Parenti serpenti (1992)
'Parenti' does not, as one may think, mean 'parents'. Instead it refers to everyone who makes up a family, commonly know as 'relatives' or 'relations'. 'Serpenti', on the other hand, does indeed refer to those slithery animals, otherwise known as 'snakes'. Now, perhaps you are getting the idea. 'Parenti Serpenti' is actually as title of a very good Italian, er, 'Christmas' film. What's it about? I'll tell you.
To cut a long story short, the film is about a Italian family that gets together for the usual seasonal festivities. Anyway, there is mum and dad, who are getting on a bit and then there are the 'children' - all grown up, some with families, and one single man. And they all chat and back-bite and do all the usual things which relations get up to, contrary to the popular opinion of Italian families being one, large, but happy crowd. Yet, the characters and the situation is very Italian.
All is going well and they are tucking into their Christmas Day, or Christmas Eve (can't recall which) meal when mum drops a bit of a bombshell. She announces that seeing as she and dad are becoming older by the day, she reckons that they both need to be looked after by one of their offspring and that the brothers and sisters should decide which of them will become the lucky carer. The children, not as you may expect, seeing as this is Italy and families are closer than UK families, for example, find it rather difficult to disguise their horror at the thought of ending up with decrepit mum and dad. In fact, after much debate, the progeny, by chance, find themselves in a local bar and just happen to hear a story on the TV news about an old couple who were blown into the next life by a gas heater. Silence descends upon the assembled heirs, as they turn to face one another, hatching a cunning, and horrific, plot.
The very next day, New Years Eve, the ageing folks are presented with, yes you guessed it, a shiny new gas heater. Oh what thoughtful spawn. Well, the house is rather chilly, after all and mamma does happen to have this habit of heating up the parental bed with an open pan filled with hot coals, so why not introduce something a little more up-to-date?
That very night all the thoughtful siblings leave mum and dad alone while they attend an nice little 'keep up with the Joneses' New Year's bash. Oddly enough, while they are out ensuring that old acquaintances are not forgotten, mum and dad's house just happens to explode, sending the old folks into the other world and thus resolving the niggling little problem of who was going to look after mum and dad.
It's a delightful film and sort of dispels the Italian 'big happy families' idea. I don't know if it has been dubbed into other languages, or even if it would work if it were to be translated. This is something of a shame in my eyes.
Italian cinema does, on occasion, come up with some real gems and this film is one of them - almost worth learning Italian for!
Back to normal
Today 2006 really began in Italy. Many people were off from Christmas Eve to the 6th January holiday. My other half actually worked last week, but she was virtually alone in the antique dealers quarter of Milan. Instead, I acted as babysitter to our little walking storm last week, as his nursery did not re-open until today. Looking after baby is fun, hard work and frustrating - all at the same time - it's not my favourite way of passing time, but at least it saved on child minder costs. Some men quite like looking after children, others don't - I fall into latter category, alas. My father was never too good at looking after us either, so I guess it's a guy thing. Anyway baby (must stop calling the little one 'baby' - he objects 'non sono baby, sono un bimbo, sono grande/big' - 'I'm not a baby, I'm a toddler, I'm big' - as he likes to remind us.') somewhat reluctantly returned to the nursery today. Two is an odd age - he arrives at the nursery in the morning and makes a big old fuss when we try to leave. On the other hand in the evening, I have to prise him away from the place!
Marty, for some unbeknown reason demanded that the language of a DVD be set in Italian instead of the usual English. Initially I refused, worrying that he wanted to give up on English, then after crying fits, I capitulated and changed the language into Italian, hoping to restore peace and quiet. No joy. Baby did not understand that the language had been changed, despite my flicking back and forth between the two languages, and even my other half's attempts to indicate that the language was Italian failed to placate the little darling. Odd things small children - but then adults can be pretty odd too. At least I do not need to worry that he is rejecting English, although this may well happen later on in life if we are not careful - and I have heard instances of this occuring in children who avoid English to prevent themselves from standing out from the crowd, otherwise they may well be subjected to that form of psychological torture which children are expert at - teasing.
On the subject of the behaviour of non-adults we had one of Marty's little friends over yesterday afternoon and, consequently, Marty now sports a long scratch down the right hand side of his face after some altercation over some toy or other. My, oh my, are toddlers possessive and violent, or so it would seem. One can understand why the human race is troubled by so many wars and conflicts after having watched how touchy little ones can be. If our children resort to violence so easily, it's little surprise really that grown-ups do the same - it seems to be almost a reflex action. We are still very much animals at heart, I fear.
OK chunter over, must get on with something.
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Photos from Flickr
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