‘Kidnapped: The Abduction Of Edgardo Mortara’ Review – A Powerful Tale Of Control And Influence

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to have their child kidnapped. It’s a whole other story when a child is taken in front of you in the name of God. That’s what happens in Marco Bellocchio’s Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara, a powerful tale of control and influence. Based on a true story, the film’s deliberate, slow pace contributes to its uncommon power, portraying a fight worth fighting for that is truly insurmountable.

The film opens with an ominous knock at the door in the middle of the night. Clad in black religious garb and holding orange-lit oil lamps, they enter uninvited, adding to the fear. The man in charge asks the woman of the home, Marianna (an explosive Barbara Ronchi), if her husband is home. She says no, but the man enters the room, having the children gather for a roll call.

When Marianna’s husband, Salomone (Bellocchio player Fausto Russo Alesi, terrific here), arrives, he has his oldest family and neighbors nearby. The group locates their target, young Edgardo (Enea Sala), and delivers the terrible news to the Mortara family—six-year-old Edgardo was a victim of a baptism. How is that possible? No one seems to know because the Mortara family is Jewish and has no affiliation with the Christian faith.

Understandably, the parents are taken aback but receive even more disturbing news: the church is taking Edgardo away. Remember, the world was a much different place, with religious leaders holding equal or more power than appointed officials or those with royal bloodlines. They tell the Mortaras that Pier Gaetano Feletti (Fabrizio Gifuni), the inquisitor of Bologna, ordered the “legal” abduction himself.

Marco Bellocchio is a master at exposing the dark side of power, control, and influence. The Italian director draws inspiration from Paolo Pierobon’s portrayal of Pope Pius IX. Here, the film gains its commanding presence from Pierobon’s turn, which is remarkable. Pierobon demonstrates, in a profession that some consider untouchable by God, how power fosters a sense of impunity and a willingness to engage in disturbing corruption.

The other aspect of Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara, based on Daniele Scalise’s nonfiction novel Il caso Mortara, is identity. Bellocchio intentionally works the script as an arduous experience. However, this is intentional. This builds to the film’s two best scenes, which encompass that sentiment. This scene involves Edgardo finally coming to terms with his happenstance, involving the audience with a central figure’s reputation.

The other Edgardo can no longer fight what he has already become. The tale of Edgardo Mortara is just as much about the loss of community and identity as it is about wielding the influence of power. This is unique, making Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara a tremendous entry into the Italian crime cinema because Bellochhio gets to the heart of the matter of the mezzo effects of the atrocities of macro organizations.

Even the manipulation and exploitation of people by means of predatory practices by the ones we hold dear.

Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara will debut exclusively in select theaters on May 24, 2024, courtesy of Cohen Media Group.