So far, the parallel competitions of the Cannes film festival have shown a considerable number of films on the crisis. Not the economic one, but that of individuals, who are anyway probably the best reflection of the social situation. Three films in particular represent this idea: Tetro, The Misfortunates and Eastern Plays. If the baroque sophistication of Coppola’s film has nothing to do with the funny portrait of The Misfortunates, and if the latter is far from the realistic approach of Eastern Plays, they prove to have close similarities in terms of their subject: the troubled relationship between brothers. As societies are gradually losing their values, these films turn to one institution that has always represented stability: the family.

Tetro and Eastern Plays each tell stories of two brothers who, after a long separation, have to put up with their differences. The brothers of The Misfortunates may be extremely close to one another, but this reference does not contradict the previous ones; on the contrary, the three films all choose as their theme an abnormal family relationship, whether due to an exaggerated proximity or distance.

The protagonists are all unhappy with their lives. They don’t like their jobs, their love relationships are ephemeral, and they don’t feel like they are understood by their close ones. Family, work and love: our sad characters fail in all of these domains. As a matter of fact, failure is the real subject of the films, as it provides all of the conflicts that will determine the story and sets the aesthetics that each director finds best to illustrate solitude or instability (the dramatic photography of Tetro, the shaky camera of The Misfortunates, the steady and silent shots of Eastern Plays).

If these men have their problems, these only reflect the issues of their own families. These films attack the solid and traditional idea of the patriarchal family by pushing it to its limits: the mothers are passive and helpless, the fathers are tyrannical, and the children are obliged to follow rules that do not correspond to their beliefs. “Times have changed”, the films seem to say, and the models that suited other generations might no longer fit the new ones. No wonder the narratives choose teenagers who cannot recognize themselves in their parents; no wonder the “honour of the family name” appears as something so old-fashioned and inadequate.

We could also notice in the three films a deep sociological and psychological determinism. Kids who are raised in a troubled environment cannot escape from being disturbed themselves; boys who witness scenes of violence and drug consumption are likely to go through similar situations. History itself has proven that these ideas are not as functional as we would imagine, but representing personal problems as a mirror of the family or society indicates how strongly the directors seek to attribute a cause for the feeling of crisis.

Is there a solution for such a dark portrait? If the films do not present an easy alternative for the characters, at least they provide them with the ability to channel their feelings. It’s not surprising to see that the element chosen by all of them to relieve the suffering is art. The protagonist in The Misfortunates exorcises his past by writing about his own experience; Itso, from Eastern Plays, finds peace in drawing; and pretty much all the characters of Tetro express their feelings through music, literature and theatre.

The choice of brothers as main characters of these films proves to be symbolic of what these directors wish to express. The topic of brotherhood allows them to explore the ruins of the family, of masculine leadership, of role models. One scene from the beautiful Eastern Plays could perhaps sum it all up: when two brothers are confronted, after one being responsible for the aggression of the other, they silently stare at each other; their scars still visible on their faces. And nothing else needs to be said.

Bruno Carmelo