Slap the Monster on Page One – Radiance

Director: Marco Bellocchio
Screenplay: Sergio Donati, Goffredo Fofi
Based on a Story by: Sergio Donati
Starring: Gian Maria Volonté, Laura Betti, Fabio Garriba, Carla Tatò, Jacques Herlin, John Steiner, Michel Bardinet, Jean Rougeul, Corrado Solari
Country: Italy, France
Running Time: 87 min
Year: 1972
BBFC Certificate: 15 (TBC)

Slap the Monster on Page One was originally intended to be the directorial debut of screenwriter Sergio Donati. However, the film’s star, Gian Maria Volonté, had reportedly argued with him when production began, so Marco Bellocchio was brought in to take over. This makes Slap the Monster on Page One a rare ‘director-for-hire’ job for Bellocchio, who normally wrote his own films. The story’s political content still fit with the director’s typical style though and the script was reshaped to move away from its original giallo-like form, so it doesn’t feel like that much of an anomaly.

Bellocchio reportedly disowned the film though, largely due to him not writing the script. It sparked a few minor controversies on its release too, leading to a mixed reception, though it didn’t spark as much outrage as you might expect, given the politically-charged nature of the film. After a recent re-issue of Slap the Monster on Page One screened at Cannes, however, Bellocchio warmed to the film, and its reputation, generally, has grown. Now, the film is being released on Blu-ray by Radiance Films.

I got hold of a copy and my thoughts follow.

Slap the Monster on Page One follows the questionable work of Bizanti (Gian Maria Volonté), the editor of a fictional Italian newspaper called Il Giornale, known for its sensationalist reporting and conservative bias.

When a young girl is brutally murdered, Bizanti seizes the opportunity to exploit the tragedy for political gain during the election period. Rather than objectively reporting the news, he orchestrates a campaign to frame a left-wing student as the culprit. Through biased reporting, character assassination, and outright lies, the newspaper manipulates public opinion and undermines the official police investigation.

The film was made and is set during Italy’s turbulent ‘years of lead’ (which I’ve discussed in some earlier reviews) and Bellocchio is highly successful in vividly depicting the tense atmosphere of the time. Aiding this is an opening montage that’s largely made up of documentary footage, including that of the funeral of the political activist Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, who died whilst the film was in production.

It’s believed by many that, during the ‘years of lead’, the State and the State-led media were complicit in far-right terrorist acts, which were used to create an atmosphere of tension that would provoke the population into violent action which would then enable the State to react with tough methods of repression mainly aimed at dismantling the left, who had strong support. As such, Slap the Monster on Page One seems to be taking a clear potshot at the powers-that-be (perfectly embodied in its potent final image), so I’m surprised it didn’t cause more of an uproar on release.

Although the film is clearly set during this very particular moment in Italian history, its message and themes are sadly still relevant today. Beyond the obvious fact that the media has continued to strongly influence political persuasion through dishonest and nefarious methods, there are a few other prescient details in the film. One particularly interesting development is the fact that Ignazio La Russa, a speaker shown heading a far-right rally in the film’s opening, is now Italy’s President of the Senate.

Perhaps even more notable, is the fact that the film’s fictional newspaper, Il Giornale, became an actual publication only two years later and went on to take a similar political stance to its fictional counterpart.

Away from its political intentions, the film also works as a cracking thriller due to its furious pace. The film is given a lot of energy through sharp editing and interesting camera movement that mixes impressive dolly/crane shots with handheld action sequences.

Volonté is as excellent as usual in the lead role. His character is utterly despicable but Volonté keeps us watching through a brutal, cold charisma. Laura Betti, who plays a lonely, middle-aged woman that Bizanti manipulates to forward his scheme, provides a more human character, in another strong performance in the film.

Overall then, Slap the Monster on Page One is a searing indictment of the press and a reminder of the frightening power it can have in the wrong hands. It paints an evocative picture of Italy at the time but is also sadly as relevant now as it was then.

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