I'm Not Scared is as near to perfection that I have ever seen in a film: the acting is marvellous (yes, obviously, from Giuseppe Cristiano playing Michele, who holds it all together triumphantly without a single false note, but also from the other kids and the adults); the visual poetry is positively Elysian (Van Gogh, Monet, Caravaggio, Michelangelo all rolled into one); the music is haunting and beautiful, the story is compulsive, and the theme(s) simple yet profound. It's not just a bit of fluff, but a film of moral integrity. What more can you ask from a work of art?

It is one of the few films whose emotional power has made me cry: Schindler's List was another. Both share the idea of a hero who defies authority to do the right thing amidst great wrong, a theme which greatly appeals to me. And of course what Michele discovers down the hole is nothing less than the meaning of life, encapsulated in the sublime Michelangelo moment at the end.

The spell that the film casts has varied elements. It is essentially a romance, but it is grounded in gritty realism, which perhaps only an Italian can pull off. The kids are no angels: they possess a measure of innocence mixed with a sliver of selfishness, like all kids. Good and evil, lightness and darkness merge into each other like day and night.

It is definitely the best dramatisation of a child's moral development in the whole history of cinema. When Michele lifts up the sheet metal for the first time and looks into the hole, he exclaims: "A cave filled with gold and gems". This is a perfect decription of the film itself.

I think in time it will be seen for the masterpiece it is.

Mollyboot 26 Nov 2008

What struck me the most about Io Non Ho Paura was the refreshing way in which the tale was portrayed without excess or contrived sentiment, instead naturally touching the audience; an ability which foreign cinema seems to have always held above the common blockbuster.

Prior to viewing, I had no clue as to what the plot of Io Non Ho Paura was, and prepared myself only for an enjoyably cultural film which I subconsciously placed in the “it’s subtitled” genre. What I discovered when the lights had dimmed and the projector had been focused, was the brilliant tale of a nine year old boy, Michele, growing up in extremely rural Italy, who inadvertently finds a hostage boy, Filippo, (conveniently his age) when exploring with his friends. The terror I felt upon seeing at one moment a greying foot at the bottom of a hole, at another a wild-haired head in front of the camera creates a great respect for Michele who perseveres in helping the boy, regardless of his initial appearance of madness. It was these moments, which for a typical blockbuster would have been the impetus of the film, which allowed the film to develop the boys’ relationship into a convincingly deep friendship The balance between the portrayal of rustic Italian lifestyle (we see Michele’s mother begging him to leave as soon as he is able), and the film’s main plot, was carefully maintained, which I think was part of what attracted me to the film so much. So often these days, films seem only capable of including one of these qualities, but the dual focus adds another dimension which makes the film much more viewable.

Io Non Ho Paura is genuinely a truly touching and gripping tale, and beautifully filmed - a full five stars.

Cottia 22 Jun 2006

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