Italian Film Fest 2024 Review - Gloria!

Images courtesy of the Italian Film Festival.

Gloria! is a short but sweet reminder of the power of music and its effects on our lives. The story follows an orphan, Teresa, as she learns to play the piano in secret. Gloria! reminds viewers of the joy of music, illustrating how it underpins our lives and brings us together. The editing of Gloria! seamlessly interweaves the drama of the girl’s lives with musical accompaniment. The soundtrack is outstanding - blending orchestral sounds with modern choral arrangements, less of an overdubbed audio and more of an internal mechanism of the narrative, imbuing emotion where it was needed the most. 

Gloria! brought religious tensions to the forefront through its historical setting, reminding the audience of the overbearing power of the Catholic church in 18th Century Italy. As the girls prepare for a performance before the Pope, their conductor fails to produce an original suite. Paolo Rossi perfectly embodied the detestable conductor, leading audiences to root for everyone in his vitriolic path. The girls’ attempts to make their own music far rival his work, but it’s the depiction of their creative processes that sells Gloria!’s story. Each piece of score begins simply, before building into something greater, much like the process of learning a new instrument or layering harmonies in a choir. 

The conflict and suppression the girls faced in the orphanage felt realistic, highlighting the small joys that music and friendship brought in their lives. Gloria!’s aesthetic was restrained, stripped-back and effective in its colour palette and costuming. Each actor’s performance was authentic, perfectly portraying the headstrong characters and leaning into comedy when the audience expected it the least. 

Gloria! provides for the audiences that found Bridgerton a little too neat and tidy for their tastes. Margherita Vicario’s directorial debut is a lively feature that sings with heartfelt moments and comedic witticisms alike, pulling audiences in for a story that is nothing short of glorious.

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Gloria! is screened as part of the 2024 Italian Film Festival. The Melbourne festival ran from the 20th of September to the 17th of October. For more info, click here.