Vague Visages’ La Chimera review contains minor spoilers. Alice Rohrwacher’s 2023 movie features Josh O’Connor, Carol Duarte and Vincenzo Nemolato. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews, along with cast/character summaries, streaming guides and complete soundtrack song listings.

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“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” This quote from Federico Fellini — the maestro of Italian cinema — served as the spiritual foundation for my 2012 voyage to Italy as part of the organic farming program WWOOF Italia. After visiting rural communities throughout the country, I shortened my travel mantra to simply “life is magic.” One of the most memorable farming experiences happened outside Ceglie Messapica in the Puglia region of Italy, where I farmed with both locals and a group of naturalists/yoga enthusiasts from Tuscany. Two of the hosts, Maurizio and Marilina, remain two of the kindest and most spiritual people that I’ve ever met. They also share personality traits with the peaceful protagonists of Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera. Starring Josh O’Connor as a British archaeologist named Arthur who returns to his ex-girlfriend’s Tuscan village (Riparbella) during the 80s, the charming yet tragic film is a combination of Fellini-esque magical realism and an ode to the ghosts of Italy’s cinematic past, with real-time myth-making and folkloric charm grounding the narrative.

Written by Rohrwacher — in collaboration with Carmela Covino and Marco Pettenello — La Chimera blends fact and fiction as Arthur searches for Etruscan relics with Riparbella locals. He reunites with his ex-girlfriend’s mother, Flora, who is portrayed by none other than Isabella Rossellini — the daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and the master of Italian Neorealism, Roberto Rossellini. La Chimera is similar in tone to Rohrwacher’s previous feature, Happy as Lazzaro (2018), though she scales down the overt magical realism in favor of neorealist elements and Fellini-esque moments. For example, Arthur very much has boots on the ground while searching for ancient artifacts, though he often fantasizes about what could’ve been and what could be. Rohrwacher develops the protagonist’s mental framework through upside down visuals and dream sequences that link the character to Marcello Mastroianni’s Guido Anselmi from 8 1/2 (Otto e mezzo, 1963) — a film that fully distanced the aforementioned Fellini from his neorealist roots. In fact, La Chimera’s first act plays out like Fellini’s slacker-themed classic I Vitelloni (1953) as Arthur reacclimates himself to Riparbella and its charismatic Tuscan residents, most of whom — like my aforementioned WWOOF Italia hosts, Maurizio and Marilina — try to honor Mother Earth while anticipating spiritual twists and turns.

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La Chimera’s middle section was undoubtedly inspired by Fellini-esque magical realism. Carol Duarte’s Italia shares personality traits with Giulietta Masina’s Gelsomina from Fellini’s La Strada (1954), as both of the seemingly simple-minded female characters seek male companionship and approval while struggling to communicate verbally, all the while expressing their thoughts masterfully through non-verbals. Rohrwacher also incorporates circus-like elements from 8 1/2 and other Fellini classics through a variety of charismatic locals. Later, during the final act, a relic recovery sequence references the introductory statue scene from the maestro’s La Dolce Vita (1960). Importantly, none of the cinematic nods seem forced. La Chimera also benefits from Rohrwacher’s character sketch of Arthur, as the protagonist walks and talks like an Italian villager — a subversion of the fish-out-of-water storytelling technique. O’Connor’s character seems like he truly belongs in Riparbella (for reasons that I won’t explicitly detail because of spoilers), which in turn strengthens the director’s darkly beautiful final act execution.

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It’s also impressive that La Chimera survives the 30-minute disappearance of arguably its best character, Italia. The woman first emerges as somewhat of a village idiot, only to demonstrate that she’s simply misunderstood. Italia loves music but can’t sing that well; she struggles to express herself verbally but manages to spiritually connect with Arthur through sign language. And Italia’s disappearance isn’t the result of sloppy screenwriting, but rather a way to reinforce the tragic elements of the main protagonist’s character arc. Meaning, Arthur romanticizes the past but can’t quite identify everything beautiful right in front of him, at least beyond his coveted Etruscan artifacts. Rohrwacher — with her imaginative directorial eye — channels silent cinema at times through sped-up sequences, and also delivers traditional romantic moments in which time stops for both Italia and Arthur; the calm before the storm.

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I think most movie lovers, including myself, romanticize travel experiences through cinematic memories. Some might hope to “eat, pray and love” during an Italian adventure, or perhaps create Instagram-friendly moments at iconic spots such as Rome’s Trevi Fountain or the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Tuscany. But all the magic, in my opinion, happens off the beaten path in locations that don’t necessarily appear in Rick Steves or Giada De Laurentiis guide books. Rohrwacher’s outstanding 2023 film is one of those movies that just might inspire someone to sign up for WWOOF Italia as the foundation for a larger adventure. At the very least, La Chimera will hopefully inspire movie lovers of all ages to learn more about not only Italian cinema, but also the specificities of regional (and rural) Italian culture.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

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