Vincere 2009

Vincere is a passionate film about a passionate woman: dictator Mussolini's prewar mistress Ida, who was kept in an asylum in order to prevent the truth from leaking out. Once again tackling controversial history, Bellocchio has fashioned his most accessible work to date with an instantly recognisable figure in the Generalissimo, who is portrayed as a charismatic man in his early years. Giovanna Mezzogiorno, as Ida, is a powerhouse: she portrays a wronged woman who is separated from her child and her true legacy.