Superb story-telling full of warmth, humour, sadness, and gladness.
The Greater Good (Il bene comune) screens as part of the 2026 ST. ALi Italian Film Festival more information about the festival is available here:
The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival is coming soon to cinemas!
Read the Glam Adelaide story about the festival here: The ST. ALi Italian Film Festival – Glam Adelaide
Retired army officer Biagio runs tours into the Pollino National Park in southern Italy. He is helped by his 23 year old nephew who he is also training in middle-distance running. Biagio has been asked to lead an overnight hike into the Park, specifically to see a Bosnian Pine: the oldest living tree in Europe. The group he is taking consists of five female inmates of a low-security detention house and their drama workshop leader, struggling actress Raffaella.
The Greater Good is directed by screen veteran Rocco Papaleo who also takes on the role of Biagio and co-wrote the screenplay with Valter Lupo. Structured around a classic ‘hero’s journey’ frame, the work weaves music into nearly every scene, in a starring role, rather than just as melodious ambient sound. This ties in well with the story of one of the inmates who was a singer-songwriter, but has not sung since she became incarcerated. Her story, and those of all the inmates, Raffaella, Biagio, and his nephew Luciano, all come out at various times along the trek to the Bosnian Pine and back again. In this way the film sits in that great storytelling journey tradition of works such as The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, or The Salzburg Tales. The use of wonderful songs lifts the narratives just a little higher.
The entire ensemble gives warm and human performances, anchored around those of Vanessa Scalera as Raffaella, and Papaleo himself. Teresa Saponangelo is divine and funny as Gudrun; the wonderful Claudia Pandolfi delivers another moving performance as Samanta, Rosanna Sparapano is a delight as Anny, and newcomer Livia Ferri delivers a measured and intense performance as Fiammetta.
Cinematographer Diego Indraccolo made the most of the glorious scenery Pollino had to offer him, while Production Designer Sonia Peng shaped scenes both realistic and dreamlike. This film is a joy to watch from a visual perspective, as well as from a narrative one.
The Greater Good is an admirable and thoroughly enjoyable piece of cinema, spoiled only by a somewhat silly, preachy ending, which was totally unnecessary…in the same line as that dire ending to Don Giovanni! However if you squint at the end you can miss it, and pretend it never happened, basking in the glory that is the rest of this work.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Rating 4.5 out of 5
Distributor: PalaceFilms
