So, Beppo loses his marbles and wants to kill an innocent child to avenge the death of his son.
Today, thanks to our mental blinders, we would attribute it to "temporary insanity."
This term entered psychology and criminology ONLY in the last 30 years more or less.
Before then, that concept did not exist. Either you were a nut who exploded once in a while, or you just lost it and went berserk once and for ever.
Is my argument convincing at all, that the public saw in Beppo-the-Italian a dangerous ferocious beast ready to come out when provoked?
Is the message that, this is America and there is hope even for someone like him, but in the meantime
we better be cautious about these guys?
Is the message that Italians are too impulsive, too id-driven, either for good or bad, and they cause unnecessary disturbance in the public sphere?
COMMENTS and lots of REPLIES, please.
I am definitely convinced by the argument that the audience sees in Beppo "a dangerous ferocious beast ready to come out when provoked" because that is how I initially felt when I saw Beppo's eyes widen, teeth grit, and eyebrows come together as he decided he would avenge his son's death. Even I, sitting on the other side of the screen, was scared of Beppo at this point in time. In my opinion, the purpose of the film was to degrade Italians and to show that they are not clean, wealthy, or desirable. Rather, they are murderers who are not thankful for what they have been given. When Beppo decided to kill Corrigan's daughter, he forgot the favor that Corrigan had done for him by lending him money, which he used to call his love to America. Even though I now remember that in exchange for the money, Beppo had accepted to have his friends vote for John H. Casey for Alderman, that was definitely not my initial thought and not something I remembered until writing this blog post.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that the movie shows that in America, there is hope for someone even like Beppo because Beppo had come VERY close to killing Corrigan's daughter. He only stopped when she mimicked Tony's actions. Had that not been the case, Beppo was ready to kill this innocent child. At least, I as a viewer, do not feel mercy towards Beppo. His impulse was hazardous and deathly. The movie definitely gives the message to be cautious of Italians. It shows them as "too impulsive, too id-driven."
The way Beppo went after Corrigan's daughter made him look like an ungrateful savage, especially since Bill Corrigan wasn't directly involved with Tony's death. This is just a way for the film to show the viewers that Italians will forget about the favors you give them and can turn on you at any moment.
DeleteTo those saying that Corrigan helped out Beppo during an earlier time, it means nothing when Beppo's child was in danger and he could have helped. If we have the ability to prevent something but stand idly by, are we not responsible for the events that unfold?
DeleteHazel, what you say is true, but as Mehdi says, "Bill Corrigan wasn't directly involved with Tony's death." So the fact that Beppo wants to avenge his son's death by killing Corrigan's daughter makes no sense. There is no relation here. Can you really blame someone for not helping you out? It is not like Bill Corrigan directly caused the death of Tony.
DeleteThe way the film portrayed Beppo made him look like a goofy lunatic. Instead of seeing a grieving father gripped by "temporary insanity," the audience sees a violent Italian criminal. It almost felt like propaganda.
ReplyDeleteYou have this glorious country called America. People flock to this country in search of liberty and happiness. Even the Italians can make something of themselves if they immigrate to this great nation. Despite all of the opportunities he was given, Beppo can't help but succumb to his criminal tendencies.
Mehdi, in the film, I do not see the Italians making something of themselves. Rather, they are all living poorly, barely able to survive. As we see, Tony falls sick partially due to the unsanitary utensils with bugs all over. Beppo is not even able to afford pasteurized milk for his son. We see him running out of cash at the end.
DeleteBeppo is portrayed as a lunatic because he is grieving and doesn't know how to react. He has one moment of weakness. When I saw that scene, at first I thought Beppo was "a dangerous ferocious beast” because of his facial expression but he couldn't go through with it so this is his way of grieving for his son.
ReplyDeleteThis movie portrays Italians as people who would do anything, even kill an innocent child to get revenge. It shows them as impulsive people who don't think about their actions and the consequences that come with them. I pity Beppo because if his son did not die he would not even think about getting revenge. He only looks as if he is evil because this movie tries to portray him like that.
But why is Beppo looking to get revenge from Bill Corrigan? Bill Corrigan did not kill Tony. Beppo would have gone through with the murder of Corrigan's daughter had she not mimicked Tony's actions. Do you think Beppo's actions are justifiable?
DeleteThe movie portrayed Beppo as a dangerous lunatic. The scene where we saw it the most was the scene when he finds out about Tony's death and he goes to kill Corrigan's daughter. However there were other violent scenes as well, for example when he beats up the two men who don't help him find the milk Tony needs. I think these scenes were included to make the audience think Italians are dangerous, passionate, and too impulsive. However, personally, I felt pity for Beppo because he was just a desperate father of a very sick son, trying anything to help the baby survive. I could feel the despair he felt. When he almost killed Corrigan's daughter, I didn't feel angry, I felt more scared that he would do it - I wanted to yell through the screen that he shouldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteI think the message in the movie was the second one - "Italians are too impulsive, too id-driven, either for good or bad, and they cause unnecessary disturbance in the public sphere?" Back in those times, there was a very limited understanding of mental health and most people were scared of the mentally ill walking around on the streets. Beppo is a threat to the safety and security of the masses, and the movie wanted you to feel the same way about most Italians.
Hi Yocheved. I understand what you say about feeling sorry for Beppo. Do you think Beppo should be punished had he gone through with the murder?
DeleteThe argument can be made that Italians, when provoked, can become ferocious beasts. It can also be argued that Italians were too impulsive and people needed to stand clear. But, what can be asserted is that Italian immigrants as a whole were ordinary people that were looking to achieve a life most people live or wanted to live, a life of bliss, happiness and good fortune. Beppo, like many Italians, traveled to America in hopes of starting a better life for himself and the love of his life. Upon arriving to America he began work immediately as an entrepreneur and when he became financially able he sent for his love. After getting married the two had a child.
ReplyDeleteIn the film, The Italian, a seemingly wealthy man, who many people, aspired to be told the story through his eyes. I believe this man was attempting to convince society that Italians wanted the same things that they wanted, but he also explained a reason of why Italians acted the way they did by using the three oppressive components, thugs, policemen, and politicians, that surrounded the Italian community and were the focus of Beppo’s rage in the film. When your strife, troubles and feelings are stifled and fall on deaf ears anyone can behave in a ferocious manner. His agitation with the thugs that mugged him may have been a depiction of the sentiment of the many Italians that were harassed on a daily basis by unscrupulous individuals. His hostility toward the police officer explains the resentment that Italians had against the dishonest work of the police. Beppo’s anger toward the politician that he looked to for help showed how Italians were kicked to the curb in their time of need. This manifestation of rage was a backlash of the oppression that gripped the Italian community. Beppo’s wanting to avenge the death of his child, contemplated killing the child of a representative of the political establishment. This in fact is a very scary picture of a man, let alone of an Italian. But the film, soon after, depicts him as having a moral compass. His reminiscing of his son not only shows love and humility, but a human that deserves to be treated as such.
I do not side with any one argument. I definitely believe that Beppo was provoked and something beastly was unleashed. I also feel that Beppo represents Italians and how they were seen at the time. It portrays Italians as a group of people who needed to be watched. However, I did not see that there was hope for Beppo.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Beppo revealed an ugly side to his character, I feel he was completely justified. If my child died and I knew someone who turned down helping me and my child, I would be extremely, extremely angry, hurt, and resentful. My dad used to "joke" and say that if anyone hurt me, he would take out his bat and end up in jail. Of course, this wasn't a funny joke, but I can understand where the rage within Beppo came from. After all, his baby died! However, since the film was also a representation of Italians, I do think that his choice shed light on the Italian character at the time. Since Italians were uneducated, poor, savages, it would make sense for them to take the same revenge that Beppo did. I'm sure if this was a story about an already assimilated white man, the white man would not attempt such a crime. Since Beppo was not, the only option he had in that moment was to almost kill the baby.
I think the film makers were trying to make that point - Italians come to America, we give them job opportunities a new life, and still they will try to murder our children. I think it was intended to make a statement that Italian immigrants are criminal animals waiting for something to spark in them.
ReplyDeleteWatching The Italian today from my perspective, I see it differently. I watched it as an immigrant coming to America for a new life, and when his new life is threatened by the men who stole from him, he took revenge. I think that Beppo did was somewhat justified. These men stole from Beppo, he didn't have the money to save his child, these men are responsible for the death of Beppo's son. Obviously murder is never okay, an eye for an eye will leave the world blind. But I totally get Beppo's outburst. I'm on Beppo's side. I spent at least 45 minutes getting to know him, I want my protagonist to win. There's a whole genre in film dedicated to revenge plots. Taken is a film about a man hunting down and murdering the men who kidnapped his daughter. Revenge attacks are totally socially accepted in American culture. As an American watching The Italian, I want Beppo to take revenge, avenge his child.
I do not think Beppo at anytime displayed a moment of savagery or insanity. I interpreted that moment as a man reaching his breaking point because his child was in danger. We all have our breaking points and multiple sides to us. It just takes the right circumstance to bring it out. I think the film actually showed an Italian, Beppo, in a positive light. Throughout the movie, he was a hardworking, honest man, who was in love. And during an intense moment of grief and anger, he showed mercy for another human being.
ReplyDeleteFilmmakers tried to portray Beppo as a lunatic because he acts crazy and wants to take a death to feel better about what happened to his son. If anyone that had to go through something like that in their lives they would also make a rational decisions and act out on things that come to them. While watching this film I was starting to get worried about what he was going to do next since he was acting out. In America, being the most diverse country in the world, Beppo would find a place for himself. This country accepts and treats everyone. Italians, just like many other nationalities can become ferocious beast when they are angry. It can also be said that Italians are too impulsive and people need to stand clear. Like many other things this is a stereotype and in many cases is not true.
ReplyDeleteBeppo is portrayed as a raging lunatic because that is how they wanted to portray him. Everyone throughout their lifetimes snaps at situations that people looking in would say they are dangerous lunatics and should be watched. Does everyone create this master plan to kill an innocent child? no. But if Beppo had gone through with killing the innocent child than he would be this dangerous lunatic, if he had no morals and not a good soul he would have walked in and just killed the little girl without thinking about it. Temporary insanity is a real thing, to an extent of course. You cannot claim temporary insanity over everything and get away with it because it isn't an excuse but when something severely traumatic happens to you in your life you can go insane to make irrational decisions.
ReplyDeleteThey thought Beppo was the craziest of the crazies. Like incredible strength of crazy. They were terrified. But it was all purposeful, they took his momentary last and ran with it, as if to say "see, see, I told you Italians were bad" just like how they do when a African American person acts out, society looks for reasons and people to contribute to the labels that ethnicity has on them. How many times have you turned on the news and saw a White, Italians, Chinese character sketch for a crime? You think only African Americans commit crimes? No but they are looking for things to contribute to the narrative. Beppo wanting to avenge his Childs death is a deep emotion of a parent just like Trayvon Martins parents or Sandra Bland's parents. Its hard for bad things to happen and to trust the police will handle it because sometimes what they do just doesn't fit the empty emotion you now feel. "Either you were a nut who exploded once in a while, or you just lost it and went berserk once and for ever." So easily society will label people as outcast i.e. the use of "nut". We better be cautious about these guys? The way I see it, we better be cautious about the people making the rules. We better be cautious about the labels. The message that Italians are too impulsive, too id-driven, either for good or bad, and they cause unnecessary disturbance in the public sphere is exactly what this film was meant to portray as many other narratives contributed to this outlook of good or bad and a disturbance to the public sphere. Its disgusting, I can't even began to express how annoyed I am with the country and how visions of people are manipulated to the maximum extent.
ReplyDeleteBeppo was portrayed as violent more than once in the film. For example when he beat up the two men who could not find the correct milk for Tony. In my opinion, "The Italian" was used to create a portrayal of Italian passion and love for one another. That you don't cross Italians, because they all have each others back. Beppo is portrayed as a raging lunatic because he is grieving the loss of his son. Everyone reacts differently to death, and Beppo reacted with anger. This film plays well into Italian stereotypes that are created, as I said before his rage might be portraying that Italians stand together, and you need to get out their way. You hurt one of them, and they will try to hurt you back.
ReplyDeleteJust to add on to your Italian as I stated in my comment ,the story writer ran loose with the argument that came with being Italian . When following stereotype story the story writer could have written a happy ending with the violences and acts of argument . But then why would the movie be called Italian without any violence's Italian in it ?
DeleteI do believe that your argument is convincing because once Beppo wanted revenge, there was no stopping him. for the audience, including myself, to see that he would have gone as far as killing and innocent child even after loosing his son, shows characteristics of an evil monster. His lunatic thoughts was how the director and fil makers wanted to portray Beppo. They wanted viewers to categorize Italians and feel as if they are all the same. How can their be hope for people with such savage cravings for revenge? There isn't. Remember, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." This clearly shows that the Italians abided by this saying and they they must all be the same.
ReplyDeleteI don't with the agrument . After seeing what beppo experiencing trying to the right cost him , he had the right to go mad . Even when he tried to plead with the rich man he was treating as luntaic . This made his angry elabarate more than it should of . He was portray as a mad man , but i believe the story writer showed what caused beppo to go crazy . When judging him I believe they want us to take into considering . Its not as if beppo just one day woke up and dedicted to go mad . His back was against the wall and his was thinking about the safety of his child instead of his own . With the sterotypes that follow Italian that made the story writers job a lot easier .IIf any of us was in beppo shoes would we had react different when your back is against the wall and it cost your first child his/her life??
ReplyDelete