Claudio Caligari
Non essere cattivo

[Contains spoilers]

There are films that seem to have a limited objective, not too ambitious thematically, but then in their development prove to be so valid that they turn out to be better than other films with more original subjects.

Don't Be Bad works like this: it starts off plain, telling the rough life of young guys in Ostia in the mid-'90s: drugs, dealing, parties they aren't invited to, arguments, and grudges. It's a well-executed realistic picture, which, if you like, has its own originality by focusing solely on the little fish, those who, despite dealing and doing small criminal jobs, never make it big and are always short of money.

In the film's development, Caligari and the actors make the difference, enriching the desolate scenario with many insights. Cesare and Vittorio are two wonderfully written characters and even better acted out: Luca Marinelli (extraordinary!) and Alessandro Borghi fully embody the roles. Expressions, movements, language, and the use of dialect: there's not a detail out of place.

The screenplay then features many merits. It manages to explore in depth a story that might seem simple, revealing its less obvious sides. So Cesare, who seems to be the bad one, gradually reveals his true character: irascible, unable to control himself, but fundamentally good, eager to see his niece happy and to settle down with his girlfriend Viviana. Vittorio pulls himself out of the loop as soon as he realizes he's overdoing it with drugs. But his life is anything but easy, with relapses, lack of money, difficulties with his partner Linda, and clumsy attempts to bring his friend Cesare to the construction site.

The ultimate emblem of this non-superficial vision of the two paths taken by the friends arrives at the finale. In a trivial film, the message would be: "Look, Cesare, by being a criminal, went on to die, whereas Vittorio now has a family." But Caligari goes much further: Cesare's last moment of life is, in fact, happy because Viviana shows him the 5 million they earned. Furthermore, there is no room for tragic readings, optimism about the future prevails, as Viviana carries Cesare's child and once born, she names him after his father. It's a sort of purification process: the good in Cesare has remained alive in his girlfriend’s womb and like the Phoenix, can be reborn thanks to her.

And Vittorio? He has a job on the construction site but earns little and Linda always wants more. The film closes with the discovery that his stepson, given the family's financial difficulties, has offered to transport drugs. The problems for Vittorio are therefore far from over.

In these diegetic choices, there could be a cyclical interpretation of the existence of these small-time people. One person's salvation does not imply the salvation of those who come after him, just as a tragic end does not preclude happiness for the relatives. There's no logical pattern, the only certainty is the constant poverty of these people.

So maybe it's better to live on dreams in a ruin like Cesare does with Viviana, rather than facing reality with clarity. Vittorio will always be a step back from the regular workers, those with legal jobs, and will forever pay the price for his mistakes. From this point of view, the paths of the two friends don't seem so different.

The direction is purely functional, not standing out for any particular aesthetic elements. The cinematography and editing are instead decisive for the dark colors, shadows, and the wise choice not to overly emphasize the tragic dimension of the events. In this landscape of misery, there is also happiness; in fact, the moments of joy perhaps quantitatively outweigh those of despair. It's the happiness of those who have nothing, like the little Useppe in his tree tent in Elsa Morante's novel History. That's it, Cesare in his shack is just like Useppe.