User reviews

Lazzaro is a symbolic character in this Film. With the eyes of an innocent, kindhearted child he connects two worlds-two parts of the story. Lives of enslaves tabaco growers are difficult, manual labor is hard, food is scarce and living arrangements are appalling. Yet, their lives are socially structured, they maintain cultural traditions, live in a beautiful natural environment, eat " real" bread, drink real wine, take care of each other and maintain good spirit. What happens next is heart wrenching, but reflective of today's reality. Good intention pave a road to hell they say. Chips for a meal anyone?

What is wrong with us? Where is innocence and compassion? Is there any good left in this world? Lazzaro represents the incarnation of kindness itself. It is hearthbreaking to see that "Lazzaros" have very little space in this world, and that they are mostly not welcome. This movie will touch deeply the people who are still able to cry when confronted with all the atrocities, and injustices we commit to each other day by day. Most of all, it will touch whoever feels the need to improve in terms of humanity, sensibility and compassion even knowing that greater and darker forces overwhelm mankind.

I deeply recommend everyone this experience.

Loosely inspired by a true story of Italian farmers who were forced into near sharecropper conditions by the De Luna family in an isolated village, Alice Rohrwacher's HAPPY AS LAZZARO takes a fantastical approach to the material. The early scenes of the workers toiling to get by in the hamlet is, like Rohrwacher's previous THE WONDERS (bee farmers), full of attention to detail - both visually and aurally (the sounds of the wind and the distant howls of wild animals become their own soundtrack). The screenplay (a winner at Cannes) becomes a fable as it moves along. The peasants eventually settle into the city - but, their lives at the bottom of the run continue. A hearty band, led by Antonia (a superb Alba Rohrwacher, the Director's sister) struggles to survive in the modern world. As fate would have it, they cross paths with the remnants of the De Luna clan. Throughout all this, is Lazzaro (Adriano Tardiolo). A sort of benighted Forrest Gump figure, Lazzaro drifts among the characters blissfully unaware of the darkness around him. Rohrwacher's fantasy elements (THE WONDERS also had a few), gives the film (shot on 16mm) a different perspective. The symbolism doesn't always fully connect, but, you never doubt that her vision isn't firmly conceived. One thought becomes clear and lingers in the mind: The wolf may be at the door, but, who is the wolf?

Tender, poetic, philosophical, allegorical tale of control and exploitation and funnily enough the picture of the absurd yet the-truest-that-I've-ever-seen state of contentment. The sheer atrocities of manipulation and shameless discrimination of the fellow earthlings is heart-wrenching and tough to watch yet the poetic whiff that imbues it draws an overwhelming feeling of self-realization and utter admiration and gratitude towards the author of this Film-classic that questions the destiny of innocence in the Contemporary world.

"Happy as Lazzaro" feels like a parable with hints of magical realism, and the whole thing was just a bit too obtuse for me to fully enjoy.

There are themes of social repression, economic exploitation, and mankind's abandonment of nature for the more soulless landscapes of urban industrialization, all of which are certainly relevant to the world in which we live. But I found myself hard pressed to feel involved in any of it as explored by this film. Lazzaro is more an idea than an actual character, and I think one of the reasons he's offered as such a blank slate is so that the audience can project on to him whatever they want. I imagine there will be all sorts of different interpretations of this film, who Lazzaro is, and what it is he's meant to signify. I can and have expended that kind of mental energy on answering questions in other movies, and usually enjoy it very much, but I have to feel like the questions are going to be worth answering before I can get my head in that zone, and I didn't with this movie.

Grade: B

Literally transcendent. An innocent soul transcends time. I imagined this was Jesus Christ in his time. Meek, empathetic, poor, but so rich. Richer than the rich.

The first act of the Italian film Happy As Lazzaro focuses on naïve, worker-bee Lazzaro, an all-around good-guy who's as gullible as Charlie Brown. He, along with his fellow working community, is exploited by a tobacco heiress as unwitting sharecroppers. Unfortunately, further references to Steve Martin's The Jerk stop there. Lazzaro falls into a unique, albeit one-sided, friendship with the heiress' son, Tancredi, Tancredi, of course, is a bored dreamer who has everything; Lazzaro's a dreamer of the opposite order. While lyrics from folk-rockers Moxy Fruvous' "King of Spain" might come to mind, a song detailing the switching of identity to alter responsibilities, writer/director Alice Rohrwacher sings a decidedly different art house tune. The film changes tactics and shows a displaced Lazzaro alone in the big city, still trying to appease friends and foes alike with disastrous effects. Good grief.

Happy As Lazzaro is gorgeously shot on super 16mm film, which feels like a special treat from 1989. Rohrwacher keeps her dialogue at a minimum trusting Adriano Tardiolo's eyes and body language as the storyteller. The trade off is the loose story wanders as easily as Lazzaro's daydreams. Lazzaro is a likeable round character, yet as the story grows in complexity, he retreats in his innocence. Rohrwacher no doubt deliberately creates this conflict as her morality play grows into a fable, but the ultimate treatment of the character is as unfulfilling as it is sermonizing.

Lazzaro is the analogous common worker, never rewarded for his efforts. He is used, removed, and replaced as often as this tale's format. To tally the scores once again, the 1% have 100, the Dreamers, 0. Maybe nothing has changed since 1989.

Lazzaro may remain happy, but viewers might rather indulge in the Italian scenery.

There are some in our lives that exist beyond the scope of time or universally accepted countenance, those like Lazzaro who bear the kindness of a child and the internal strength of an ox. In Alice Rohrwacher junior film Lazzaro Felice (Happy as Lazzaro), the title character develops an unlikely friendship with the heir to a tobacco industry marquis. This same marquis has kept Lazzaro and his kin imprisoned as unpaid workers on a farm isolated from the modern world. The film mesmerizingly drifts between somber and bitter-sweet notes while the tobacco leaves and sway and the sun bakes the earth. Because the work is captured in warm 16mm, the setting feels like a piece of art from a lost age. Every character is real. A pinch is required to remind the viewer that this is not a dream or a production, Lazzaro and his partner in crime Tancredi are flesh and blood. The sound profile's depth compliments Lazzaro Felice's archaic beauty. The score uses music box chiming and staccato piano strikes, both of which echo throughout the Italian hills. Despite the Italian language barrier, one can understand the plot from vocal inflections alone. Lastly, the sound effects are rich. The pitter patter of the wolves' claws over concrete is distinct from the crunch of sand and soil underfoot. Lazzaro Felice is not to be missed. It calls to mind an air of innocence and perseverance in spite of the world. It beckons home the love of youth and family.

I have read with interest some of the strange interpretations of this movie. The inability to understand what the story this movie conveys is largely down to the lack of awareness of the Catholic faith as its no longer in favour with some due to how the church responded to allegations of abuse. This is a movie about a saint. The main actor bears more than a passing resemblance to Michelangelos David in both facial features and hair. His behaviour is selfless and he turns the other cheek when abused. He is dutiful and never questions authority. He is in short the ideal catholic or rather the ideal that the catholic religion teaches. Religious iconography is all over this movie and there is also a discussion about saints and their demise, the so called shock ending is no shock if you have have ever attended mass. This is not exactly a surprise as this movie is based in a catholic country. The movie is the story about a person who is used as a beast of burden by a group of tobacco workers who are in turn being exploited by the rich, all very biblical. The story is split into two with the first half focusing on the tobacco farm and the second years later in a city setting. There is alot of gentle humour in the movie and it is in part poverty porn, its about the poorest of the poor being exploited by those with better finances. This is also a very catholic idea, that the poor will get to heaven while the rich will not. The story itself is quite simple but is maybe overlong at over two hours. This is a movie which would likely play well to a religious audience who understand where the narrative is coming from. However its in Italian which may limit its reach. Its certainly playing well with the so called educated classes however they appear to be uneducated in the texts of dominant christian religion and interpret this movie as "magical" but seem to miss the point. If you enjoyed Being There this is basically a religious version on the same themes, recommended but its not magical its religious.

The reviews looked quite promising and so I was looking forward to see the movie... But oh boy, what a waste of time! The first 20 minutes seemed to be interesting but then the nonsense starts, with boring side stories, strange character development until it was not clear anymore what this story was about? Modern day slavery? Friendship? Betrayal? A strange story about a "saint"? Life struggles of poor people? I did not know by the end. I think the good reviews were written from people who think that a weird and boring story that makes no sense is somehow artsy. It's not. It is just plain nonsense.

Watched the film at the Palic Film Festival few days ago and i'm still under its influence. Happy as Lazzaro is shot on Super 16mm, lending the film a grainy look that evokes warmth and nostalgia. Wonderful film that wraps its hands around you and with its unusual exotic atmosphere doesn't let go till the end. The acting is briilliant, especially from Adriano Tardiolo, extremley talented actor, hope to see him more in the future. Alice Rohrwacher made a masterpiece and without spoiling anything, I deeply recommend you to see it.

There are some films that change you forever, Happy As Lazzaro is one of them. It is a painfully beautiful film with the socioeconomic insight of Leviathan, the poetic heart of The Shape Of Water and the emotional punch of The Diving Bell & the Butterfly. I saw it last night and it's resonance is still reverberating through my heart and mind. It is so intelligently drawn, steeped in allegory and metaphor that are both an indictment of our worst selves and a reminder of the infinite possibility of our choice to be good, to exercise positive unconditional regard for others. Thank you to Alice Rohrwacher and Tempesta Film for creating this masterpiece. Deeply affecting & not to be missed.

Go and experience this without hesitation... You'll be surprised how well crafted it is.

Beginning in the late 1970s, the title character (played by Adrian Tardiolo) is a young man who is good-hearted though naive. He is a among a community of over fifty people who live and work in tobacco fields in rural Italy. They are exploited by a cigarette company owner.

Firstly, a side comment: this is the second recent film from Italy in which the lead actor has a striking resemblance to Justin Trudeau. This also occurred with Timothée Chalamet in "Call Me By Your Name" released earlier this year. Okay, enough about superficial fluff and on to the review.

The film's first half is fascinating in its depiction of extreme class differences and how the poor can remain pure in their hearts despite their circumstances. The film-makers succeed in making their point in a way that is not syrupy or manipulative. The second half also fascinates in how it shows how the poor get by in very different circumstances in another location, Adding further intrigue are believable elements of mysticism including the use of a wolf as a spirit animal.

The conclusion does not live up to the earlier potential. It includes a scene in which "goodness" is stupidly applied. Further to that is the final scene that is too bizarre and out of place. This is unfortunate as most of the film was quite good. - dbamateurcritic.

Very well done, brilliantly exposing human nature, the contrast and capacities of humans to remain compassionate and kind in spite all suffering, or to be mean and greedy. Very creative, with many deep meaningful messages of kindness and compassion, and how rare and unusual those qualities are. Lazzaro's character reminds me of St. Francis of Assisi, and I got a sense that there was a parallel and subtle comparison to St. Francis. Loved this film.

Lazzaro Felice (Alice Rohrwacher, 2018) is a tale that causes some strangeness in the first few minutes, but quickly the spirit opens to receive this wonderful cinematic narrative where neorealism and magical realism intersect. From the first sequence, we are taken by a growing curiosity to know what makes that rural community succumb to the marquise's whims. Within this community, the angelic figure of Lazarus emerges, whose naivety and candor quickly touch the spectator, and who are responsible for making Lazarus worthy of the miracle of resurrection. Adriano Tardiolo is the non-actor who perfectly embodies the happiness of simple things, without expecting anything in return, to which the title alludes. In a world where everyone is exploited and exploiters, only Lázaro fulfills the virtue of disinterest.

This film has a power of the old cinema , The power of symbolism ,This is a great film.

GRADE: B-

THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: An odd little film that wants to say more than it actually does.

JIM'S REVIEW: Happy as Lazzaro, a parable about working class strife, takes its time telling its story about the rich noble family and their haughty dismissal of the poor servants who work on their tobacco farm. The story takes place in an imaginary town called Inviolata where illegal indentured servitude seems to be the norm. Directed and written by Alice Rohrwacher, the film shows the rural poverty and oppression very well as it weaves its tale about a hard-working peasant named Lazarro (Adriano Tardiolo) who befriends Tancredi, a pampered and spoiled Marquis.

The problem with the screenplay is that Lazarro is a dolt, a good person without much sense or emotion. As written, he is a blank slate, a straight man without a sidekick. Everyone takes advantage of our hero, as does Tancredi who concocts a fake kidnapping scheme to get back at his cruel mother, Alfonsina, the Queen of Cigarettes. He assigns Lazarro the job of being his alleged captor, and his dim-witted foil gratefully accepts this role. As this inane plot spirals out of control and affects the whole village in major ways, so does Ms. Rohrwacher's plot spin out of control and affects the entire movie in major ways too.

Midway through this neo-realistic film, the entire tone changes into an mystical allegory of good vs. evil as the story becomes otherworldly with elements of magic realism involving wolves, stark imagery, time-traveling, odd unexplained events, and a "forever young" Lazarro. The two narratives just do not mesh, although I did enjoy the cleverness of second act reveal more than the heavy-handedness in the earlier segments.

Happy as Lazarro is an interesting venture, with its angelic title character playing an Italian Forest Gump figure whose sheer presence acts as a catalyst for everyone else involved. But the film never builds to an emotional and satisfying conclusion. It just goes about its meandering ways and celebrates its oddness, long past its due.

The critics love this film. Me? I want that two hours of my life back.

An hour into the film, nothing has happened and you have paid so much with your boredom that you feel obligated to watch further. It surely must have some kind of payoff since the critics praise this film, surely it must be worthwhile, surely SOMETHING is going to happen.

It doesn't. There is no payoff. At the end you are searching for something good about this film so you can justify the time spent watching and not feel like you were just swindled. But sometimes, you are just swindled.

Boring, depressing and pointless. Seriously, don't bother with this film.