Joe Wright Took on Mussolini in ‘M. Son of the Century’ to ‘Counter’ the Creation of ‘False Narratives’
In crafting "M. Son of the Century," a limited series about the rise of fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, "Atonement" and "Cyrano" director Joe Wright was looking to make a statement. This was a tougher proposition than some may think, as trying to wade into political discussions in film and television has widely become passé in the age of Trump and other far-right leaders taking rise throughout the world. Rather than be dissuaded, however, Wright felt this was the perfect reason to explore a time in history when large swathes of humanity became enraptured in cruel ideology espoused by charismatic but deeply flawed men. Discussing this upcoming Sky Atlantic series in a recent interview with Vulture , the British filmmaker explained why he felt called to examine this period and how he hopes to buck Hollywood's fear of taking a stance.
"I do think Hollywood has become incredibly apolitical," Wright said. "I think it's important to take control of the narrative, and we as storytellers have a responsibility to do that. I'm by no means suggesting that a piece of television can change the world, necessarily, but we can do our bit. Because in Italy and the world, there has been a false narrative spread for 75 years."
Addressing this narrative, Wright added, "You meet people on the street in Italy, or cab drivers or whoever, and they'll say, 'Well, Mussolini was okay. Mussolini did a lot of good for the country, but then he fell in with this rotten apple Hitler, and that was a big shame. But until then, he was great.' It's a false narrative! It's not true, and we need to counter those false narratives."
A big part of what makes " M. Son of the Century " different from the more tepid political narratives Hollywood occasionally puts out, Wright shared, is that he was willing to explore Mussolini's charm and frame him in such a way as to make him come off as a rock star.
" We need nuance , and nuance is something that has been lost, I think, from a lot of discourse," said Wright to Vulture. "Either it's good or bad, evil or good, right or wrong. I think that's unhelpful. Also, I think it's underestimating an audience's intelligence. Because people get it. People aren't stupid. Okay, maybe a tiny fraction of people are stupid — but generally, they get it."
Wright went on to admit how his own interest in the project largely came from a place of fear for what he saw happening throughout society, as well as his own ignorance around the concept of fascism.
"I've been watching the rise of the far right across the world and have been very, very concerned. I remember when I was growing up, when I was a teenager in the '80s, using this word 'fascist' against the police or Margaret Thatcher or my schoolteachers without really understanding its meaning or its root," Wright said. "When producer Lorenzo Mieli asked if I'd be interested in working with him on this, I jumped at it as an opportunity to educate myself really on the foundations of what I saw happening, what we see happening around the world now."
"M. Son of the Century" recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival and will air on Sky Atlantic in 2025.
