Paolo Sorrentino tells the story of Parthenope Di Sangro’s life in his film Parthenope (2024), which poetically expresses the life of Parthenope in beautiful scenes from Naples, Italy. Parthenope was mythically the siren who perished where she sang, thus making the sight of Naples eternally beautiful. This film demonstrates how the life of Parthenope is full of suppressed desire accompanied by silence, making her unattainable.
This film also participated in the Cannes Film Festival where it was premiered as part of the competition. Following the film’s debut, it was screened in Italy and France, which are both known as the cornerstones of the Sorrentino’s cinematic universe. The film is his most sweeping in scope and ambition, spanning in time from 1950 until 2023 and portraying crucial milestones in the life of Parthenope, from her metaphoric resurrection from the seas to her retirement in the role of a revered anthropologist. The story is meditative and told in a self-reflective, lush way, avoiding structure and instead tapping into freeform poetry.
Synopsis
1850: Parthenope Di Sangro, his son, and the entire family, along with a couple of other people from the town, are dipped in the warm water of the sea. This is considered her birth. She is briefly adored by the people who unite in this act. They are accompanied with her brother, expectedly. Parthenope’s life is mythologized, working both in her favor and against her in the household.
The tragedy that marks the life of Parthenope starts when her brother, Raimondo, becomes obsessively, incestually, romantically fixated on her. This obsession’s result on her has devastating consequences. Sandrino, who truly loves her, is left woefully unfulfilled as a romantic figure throughout her life.
Parthenope’s life became less tragic when she decided to pursue Anthropology as her major. It became even better when she was taught by the strict and principled lady, Devoto Marotta. Their relationship developed both emotionally and academically as they developed a bond that was based on profound respect and admiration. Her more theatrical ventures in the world of cinema led her to study under an overtly theatrical drama coach, and to meet aging diva, Greta Cool. This career detour taught her the more dangerous aspects of her hometown of Naples, including the Camorra, and the secret abortion she underwent, faced with an unwavering calm resolve.
During the 1980s, she became involved in the complex web of politics and religions bondage of a supposed miracle performed by saint Gennaro. This life, controlled by a shady bishop, led her to become one of the subjects of the Church’s propaganda. Losing the ability to think independently, she ultimately decided to embrace freedom and study once again. In one of the most gripping and divisive moments of the book, she emotionally resolves the issue in an encounter with Marotta’s disabled son which many have claimed and argued to be more metaphorical than tangible.
In 2023, her life story’s last chapter unfolds. A retired educator, Parthenope reminisces her life’s journey as students turned academic icons celebrate her. As she makes her way back, she goes back to the sea, then to Capri, and finally to Naples. There, she witnesses the football team she cherishes deeply, win the national championship. This marks a gentle yet profound conclusion to her life story.
Visually, Parthenope is a combination of golden sunlight, coastal waters, and lush interiors which is a feast to the eyes. Paintings of Naples, captured through a lens by Daria D’Antonio, look as though they were captured by a painter. Known for his surrealistic aesthetic and love for the world’s beauty, Sorrentino utilizes visual storytelling, focusing on images to portray a character’s emotions, struggles, and complexities.
A film bringing the complexities of beauty, the burden of isolation that accompanies the awe, and how adoration is an individual’s projection of their desires onto the adored is the core of Parthenope. Due to the story’s protagonistic character, Parthenope, she is constantly surrounded by admirers yet lives an emotionally distressed solitary life. She defies and escapes definitions, her ownership transforms into an enigma, even distanced herself to her. With these themes, the movie delves into womanhood, identity, power, and the ever-changing passage of time.
Through Parthenope, Sorrentino explores the transformations of Naples and Italian culture, blending the personal, historical, and even mythical dimensions. Her existence appears less like an act of will and more like a blossoming of poetry, shaped by some larger, uncontrollable, and formless power—like a siren forever caught in a current.
Cast & Performances
Celeste Dalla Porta, who plays young Parthenope, is a new actress with an undeniably magnetic screen presence. She captures both the awe and inaccessibility that Parthenope embodies. Her nuanced portrayal was characterized by a stillness with movements, looks, and silence rather than monologues.
Stefania Sandrelli, a veteran actress, captures the aging Parthenope with a deep sense of loss and grief in the character’s later years. As Professor Marotta, Silvio Orlando gives one of the film’s most emotionally gripping performances as a character who is both powerful and deeply compassionate.
Gary Oldman makes a notable appearance as a comically and philosophically fictionalized version of American writer John Cheever. Luisa Ranieri fills the role of an actress disillusioned by fame named Greta Cool, who mentors Parthenope for a short time. The corrupt Cardinal Tesorone is an embodiment of a deceitful servant of God, wearing the mask of virtue. Portraying him is Peppe Lanzetta. As the theatrical acting coach Flora Malva, Isabella Ferrari adds surreal elements to the midsection of the film.
Critical Reception and Interpretation
There seems to be a divide with the audience and critics regarding the film Parthenope. It is, without a doubt, one of Sorrentino’s most visually mesmerizing films, with praised cinematography and a compelling atmosphere. That said, there are some who believe the film is emotionally void and overly focused on style instead of substance.
Both the film’s slow pacing and elusive plot present a blend of weaknesses and strengths. A uniquely slow and meditative approach will likely enchant some viewers, while others will be frustrated by a lack of more straightforward storytelling. One scene that seems to be the most debated in terms of public opinion features Parthenope, who refers to a disfigured child as, “incredibly beautiful,” and sparks conversations about the lack of empathetic “inner vision.”
Regardless of its shortcomings, Parthenope is undeniably bold. It daringly ventures to look at life as a myth, treating womanhood as something to be remembered vaguely, reflected upon, or quietly resisted. It is a film that is as much about the silence as it is about the words, and it permits the audience to fill the void with their thoughts, which is a diminishing trait in today’s cinema.
Conclusion
Parthenope is a film that defies classification. Like a graceful ghost, it is at times a frustratingly exquisite work that poses more questions than provides answers. In detailing the life of Parthenope, Sorrentino strives to capture not only the essence of a singular woman, but also the essence of Naples: timeless, intricate, and deeply contradictory. It is an unresolved cinematic riddle, rich in artistry and sorrow, crafted to evoke emotion rather than demand explanation. For those who immerse themselves in its rhythm, Parthenope is difficult to define but unforgettable, and its impact endures well beyond the last image.
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