps the story focused on these young men and, in turn, protects the world as seen through their eyes. Optimism is a fuel that runs through the film and keeps it moving along. While the focus on the immigration aspect is raw and unforgiving, Garrone softens the harsh edges with a tender scope.

The cinematography by Paolo Carnera is majestic. The desert is harsh, but the landscape is sweeping, leaving the scenes to carry the audience away as Seydou and Moussa make their journey. Even the darkest pits that they find themselves in, such as a prison cell, have a mythic, almost fairytale-like quality to their look. For all the harsh realities these two face, and as frank as the story is concerning immigration from Africa to Europe – the movie is unquestionably optimistic.

The film’s most vital attribute is the painful yet determined existence of its migrant characters. Seydou endures the most hardships and trials of the two, but he constantly stares death and failure in the face – and never blinks. The momentum of his story is one the audience invests in from the start. His harrowing accounts are not unlike those of real-life refugees, and that is another aspect where the film excels. Yes, there is a triumphant, if not celebratory, ending, but the character’s journey makes the finale both climatic and uplifting.

In addition to the film’s sweeping and, at times, intimate cinematography, the musical score by Andrea Farri works in tandem. While the journey is far-reaching and, at times, epic, the score is never grandiose or imposing. There is often a temptation for the score to echo reverberating themes, but Farri keeps it intimate. There are crescendos, of course, but the film works best when it avoids extravagance.

As is often the case with a story of struggle and determination, unnecessary amounts of romanticism enter the narrative. Io Capitano never shrinks from telling the brutal story here. While this film delivers a rousing ending, the journey’s struggle is real and felt. However, the painful realities of the experience temper the jubilation, and while the ending is rousing, this film goes above and beyond what would be considered a Hollywood-style happy ending. It ultimately highlights the challenges those seeking freedom and a better life face.

Io Capitano is deserving of its praise. The harrowing nature of the story and the bold aspirations should make it a frontrunner to win its Oscar category. Garrone crafts a simple film premise yet imbues it with tremendous pathos. However, there is as much an inspirational film as it is aspirational. Humanity’s desire to rise above one’s circumstances and achieve something better is universal, as are the tenets of freedom, dignity, and eternal hope.

Io Capitano will debut in select theaters on February 23, 2024, courtesy of Cohen Media Group. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mg_AiPGw-0]