The point of fascistic regimes is to pass unnoticed.
I'd only give an 8 to this courageous documentary because it lacks directorial power and experience, for the rest, it's an analysis of the present situation in the Italian television system, which naturally entails an overview of its social situation seeing as pretty much all the principal TV networks belong to or depend on Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi.
Guzzanti's reason for making the film was first of all the fact that her show was cancelled without any justification (but, as the film proves, with excuses that, once proved unfounded, kept on being used by the executives and politicians to avoid Guzzanti's return on TV). So if there was censorship for a satirical show it is quite obvious she couldn't have broadcast a documentary ON censorship on TV. Which is why the only means she had available to make her resentment public were theatres. In cinema, in fact, not everything is yet Berlusconi's.
Freedom of speech in Italy is an endangered species - few may notice that, especially if they do not live in Italy or if they are not familiar with its current situation (or haven't been for long enough). Having one and the same TV show on every single channel at any time of day has a very specific goal. Meaning that broadcasting mind-numbing TV series, even more mind-numbing reality shows, talk shows (basically, scream shows), avoiding serious issues not only at various TV panels but even during prime-time TV news ... All of that sends out messages to the public. Television is perhaps the most powerful among the mass media (as opposed to books, which have become the least powerful, and if only there were a way to have them banned forever...) and manipulating people certainly is not something new.
Surely, documentary's such as Guzzanti's (though less than Moore's) can be seen as manipulative. But knowing the background of her story, one can CHOOSE to disagree or take their distance. Knowing there's a satirical show on TV at 9 PM still gives you a choice to watch something else instead. On the other hand, cancelling a show about political satire because the leadership of the network (i.e. the leadership of the country) feels threatened gives those who would be interested in watching the show absolutely NO CHOICE whatsoever. So their freedom is pretty much thrown out of the window. Which is the reason for the wide response Guzzanti had with her live performance as well as with this documentary.
Furthermore, I must point out that this film does not suggest that everything "left" is good in the least. On the contrary, relevant blunders made by opposition left officials (former coalition members) make Italy's Left look pretty much the way it should be seen: spineless, submissive, disjointed, incoherent. They had the chance to pass an act on the conflict of interests when they were in power, but since rumour had it Berlusconi was going down anyway, they thought it was unnecessary to give him that extra blow. What IS that? So what, are laws made for or against single persons, no matter who's in power? Is an act on (i.e. against) conflict of interests something to apply only in case Berlusconi should win? Can they spell bull...?
Guzzanti's film certainly does not imply that Berlusconi is always bad (though I can't think of one single thing he did good except for shunning his legal problems). It only deals with his abuse of power in relation to public television. That IS a wide subject, but the film does not go any further. And why should it? Eminent people lost their jobs because they criticized Berlusconi's political moves. In no other civilized country such criticism can be seen as a good reason to fire a good and reputable journalist. It's just unacceptable and scandalous. Yet it happened, and went practically unnoticed. And this is how freedom of speech is censored, and with it goes freedom of thought.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk once said, "He is a weak ruler who needs religion to uphold his government; it is as if he would catch his people in a trap." I do believe money and greed are today's true religion.
I'd only give an 8 to this courageous documentary because it lacks directorial power and experience, for the rest, it's an analysis of the present situation in the Italian television system, which naturally entails an overview of its social situation seeing as pretty much all the principal TV networks belong to or depend on Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi.
Guzzanti's reason for making the film was first of all the fact that her show was cancelled without any justification (but, as the film proves, with excuses that, once proved unfounded, kept on being used by the executives and politicians to avoid Guzzanti's return on TV). So if there was censorship for a satirical show it is quite obvious she couldn't have broadcast a documentary ON censorship on TV. Which is why the only means she had available to make her resentment public were theatres. In cinema, in fact, not everything is yet Berlusconi's.
Freedom of speech in Italy is an endangered species - few may notice that, especially if they do not live in Italy or if they are not familiar with its current situation (or haven't been for long enough). Having one and the same TV show on every single channel at any time of day has a very specific goal. Meaning that broadcasting mind-numbing TV series, even more mind-numbing reality shows, talk shows (basically, scream shows), avoiding serious issues not only at various TV panels but even during prime-time TV news ... All of that sends out messages to the public. Television is perhaps the most powerful among the mass media (as opposed to books, which have become the least powerful, and if only there were a way to have them banned forever...) and manipulating people certainly is not something new.
Surely, documentary's such as Guzzanti's (though less than Moore's) can be seen as manipulative. But knowing the background of her story, one can CHOOSE to disagree or take their distance. Knowing there's a satirical show on TV at 9 PM still gives you a choice to watch something else instead. On the other hand, cancelling a show about political satire because the leadership of the network (i.e. the leadership of the country) feels threatened gives those who would be interested in watching the show absolutely NO CHOICE whatsoever. So their freedom is pretty much thrown out of the window. Which is the reason for the wide response Guzzanti had with her live performance as well as with this documentary.
Furthermore, I must point out that this film does not suggest that everything "left" is good in the least. On the contrary, relevant blunders made by opposition left officials (former coalition members) make Italy's Left look pretty much the way it should be seen: spineless, submissive, disjointed, incoherent. They had the chance to pass an act on the conflict of interests when they were in power, but since rumour had it Berlusconi was going down anyway, they thought it was unnecessary to give him that extra blow. What IS that? So what, are laws made for or against single persons, no matter who's in power? Is an act on (i.e. against) conflict of interests something to apply only in case Berlusconi should win? Can they spell bull...?
Guzzanti's film certainly does not imply that Berlusconi is always bad (though I can't think of one single thing he did good except for shunning his legal problems). It only deals with his abuse of power in relation to public television. That IS a wide subject, but the film does not go any further. And why should it? Eminent people lost their jobs because they criticized Berlusconi's political moves. In no other civilized country such criticism can be seen as a good reason to fire a good and reputable journalist. It's just unacceptable and scandalous. Yet it happened, and went practically unnoticed. And this is how freedom of speech is censored, and with it goes freedom of thought.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk once said, "He is a weak ruler who needs religion to uphold his government; it is as if he would catch his people in a trap." I do believe money and greed are today's true religion.