LA GRAZIA BY PAOLO SORRENTINO
- ARTISTIC HUB MAGAZINE
- Aug 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 3
On August 27, 2025, Venice opened the 82nd edition of its film festival with a work that bears the unmistakable signature of one of Europe’s most important filmmakers. Paolo Sorrentino, winner of the Academy Award, presented La grazia, a story that ventures into the realm of personal and political dilemmas. La Biennale confirmed that this was the film chosen to inaugurate the festival.
At the center of the story is Mariano De Santis, an imagined president of Italy. He is a widower, a Catholic, and a jurist, a man of serious bearing and constant doubt. As his mandate draws to a close, when life seems calm and predictable, two petitions for clemency arrive on his desk. These decisions do not remain confined to the law. They intertwine with his personal life and his deepest convictions. The official synopsis makes clear that this character has no connection to any real president. He is entirely a creation of the author.
What begins as a tale of duty grows into a moral labyrinth. The president must decide whether to grant clemency to those who have taken a life in circumstances that stir compassion, and whether to sign a law on euthanasia while remaining true to his faith. The film does not offer simple answers. Instead, it portrays a man who lives in the space between doubt and responsibility.
In his notes, Sorrentino describes La grazia as a film about love. For him, love is the driving force that generates tenderness, sorrow, jealousy, and a profound sense of duty. Mariano loves his late wife. He loves his daughter Dorotea. He loves the law, which has shaped his entire life. This love, intertwined with uncertainty, defines him as a man who never ceases to question the rightness of his choices.
The role of the president is played by Toni Servillo, whose long collaboration with Sorrentino has given Italian cinema some of its most memorable works. Anna Ferzetti appears as Dorotea. The visual language of the film is crafted by cinematographer Daria D’Antonio, while the atmosphere and style are further shaped by production designer Ludovica Ferrario, costume designer Carlo Poggioli, and editor Cristiano Travaglioli. As always in Sorrentino’s films, music becomes part of the narrative, creating rhythm and emotion that flow through every frame.
La grazia is a film about a man who, at a decisive moment in life, must confront everything that defines him: love, faith, fatherhood, and power. It invites reflection on ethics and responsibility while captivating with its visual harmony and emotional depth. Its presence in Venice affirms that cinema can still ask urgent questions about meaning and the beauty of life.
At its premiere, La grazia was met with an ovation that lasted several minutes. The audience responded with warmth, while critics praised Sorrentino for finding a rare balance between emotion and restraint. Toni Servillo carries the story with quiet strength, and the interplay of subtle humor and moral questioning transforms the film into a work that both entertains and compels reflection. Critics have described it as a meditative and nuanced portrait of a man who, nearing the end of his journey, seeks meaning in love, responsibility, and faith.
Production details
Director and Screenplay: Paolo Sorrentino
Production: Fremantle (Andrea Scrosati), The Apartment (Annamaria Morelli), Numero10 (Paolo Sorrentino) Running time: 133 minutes
Language: Italian Country: Italy
Main cast: Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti, Orlando Cinque, Massimo Venturiello, Milvia Marigliano, Giuseppe Gaiani, Linda Messerklinger, Vasco Mirandola
Cinematography: Daria D’Antonio
Editing: Cristiano Travaglioli
Production design: Ludovica Ferrario
Costumes: Carlo Poggioli
Sound: Emanuele Cecere, Mirko Perri
Visual effects: Rodolfo Migliari
