Fascism’s Origin Retold as Electronica Music Video on TV
The TV series Mussolini: Son of the Century offers a daring, almost theatrical retelling of Benito Mussolini’s rise during the chaotic years following World War I. This French-Italian production doesn’t shy away from portraying the controversial figure in bold, flashy ways, blending historical storytelling with modern stylistic choices.
At its core, the show explores how Mussolini laid the foundation for fascism, one of the most destructive and dangerous political movements of the twentieth century. Starring Luca Marinelli, the series combines intense dramatic performances with pulsing electronic beats, giving it the rhythm and energy of a music video.
Via Variety
Directed by Joe Wright, celebrated for visually striking films like Atonement, the production uses quick edits, harsh shadows, and unnerving sound design to keep viewers unsettled. The narrative focuses on 1919 to 1924, a pivotal era when Mussolini shifted from being a socialist journalist to the founder of the fascist movement.
Italy in Chaos After World War I
To understand the series, it’s helpful to look at the real history behind it. After World War I, Italy won on paper but lost in reality. Soldiers came home to poverty, unemployment, and land seizures by peasants. The government, a shaky democracy, couldn’t handle the unrest. Socialists were gaining ground with talk of revolution, inspired by Russia’s Bolsheviks.
Via Britannica
Mussolini, editing a socialist paper called “Avanti!,” got kicked out for his pro-war stance. He started his own paper, “Il Popolo d’Italia,” funded by mysterious backers, and used it to spread his new ideas. The show dives into this period with vivid scenes of rallies and clashes. Mussolini’s squadristi, or blackshirts, were thugs who beat up opponents and broke strikes for factory owners.
The D’Annunzio Experiment and Its Influence
One key event is the occupation of Fiume in 1919. Gabriele D’Annunzio, a poet and war hero played by Paolo Pierobon, led a group of soldiers to seize the city on the Adriatic Sea. Italy had promised it to Yugoslavia, but nationalists wanted it. D’Annunzio turned Fiume into a wild experiment called the Italian Regency of Carnaro, with crazy laws and Futurist art everywhere.
Via The New Republic
Futurism was an avant-garde movement that loved speed, machines, and war, led by writer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who made a brief but intense appearance in the series. Marinetti’s sound poetry mixes with the electronica score during brutal fight scenes, linking the wild art of the time to fascist aggression.
The Fiume adventure inspired Mussolini; he saw how charisma and drama could rally people. The series portrays D’Annunzio as a flashy showman, almost like a rock star general, whose theatrics Mussolini copied. After 16 months, the Italian army kicked D’Annunzio out, but the episode left a mark on the fascist movement.
Via The Hollywood Reporter
It showed that direct action, not just talk, could seize power. Viewers see Mussolini watching from afar, learning lessons in manipulation and spectacle. The show’s style amps up these historical moments. Director Joe Wright uses swirling camera work, like grenades spinning in slow motion, cut with Mussolini’s intense stares.
Colors shift from dark reds to black-and-white, creating a dreamlike feel that’s both exciting and disorienting. At times, it echoes 1990s music videos from bands like The Prodigy, with their raw energy. The visual contrasts intensify the sense of unpredictability, pulling viewers deeper into the atmosphere.
Via TheCollector
Mussolini’s Personal Life and Ambitions
Behind the public mask, the series peeks into Mussolini’s private world. He had a rich mistress named Margherita Sarfatti, played by Barbara Chichiarelli, who was a key supporter. An art critic and intellectual, she helped shape fascist ideas and funded Mussolini’s rise.
In one dinner scene, she challenges him on his shifting politics, pointing out he’s more left-wing than some socialists on issues like workers’ rights. Mussolini brushes it off, saying fascism is “everything and the opposite of everything.” This line captures the movement’s core: no fixed beliefs, just whatever works to gain control.
Via The Times
Mussolini’s family gets some screen time, too. His wife, Rachele, and their kids show the human side, but even home life is tense with his ambitions. The series hints at his affairs and ego, painting him as a man driven by resentment from his poor blacksmith father and early failures.
Born in 1883 in Predappio, Mussolini was a teacher and journalist before politics. His socialist roots made him hate the elite, but war turned him nationalist. The show uses voiceovers where he explains his plans, revealing a mind always plotting. Cesare Rossi, Mussolini’s deputy and a former union leader, questions the violence in a key moment. “Did you create fascism for revolution or to beat up socialists?” he asks.
Via The Wall Street Journey
Mussolini’s answer is vague, focusing on action over ideology. This exchange highlights how fascism appealed to the frustrated middle class and landowners who wanted order restored. The series shows fascists attacking socialist meetings and farms, protecting profits while claiming to fight communism. It’s a primer on how fear of revolution helped fascism grow.
As the episodes progress, Mussolini tries for elections in 1921, winning seats but not enough. Veterans at a meeting yell about his compromises. He calms them by saying fascists have “no preconceived ideas,” only action. This “synthesis of all affirmations and negations” let fascism absorb ideas from left and right, making it slippery and hard to fight.
Via Holocaust Encyclopedia
Why This Series Matters Today
With political tensions high, “Mussolini: Son of the Century” feels timely. Fascism’s symbols and ideas pop up in modern debates, from nationalist rallies to online anger. The series warns how movements start with vague promises of strength and end in dictatorship. Mussolini’s direct pleas to viewers mirror today’s leaders who use social media to build cults of personality.
By making him unlikable, the show avoids glorifying him, instead dissecting the tricks that won him power. The electronica soundtrack bridges past and present, showing fascism’s rhythmic appeal, like a beat that pulls you in before you notice the danger. Scenes of crowds chanting feel like concert footage, underscoring how Mussolini staged events like performances.
Via National Geographic
This style might turn off some viewers expecting a straightforward history lesson, but it forces engagement. You can’t zone out; the pounding music and quick edits demand attention. Mubi’s choice to release it weekly is smart. Each hour-long episode builds tension, like chapters in the novel by Antonio Scurati it’s based on.
The book mixes fact and fiction to explore Mussolini’s mind, and the series captures that blend. Unlike documentaries, it humanizes without sympathizing, showing flaws like Mussolini’s opportunism and paranoia. For younger viewers, the 9th-grade level storytelling makes complex history accessible.
Via The Hollywood Reporter
Terms like “squadristi” or “Futurism” are explained through action, not lectures. It covers how post-war trauma fueled extremism, a lesson relevant to today’s conflicts. The Fiume story, often overlooked, shows proto-fascism’s artistic side, where poets and artists mixed with soldiers.
Stylistic Choices and Their Impact
Joe Wright’s direction is the series’ boldest feature. Trained in theater, he brings stage-like drama to TV, with mirrors reflecting Mussolini’s divided self and shadows hiding his schemes. Black-and-white sequences flash back to war horrors, contrasting colorful rallies. This visual poetry enhances themes of illusion versus reality in politics.
Via The Playlist
The score by Tom Rowlands adds edge. The Chemical Brothers’ style, electronic pulses and builds, fit fascist marches’ energy. Marinetti’s poetry overlays fights, linking the 1920s avant-garde to modern raves. It invigorates but sometimes drowns dialogue, mirroring how noise overshadowed reason then.
Performances shine amid the style. Marinelli’s Mussolini is magnetic yet repulsive, sweating through shirts in Milan’s heat. Pierobon’s D’Annunzio is flamboyant, quoting poetry mid-battle. Supporting cast, like Chichiarelli’s Sarfatti, adds depth, showing women’s roles in fascism’s rise. Each performance feels deliberately exaggerated, echoing the theatrical politics of the time.
Via Sky News
Critics might say the flair sacrifices clarity, with the story lost in spins. But that’s the point: fascism was chaotic, a whirlwind sucking in the disillusioned. The series throws “everything at the wall,” as Mussolini might say, to show his method. The dizzying style mirrors how spectacle itself became a weapon in Mussolini’s rise.
Lessons from Fascism’s Early Days
Watching this series teaches why fascism spread. It thrived on action, not plans, promising to fix everything without details. Mussolini’s paper spread hate against socialists, Jews, and liberals, much like today’s echo chambers. The blackshirts’ violence was tolerated because elites feared worse chaos.
Via Socialist Worker
The 1921 elections showed fascism’s adaptability; Mussolini allied with conservatives for votes. Veterans, promised land, and respect became his muscle. The series portrays their rage at Italy’s “mutilated victory,” where allies got more at Versailles. This anger was channeled into organized violence that reshaped Italy’s streets.
Fiume’s legacy is key. D’Annunzio’s regime had anthems, uniforms, and speeches that Mussolini adopted. It was a dress rehearsal for fascism, blending art, war, and nationalism. Marinetti’s Futurists glorified destruction, influencing fascist aesthetics. The show frames this mix as both absurd and frightening, capturing the danger of style as politics.
Via OER Project
By 1924, Mussolini controlled key cities, setting up his seizure of power. The series stops here, teasing the dictator to come. It reminds people that fascism didn’t burst fully formed but grew from frustration and showmanship. The closing scenes underline how fragile democracy can be when spectacle overtakes substance.
Discover the Electronica-Style ‘Mussolini’ TV Retelling
Echoes of 1920s Italy appear in populist leaders who bash elites and promise action. Mussolini’s camera breaks feel like tweets, direct and manipulative. The series urges skepticism toward such charisma. For students or casual viewers, it’s an engaging history class.
Via Sky
Mubi’s art-house vibe fits, adding to their lineup of thoughtful shows. “Mussolini: Son of the Century” isn’t entertainment; it’s a mirror. It shows how ordinary anger can birth monsters if unchecked. By styling history as a music video, it pulses with warning: follow the beat, but watch where it leads.
